McGroarty was the 14th overall pick of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old was traded to Pittsburgh in the offseason after requesting a trade out of Winnipeg. McGroarty was held without a point in his first three NHL games but excelled at the NCAA level, with 16 goals and 52 points in only 36 games played in 2023-24 with the Michigan Wolverines.
Jesse Puljujarvi will likely draw into the lineup on Monday if McGroarty is a healthy scratch. The 20-year-old McGroarty is playing his first NHL season and has zero points, a -1 plus/minus, and two shots on goal while averaging 11:37 time-on-ice through his first three games.
Hours after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in a one-for-one deal for Brayden Yager, Rutger McGroarty has signed a three-year entry-level contract with Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old was Winnipeg's 2022 1st-round pick (14th overall) and had excelled at the NCAA level, with 16 goals and 52 points in only 36 games played in 2023-24 with the Michigan Wolverines.
McGroarty had announced in April that he was planning on returning to Michigan (NCAA) for the 2024-25 season but has been dealt from Winnipeg to Pittsburgh for Brayden Yager and is now expected to sign his entry-level contract. The 20-year-old was Winnipeg's 2022 1st-round pick (14th overall) and has excelled at the NCAA level, with 16 goals and 52 points in only 36 games played in 2023-24 with Michigan.
