Rumblings that Rutger McGroarty’s name was coming up in trade rumours first started heading into NHL Draft weekend back in June, when Elliotte Friedman first broached the topic on an episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
Right away, comparisons were being drawn to Cutter Gauthier, not necessarily for how they play or what their trade value might be, but in how both USNTDP prospects were engineering a change of scenery before ever signing a contract with the team that drafted them.
You’ll recall that Gauthier, the fifth overall pick of the 2022 draft, was unwilling to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, forcing GM Daniel Briere’s hand to find a trade. One was found on Jan. 8, as Gauthier was sent to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale — a one-for-one with the sixth overall pick from 2020 heading back in return.
McGroarty was taken nine picks after Gauthier in the 2022 draft, going 14th overall to the Winnipeg Jets. On Thursday, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed McGroarty and his representation informed the team in June that he had no desire to sign with them.
“We were at the draft combine and got a text from his agent that they wanted to meet so we sat down and chatted and he informed us that Rutger had said he didn’t intend to sign,” Cheveldayoff explained.
Later, the Jets GM spoke directly with McGroarty to try and find out why he wanted a change, or what went wrong.
“He said when he got to development camp he put the jersey on, it became real, and it just didn’t feel right at that time,” Cheveldayoff continued. “If there’s a specific reason, Rutger hasn’t told us.”
So, ahead of the draft with trade rumours fresh, our scout Jason Bukala explored some 2024 prospects he would have been comfortable trading McGroarty for, and all ended up being picked inside the top 14. McGroarty, it should be noted, also had two further seasons of development under his belt.
In the end, the Jets sent McGroarty to the prospect-starved Penguins and got a young player in return to fill in the pipeline gap. Coming to Winnipeg is Brayden Yager, picked 14th overall (same as McGroarty), in 2023. Yager, a WHL champion with Moose Jaw, scored 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games last season.
As the focus for Winnipeg now turns to getting a contract done for RFA Cole Perfetti — their only remaining unsigned player — we turn back to Bukala for his take on another intriguing August trade.
Scout’s Analysis
The long-rumoured McGroarty trade became a reality on Thursday. At the end of the day, all things considered, the Winnipeg Jets ended up acquiring a prospect in Yager who has similar upside overall. Both McGroarty and Yager project as top-six NHL forwards with solid offensive upside. They go about their business differently, but both players have been proven scorers at every step of their development to date.
To Pittsburgh: Rutger McGroarty
Whatever happened, or didn’t happen, between the Jets and McGroarty is water under the bridge at this stage. The reality is the Pittsburgh Penguins have a very shallow prospect pool and McGroarty immediately becomes the top prospect in their system.
McGroarty signed his entry-level contract right away with Pittsburgh and, I assume, will compete for an NHL roster spot at training camp.
I’ll be monitoring McGroarty’s scenario closely this season. I’m curious to see how he handles the ups and downs of being a first-year pro and the adjustments he makes along the way. The NHL is the hardest league in the world to earn a roster spot in, and it will take perseverance.
He has strong potential to break camp with a roster spot in Pittsburgh this fall, but time in the AHL would benefit his development.
NHL Projection: Top six forward. Primary role at even strength and power play.
To Winnipeg: Brayden Yager
Yager is a proven scorer at the junior level, where he’s produced 104 goals and 135 assists in 211 regular season games and added 20 goals and 30 assists in 40 playoff games. His experience in high-leverage tournaments — the Memorial Cup and representing Team Canada on the international stage — has also benefited his development. He’s a solid skater who attacks off the rush and slides to open space in the offensive zone effectively. Both qualities speak to his vision and hockey sense. His attention to detail defensively is reliable as well. He reads the play in his zone, rarely gets caught chasing below the hash marks, and tracks back the entire 200 feet.
Yager has ping-ponged between being described as a shooter and a playmaker, but he brings a combination of both offensively. He’s not a heavy-set player, but he’s around the play in the battle areas and generally doesn’t shy away from digging in to win pucks. Adding strength will lead to more opportunities to come away with pucks along the wall and find second chances in traffic.
At the NHL level, Yager’s primary ice time is likely to come at even strength and the power play. He will likely need some time at the AHL level to get acclimated to the pro game, but his skill and hockey sense are in place. Like all prospects, the daily wear and tear of the pro game will test him physically early in his career.
Yager has the potential to push for a job with the Jets at training camp, but more strength and endurance is required before his scoring element will take hold at the NHL level. This is why I think a year in the AHL might be best for his development.
NHL Projection: Top six forward.
Who won the trade?
This transaction between the Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins, in my opinion, should be viewed as a “hockey trade” that benefits both organizations. There isn’t a clear-cut winner in the deal yet.
The Jets receive a player from western Canada who is comfortable with the lifestyle of living in a Canadian city and the climate. The Penguins receive a prospect who had his own reason(s) for not wanting to play in Winnipeg and should thrive in Pittsburgh.
It’s a win/win for both teams and the Jets did well in a tough situation.