COVINGTON TWP Pa., Oct 25 2024- Sports in the city of Scranton have been given a new life with a young superstar. After being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Winnipeg Jets, Rutger McGroarty made his debut for the Penguins on October 9th. Rutger played three regular season games in Pittsburgh before being sent down to the American Hockey League [AHL] to play for Wilkes-Barre Scranton. McGroarty then made his debut in Wilkes-Barre Scranton on October 18th. Being a first-round draft pick comes with immense amounts of attention and expectations. Rutger is considered by many to be the most hyped Penguins prospect since Sidney Crosby back in 2005. Even though Crosby made a seamless transition to the National Hockey League [NHL], spending time in the minor leagues may be what will work best for McGroarty.
As previously mentioned, Rutger McGroarty was originally selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Clearly, expectations were high for Rutger right out of the gate. Following the draft, Rutger would then play his next two seasons at the University of Michigan where he tallied a total of 34 goals and 57 assists in 75 collegiate games. Rumors of Rutger being traded started around this past year’s draft. These rumors were confirmed when Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed that McGroarty was not interested in playing for the Jets. Finally, Rutger McGroarty was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brayden Yager, a first round draft pick himself. This then led to Rutger playing three games in Pittsburgh and then being sent down to the AHL to play in Wilkes-Barre Scranton; a move that has generated a lot of buzz in the hockey community.
Pittsburgh Penguins have faith in the organization and trust the handling of Rutger McGroarty’s development. Zane Cruz, a sophomore, says that he was initially “pretty shocked that they would do that, because he was talked about so highly through the draft and the trade rumors.” However, as he thought about the move, Cruz came to understand it and he has incredibly high expectations for Rutger. Zane even compares him to some of the NHL’s best saying that he can become “a Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid kind of player.” Overall, Zane believes that “Wilkes Barre, for now, will have him as a good player and he can work his way up to the NHL.” Similar to Zane, Joe Moody, a junior, thinks that McGroarty will get “better development in the minor leagues.” Moody’s main reason for his belief is the competition level that Rutger will face. Joe says that McGroarty will face “more play on his level.” To add to this, Moody is confident that Rutger will see significantly less playing time in the NHL as he sees in the AHL. Similar to Zane, Joe believes that with the proper mentor and development for McGroarty, the sky is the limit for the young star.
To start the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been nothing short of inconsistent. Despite their struggles to start the season, a call-up for Rutger McGroarty does not seem likely in the near future. While it may be hard for fans to watch now, something special could be on the rise: A replacement for current superstars like Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby. One player does not make a whole team, but a player can help build a foundation for success. The Penguins organization believes that’s what they have in Rutger McGroarty.
