Penguins assign promising forward Rutger McGroarty to AHL

The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned promising forward Rutger McGroarty to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

McGroarty partook in the morning skate but did not factor into any line rushes, a usual indication of being a healthy scratch on game nights.

The Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena.

McGroarty, 20, skated in three games for the Penguins, averaging 11 minutes, 37 seconds of ice time while recording zero points.

Deployed primarily as a wing on the Penguins’ third line centered by Lars Eller, McGroarty was a healthy scratch Monday against the Montreal Canadiens.

McGroarty impressed enough during training camp to crack the NHL roster out of the preseason.

Acquired in August from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for forward Brayden Yager — who was considered one of, if not the, top prospects in the Penguins’ system — McGroarty arrived in Pittsburgh surrounded by much hype.

The Jets’ first-round (No. 14) pick in 2022, McGroarty made a splash throughout the preseason, earning praise from coach Mike Sullivan and general manager Kyle Dubas.

However, a stated priority for both has been to ensure McGroarty gets as much playing time as possible.

With Bryan Rust back from injury and the chain reaction of line shuffling that followed, McGroarty’s path to the ice was blocked.

Not to mention, Jesse Puljujarvi has two assists early and continues to play well following a red-hot preseason, asserting that he belongs in the nightly lineup.

How McGroarty factors into the equation at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton remains to be seen, but he can be expected to play in the top six and likely on the power play.