Rutger McGroarty

August 2024 – The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets on August 22, 2024, for 2023 first-round (14th overall) pick Brayden Yager. The Penguins wasted no time getting their new top prospect under contract, signing McGroarty to a three-year entry-level contract the same day. Mark Henry

June 2024 – Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff told reporters in Vegas at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft that 2022 first-round pick (14th overall) McGroarty will not attend the Winnipeg Jets development camp in early July but wouldn’t get into any more details on where things stand regarding trade speculation surrounding one of the team’s top prospects. Mark Henry

April 2024 – McGroarty will return to the University of Michigan for his junior year for the 2024-25 season. Mark Henry

April 2024 – McGroarty’s 2023-24 season ended on Thursday, April 11, after the Michigan Wolverines lost to the top-ranked Boston College 4-0 in one of the semi-finals of the 2024 Frozen Four in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In 35 regular season games with Michigan, McGroarty had 52 points (16 goals and 36 assists); he was also named NCAA Second-Team West All-American on Friday, April 12. Mark Henry

January 2024 – In seven games at the 2024 World Junior Championship, McGroarty had nine points (five goals and four assists). He had one goal and one assist in a 6-2 victory over the host Sweden to help the United States capture the gold medal. McGroarty returned to the University of Michigan upon the tournament’s completion and has been named one of Michigan’s alternate captains during their road games for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Mark Henry

December 2023 – After some doubt that McGroarty could play for the USA at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, he made the final roster and was named team captain. This will be McGroarty’s second trip to the World Junior Championship; he was part of last year’s bronze medal team. Mark Henry

November 2023 – On November 17, McGroarty took a hit and fell awkwardly into the boards during the Michigan Wolverines game versus Penn State. He needed help getting off the ice and was placed on a stretcher; he was taken to the hospital and later released. He is out for the remainder of the first half of the season. The Michigan Wolverines’ first half ends on December 5, 2023, and they resume play in the second half on January 6, 2024. Beyond that, his timeline to return is unknown. An opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2024 World Junior Championship from December 26, 2023, to January 5, 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden, is in doubt. In his sophomore season at Michigan, McGroarty has scored six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 13 games. Mark Henry

October 2023 – After earning second-team Preseason All-Big Ten honours before his 2023-24 NCAA Big Ten regular season, McGroarty started the season on fire. In two games with the Michigan Wolverines, he had five points (one goal and four assists), including his first-career four-point game with one goal and three assists on Sunday, October 8, 2023, against the Providence Friars and was named Big Ten First Star of the Week on October 10. Mark Henry

October 2023 – The Winnipeg Jets 2022 first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft (14th overall) , McGroarty, was a point per game player in his freshman year with the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022-23 season (18 goals and 21 assists) in 39 games. He played in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he scored one goal and added six assists in seven games for the United States. McGroarty helped Michigan reach the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four, where they lost to eventual champion Quinnipiac in the national semifinals. He attended Winnipeg’s 2023 summer development camp from July 4 to July 8, 2023. McGroarty could make his NHL debut upon completing his sophomore season at the University of Michigan in 2023-24. Mark Henry

July 2022 – McGroarty has been selected by the Winnipeg Jets with the 14th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

December 2021 – McGroarty entered the season touted as a potential top-10 pick and while I don’t think he has played poorly, I do think he has been surpassed by a number of prospects in this class – including a few on his own team. He spent a significant portion of last season with the U18 team as well, suiting up for 19 games and registering six points, but hasn’t taken charge this season the way I think guys like Cooley, Nazar, and Howard have. Nick Richard

September 2021 – Rutger McGroarty debuted with the USNTDP in 2020-21 and starred for the U17 team, totaling 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points in 34 games. His play earned him a call up to the U18 team where he registered six points in 19 contests, setting the stage for him to represent his country at the U18 World Championships last spring. McGroarty will return to the USNTDP team in 2021-22 and appears poised to take on a more prominent role in his draft year.

McGroarty is one of the most complete prospects in the 2022 draft class. He has good size, skates fairly well, competes hard, and has plenty of offensive skill. He blends a power game with finesse, able to take the puck to the net and finish with his soft hands. His shot is heavy and comes off of his stick quickly, making him a scoring threat on the inside as well as from the perimeter. McGroarty is a powerful skater who forces his way around defenders and keeps his feet moving to effectively hunt pucks on the forecheck but his feet can be a bit heavy at times. He is more than willing to engage physically, taking intelligent routes and finishing his checks with authority. A handful along the boards, he has the strength, puck skills, and quick first step to come away with contested pucks and make plays off the wall. McGroarty is strong on the puck and difficult to knock off of his feet. He positions himself well in front of the opposing net and boxes out defenders to capitalize on rebounds or loose pucks. Known more for his shot, he also has decent vision and knows how to deceive defenders to open up passing lanes, but is sometimes guilty of trying to do too much on his own. There are players with better raw tools in the 2022 draft but McGroarty’s well-rounded game and offensive upside have him on an early trajectory towards being a top-10 pick. Nick Richard