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Fantasy Summary

Well-rounded forward with slick hands and a heavy shot. Has good size and competes hard. Potential top-six scorer at the NHL level.


Observations

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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

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 8.0
NHL Certainty 8.0
Country USA
Position LW
Roster Type Draft Eligible
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth March 30, 2004
Height 6‘1”
Weight 205 lbs
Drafted 2022 Round 1; Overall: 14

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2013-2014 Toronto BulldogsBrick Invitational6 9 312 2|Playoffs2 4 04
 2015-2016 Draftday Hockey Selects U12WSI U129 8 1018 2|        
 2016-2017 Detroit Honeybaked QC Int PW5 0 22 2|        
 2017-2018 Honeybaked 13U AAAHPHL 13U17 40 747 0|        
  Draftday Hockey Selects U14 2WSI U149 9 716 -|        
 2018-2019 Honeybaked 14U AAAHPHL 14U20 25 2954 8|        
  Draftday Selects U15 WSI U159 10 919 4|        
 2019-2020 Team Orange USA-S154 4 37 9|        
  Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U AAAHPHL 15U9 8 1018 8|        
  Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U AAA15U AAA63 82 78160 -|        
  Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 16U AAAHPHL 16U1 0 11 0|        
  USA U16 YOG4 1 23 2|        
 2020-2021 USNTDP JuniorsUSHL30 12 719 22|        
  U.S. National U17 TeamNTDP34 17 1835 26|        
  U.S. National U18 TeamNTDP19 3 36 8|        
  USA U18WJC-185 0 00 2|        
 2021-2022 USNTDP JuniorsUSHL25 15 1833 26|        
  U.S. National U18 TeamNTDP54 35 3469 65|        
  USA U18WJC-186 8 19 27|        
 2022-2023 Univ. of MichiganNCAA39 18 2139 18|        
  USA U20WJC-207 1 67 0|        
 2023-2024 Univ. of MichiganNCAA- - -- -|        

Highlights