Rangers division rival trades for top prospect Rutger McGroarty

One of the New York Rangers’ division rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, added an exciting young talent on Thursday, acquiring 20-year-old forward Rutger McGroarty in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets.

The No. 14 overall selection from the 2022 NHL Draft informed the Jets did not intend to play for Winnipeg, leading general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to make him available via trade. The Penguins sent their No. 14 overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft, 19-year-old center Brayden Yager, to Winnipeg in a one-for-one swap.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas immediately signed McGroarty to a three-year entry-level deal worth $950,000 annually if he makes the NHL roster, which it appears he’ll have the chance to do this fall.

A Second-Team All-American for the Michigan University Wolves of the NCAA as a sophomore, McGroarty impressed with 52 points in 36 games, ranking seventh in all of D1 hockey with 1.44 points per game.

He also captained Team USA to a gold medal in the 2024 World Junior Championship with five goals and nine points in seven games, skating alongside Rangers prospects Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue.

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Penguins latest Metro team to make intriguing add

The Metropolitan Division, and the Eastern Conference as a whole, is shaping up to be a highly competitive and hard-fought battle. The Rangers have their eyes on winning the Metro for the second season in a row, but it won’t come easy.

The New Jersey Devils look to return to form after trading for goaltender Jacob Markstrom and signing defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, addressing two of their biggest issues from last season. The Washington Capitals made big adds with defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy as well as forwards like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane.

Even the Carolina Hurricanes withstood the departure of Jake Guentzel with major adds to the blue line as they look to record their fourth straight season with 110-plus points.

The Penguins have had a quieter offseason up to this point, playing it safe as future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin begin to enter the twilight of their iconic careers. It’s unfamiliar territory for a Penguins team that’s been a Stanley Cup contender for over a decade. Now it seems the goalposts have been reigned in.

Dubas traded Guentzel to the division-rival Hurricanes at the 2024 trade deadline in the final year of his contract, ending his eight-year stint in Pittsburgh. This offseason, they shipped veteran winger Reilly Smith to the Rangers, even retaining some salary on the final year of his deal to corral a second-rounder from New York.

They’re not exactly in a buy-now window. Trading for 2023 Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson last offseason didn’t yield a postseason berth as Pittsburgh came up three points shy of the final wild card, missing the playoffs for a second straight season despite a brilliant 42-goal, 94-point season from a 36-year-old Crosby.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t be a threat. The Penguins missed the playoffs in 2022-23 by one singular point, snapping a stretch of 16 straight seasons ending in a postseason berth. They came up just short once again, but remain a team that should be in the wild card mix when April rolls around.

For what it’s worth, Dubas has made some deals this offseason, looking to set Pittsburgh up for the future while still keeping themselves fairly competitive now.

They brought in former Ranger Kevin Hayes while also getting a second-round pick for assuming his contract. They traded for five-year NHL veteran Cody Glass, who put up 14 goals and 35 points two seasons ago. Now they bring in an exciting young forward prospect who could become a staple of their next generation.

The Penguins aren’t really a Cup contender, and they’ve got more of an opening in their forwards unit than Winnipeg did, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if McGroarty finds himself playing in the NHL this season. If he makes the team out of camp, the Rangers would see him as early as October 9 as they visit Pittsburgh for their season-opener.

If McGroarty can live up to the first-round hype, he’s a name the Rangers may be forced to get familiar with. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time they’ve had to get acquainted with a young Penguins forward.

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