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Rutger McGroarty, Pittsburgh Penguins (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Penguins of the Future: Rutger McGroarty Starting to Live Up to the Hype

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jordan Orth | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 3:50 PM ET

As the 2024-25 season treks on, the Pittsburgh Penguins have seen plenty of positives from their farm system. In the first part of my “Penguins of the Future”, I look at probably the most talked about and watched prospect in the organization’s system, Rutger McGroarty.

How McGroarty Landed With Pittsburgh

The biggest fish that general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas caught this offseason was McGroarty on Aug. 22, 2024, in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets. There were murmurs that McGroarty had become unhappy and unsure of his future within the Jets’ organization, leading to the swap of him and the Penguins’ 2023 first-round selection, Brayden Yager. Many believed McGroarty was closer to making an impact at the NHL level than Yager, which may be the case. McGroarty signed his entry-level contract on the same day he was traded to the Penguins, got a cup of coffee in the NHL at the beginning of the season, and was then sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL). On the other hand, Yager has spent this season in the Western Hockey League and has had a strong season yet again.

McGroarty’s Start to Professional Hockey

As with many young players, McGroarty experienced a bit of an adjustment period when it came to playing at the professional level. After being one of the top players in the NCAA for two seasons with the University of Michigan, along with four-straight years of representing the United States at the World Juniors level (two years at both the under-18 and under-20 age groups), McGroarty quickly found his footing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The adjustment seemed to happen in the first few games he played, and he looked more and more comfortable. After being touted as a strong playmaker in college, he struggled to get his game going statistically (he did not record a point until his fifth game), but it was not due to the lack of effort.

Right off the bat, McGroarty’s hardworking mindset — which he has continued to be touted for — showed through and his knack for being around the play was evident. The numbers were nothing to write home about in the first 15 games of the season (when he totalled six points), but his overall play was solid for a rookie.

Numbers Beginning to Backup McGroarty’s Strong Play

As the calendar turned to December, McGroarty’s numbers finally began to match his overall play. Since Dec. 7, he has tallied 19 of his 25 points (as of Feb. 19). One of the bigger question marks he had coming into his draft year of 2022 was the consistency at which he played, and that seems to still be an area he needs to improve on. Still, overall, he has gotten stronger as the season has progressed. His work ethic and attention to detail have continued to be strong suits, and while the goal-scoring numbers (six) still have not necessarily gotten up to where he would probably like them to be, he continues to fire the puck on the net. It very well could be just a matter of time before he breaks out in the goal department.

Where McGroarty has shined as the season has progressed is with his playmaking abilities. They have been solid all season, but he has fully adjusted to the professional game and has shown off his skills with the puck on his stick. Showing patience with the puck and finding his teammates have been top-notch skills for the youngster.

When Will McGroarty Make His Way Back to the NHL?

A realistic expectation for seeing McGroarty, who is expected to be a huge part of the Penguins’ future, in the NHL full-time would be in the 2025-26 season. There is an outside chance he could earn a call-up toward the end of the season or after the 2025 Trade Deadline if the Penguins go into full sell mode. But there are other players in front of him, like Vasily Ponomarev and Ville Koivunen, who would earn a callup over McGroarty.

Spending an entire season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is beneficial not only for McGroarty’s ice time but also for his development. Finishing this season strong, combined with a strong showing at next season’s training camp, could see him end up on the Penguins’ opening-night roster once again, and this time, see him stay in the lineup and on the roster full time.