Rutger McGroarty Suffers Injury: Kyle Dubas Unable to Provide Recovery Timeline

Last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins got a taste of Rutger McGroarty, with the former first-round pick getting NHL action at the end of the season, as his arrival signals a shift towards the future for the Penguins.

Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, many were hoping he could take the leap at the National Hockey League level., especially after many outlets have called McGroarty the Penguins top prospect.

Unfortunately, McGroarty was unable to return to the WBS Penguins for the Calder Cup Playoffs due to an injury at the end of last season, and now, he's reportedly dealing with yet another injury setback.

According to Insider Josh Yohe, McGroarty is dealing with an upper-body injury, but as of right now, neither Yohe nor the team have been able to figure out how long the talented winger will be out.

The injury timeline could play a crucial role in how the 2025/26 season plays out for McGroarty, as he could have used a full training camp to cement himself as one of the wingers to play alongside team captain and superstar Sidney Crosby.

When asked about the injury, Dubas stated it was 'a little more on the indefinite side', which isn't a good sign on the first day of training camp as the Penguins look to give one of their top prospects a shot in the NHL.

This may now open the door for another young winger to step up and take a spot, but for now, it's bad news for McGroarty as he looks to establish himself as a full-time NHLer.