Penguins Prospect Rutger McGroarty Makes Strides in Recovery as He Looks to Earn an NHL Roster Spot

The Pittsburgh Penguins are clearly looking towards their future in 2025/26, and while they've got some very intriguing young prospects, none have the potential of former Winnipeg Jets first-round pick Rutger McGroarty.

Last season, McGroarty played in 8 games for the team, tallying 1 goal and 3 points in that time, and now, they're hoping that he can become a key piece of their top-six during the 2025/26 campaign.

However, coming into the regular season, McGroarty was revealed to be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, according to GM Kyle Dubas, with many fearing he could miss significant time in the regular season.

Recently, the Penguins got a positive update on their young prospect, as video has emerged of McGroarty at the Penguins facility getting some work in ahead of Penguins practice, potentially taking a step in the right direction.

At 21-years of age, this is the second injury that McGroarty has sustained since arriving in Pittsburgh, so clearly, Dubas, Dan Muse and the organization are looking to remain patient with his recovery, as rushing him could result in further injury, something that no one in Pittsburgh wants.

While this video is a very positive step forward, there's still plenty of time between now and when McGroarty will return to the ice, making it unlikely that he'll be active for the home opener against the New York Rangers on Tuesday, but if he continues to progress well, anything could happen.