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Former Penguin and Stanley Cup Champion Predicts Pittsburgh's Next Big Star
Photo credit: Fifth Avenue Sports
Former Stanley Cup champion and current NHL analyst Mike Rupp believes that Pittsburgh Penguins young forward Rutger McGroarty could be the next big thing in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a transitional period right now, as they have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last 3 years and are also seeing the careers of players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang slowly wind down to an eventual close.
One player they are optimistic about that will soon become a regular for them is prospect Rutger McGroarty, who got in 8 games of NHL experience this year before getting hurt and missing the final 3 games.
NHL analyst Mike Rupp, a former Penguin and former Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils in 2003, believes that McGoarty could become the next big thing for the Penguins.
I like what I saw from him at the end of this past season when he got to Pittsburgh, he plays a hard game and goes to the areas of the ice that generally, young players don't thrive in. He does, and here's the bigger thing. I think he's going to get every opportunity to play with Sidney Crosby and maybe Bryan Rust on that top line.
Whether or not Bryan Rust is there still, or if it's Rickard Rakell, whoever. He's gonna get looks that kids coming into this league would die for. He's gonna play with 87! So I think he's got all the elements to be really breaking out for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they've been waiting for a player like this in their system for quite some time.
Whether or not Bryan Rust is there still, or if it's Rickard Rakell, whoever. He's gonna get looks that kids coming into this league would die for. He's gonna play with 87! So I think he's got all the elements to be really breaking out for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they've been waiting for a player like this in their system for quite some time.
Rutger McGroarty was taken by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft
McGroarty, who played for the NCAA's Michigan Wolverines, was originally taken by the Winnipeg Jets with the 14th pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, but his rights were traded to the Penguins for Brayden Yager.
Before getting re-called to the Penguins, he played 60 games for the AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and had 39 points (14G, 25A).
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 31 | 49 ANSWERS Former Penguin and Stanley Cup Champion Predicts Pittsburgh's Next Big Star Can Rutger McGroarty earn regular minutes on Pittsburgh's top line? | ||
| Yes | 40 | 81.6 % |
| No | 9 | 18.4 % |
| List of polls | ||