Penguins/NHL
Pittsburgh’s big swing of trading 2023 1st round pick (14th overall) Brayden Yager to the Winnipeg Jets for winger Rutger McGroarty, the 14th overall pick the year prior, sent shockwaves around the league in that the Jets were able to turn a tough situation of a top pick wanting out so soon into the return they got. Yes, a consensus among evaluators if McGroarty is the slightly better prospect of the two from the standpoint of checking all the boxes of being a likely Top-9 level NHL forward, some argue the higher ceiling is with Yager, especially for scouts that believe he will be a center in the NHL. At the end of the day, a number of clubs that pursued a trade for McGroarty, the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals were among the serious bidders a good six to eight weeks, called the Jets bluff that demands of a top pick or similar scaled prospect was too rich for a player teams knew through his representation was never going to sign with Winnipeg. In the past these situations see a prospect like McGroarty go for more in the line of 2nd round picks than a top prospect like Yager. If there’s a knock-on Pittsburgh for this deal, it’s questions whether there were other avenues to make this happen without having to include Yager. The Penguins may indeed miss the postseason for the third straight season but being 75 pts or below bad just isn’t going to happen. This is a team that again projects to fall anywhere between 85-95 points. It can swing either way. League observers contend a 2025 first-round pick would have in all likelihood also sealed the deal for McGroarty. Still, there are a variety of reasons Pittsburgh went for it and gave up the big cost of Yager and the dynamics have changed:
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Two months ago, there is said to have been absolutely no consideration of the Penguins being willing to move Yager for McGroarty. Winnipeg had their sights on drafting Yager at #18 spot in the 2023 draft and belief is if Pittsburgh didn’t grab him at #14, he was going to fall to Winnipeg. Sense is Winnipeg was asking about Yager from the start and Pittsburgh in late June/early July was a ‘Hard No’. But, the dynamics have changed a bit. The core, notably Sidney Crosby is irritated a source says at the roster construction, while Mike Sullivan and the core are said to have a chip on their shoulder that the GM doesn’t believe in them and To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
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[hide] “We had a difficult decision to make with this trade because we hold Brayden Yager in such a high regard as a person and prospect. After much consideration, we decided that the opportunity to add Rutger McGroarty was ultimately in the best interest of the Penguins,” said GM Kyle Dubas in a released statement. “Rutger possesses the combination of ability, leadership and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run. We look forward to welcoming Rutger and his family to the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins.”[/hide]
Scouts Buzz: A major power broker in the Penguins going forward with this deal was super-agent Pat Brisson who reps McGroarty. Brisson’s hockey opinion is valued greatly by General Managers around the league, including Dubas. Brisson made an excellent sales job to the Penguins brass McGroarty can help Penguins right away and well into the future. The Penguins are not concerned about the lack of explosive skating ability or a knock on McGroarty that he didn’t put the puck in the net at a high-enough level at lower levels which is often a precursor of scoring ability in the NHL. What the Penguins see in McGroarty is a more skilled version of Michael Bunting. McGroarty [hide] playmaking and vision of the ice is top-notch for a power forward type of winger but it’s other areas that really sold and made the Penguins comfortable to make this deal. It’s the way To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
