McGroarty for Yager: Pittsburgh, Winnipeg Strike a Deal
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have found their solution to who will play on the line alongside Sidney Crosby. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman is reporting that the organization is close to acquiring Rutger McGarry from the Winnipeg Jets. Moments later, Friedman further reported that the Penguins were sending prospect Braden Yeager back to Winnipeg.
With Yager out, McGroarty immediately becomes the best forward prospect in the Penguins organization and has a legitimate chance to crack the roster next season. Although nothing intentional was made public, McGroarty reportedly sought a trade from Winnipeg in late June for a more readily available opportunity at the NHL level.
Shortly after being acquired by the organization, the Penguins signed McGvarty to his entry-level contract, meaning his time at the University of Michigan is over. The three-year contract will pay McGroarty a salary of $855K with a $50K signing bonus at the NHL level and an ‘A’ performance bonus of up to $500K per year of the contract.
It’s hard to argue with McGroarty being ready for the NHL as he recently finished ninth in NCAA scoring during the 2023-24 season with 16 goals and 52 points in 36 games. He was also sensational for Team USA during the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship as he scored five goals and nine points in seven tournament appearances while captaining his team to its first gold medal since 2021.
If the Penguins graduate McGroarty to the NHL for the 2024-25 campaign, he fills a clear need on Crosby’s wing. Playing primarily against Big Ten opponents during his time in the NCAA, McGroarty developed a natural knack for reading opposing defenses and displaying his elite playmaking abilities in the offensive zone. He’s not content without the puck either, as he’s a relentless forerunner with a combination of skill and physical play.
His predictability makes him an ideal candidate to line up with Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, as both players thrive with the puck on their sticks. McGroarty’s style of play should open up plenty of space for the two Pittsburgh legends, but he also has a good enough shot to finish the play himself.
read more about McGroarty
Yager was selected with the 14th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft exactly one year after McGarry. He spent last season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, collecting 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games as the team’s assistant captain. He further cemented his legacy with the Moose Jaw program with an incredible playoff performance with 11 goals and 27 points in 20 games en route to becoming the WHL champions.
Yager also had the opportunity to represent Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship and scored five points in five games for Canada but unfortunately fell short of a medal. Yager appears to have an outside chance to make Pittsburgh’s roster for the 2024-25 campaign after the team signed him to his entry-level contract just over a month ago. Now, Yager will try to crack Winnipeg’s roster in training camp.
The youngster from Saskatoon has inherent value as a right-handed shooting center who brings more defensive awareness to his game than McGvarty. If the organization isn’t content with giving Cole Perfetti minutes in the middle of the ice on the team’s second line, Yager provides a reliable long-term answer at center behind Mark Scheifele.
The Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins have pulled off a big trade involving top forward prospects.
Rutger McGroarty, selected 14th overall in 2022, is going to Pittsburgh in exchange for Brayden Yager, selected 14th overall in 2023.
McGroarty recently finished his second season with the University of Michigan and indicated to the Jets that he does not intend to sign with them. That forced general manager Kevin Shheldoff to explore a move.
Yeager was a force in the Western Hockey League last year. He had 95 points (35 G, 60A) in 57 regular season games with the Moose Jaw Warriors, then added 27 points (11G, 16A) in 20 playoff games for the league champions. The Saskatoon product is 5’11, 179 pounds and is a right shot who can play center or wing.
