Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Top Penguins Prospect Guaranteed to Make the Official Roster Next Season
Photo credit: DK Pittsburgh Sports
Penguins prospect Rutger McGroarty began this year with Pittsburgh before being assigned to the AHL, but has a good chance of earning a roster spot next year.
After the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired young prospect Ruter McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets, they felt strongly enough about him to ink him to a 3-year entry level contract.
He impressed during his 1st training camp last fall with the Penguins and even made the opening night roster, appearing in his first NHL game against the New York Rangers on October 9.
After playing in 3 games, he was he was returned to the American Hockey League where he continues to hone his skills. But his chances of earning a permanent roster spot on the Penguins next year are good, per The Hockey Writers.
(GM Kyle) Dubas has no doubt been keeping a close eye on his development throughout the season and will continue to do so as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fight for a playoff spot. If his development continues to head in the right direction, he could definitely be a permanent fixture on Pittsburgh's second or third line by next season.
He's played in 59 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this year with 39 points (14G, 25A).
His goal in early March against the Hartford Wolf Pack broke a 16-game scoring drought, something that he felt took a load off his shoulders.
I love scoring goals, and I feel I've been getting the opportunities recently, just hasn't been going my way. So, it was really nice to get one for the team that early and get us a good start.
McGroarty played for the University of Michigan Wolverines of the NCAA before being taken 14th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Jets. But he would be traded to the Penguins in exchange for Brayden Yager and was quickly signed to the aforementioned 3-year entry level deal.
| POLL | ||
MARS 24 | 114 ANSWERS Top Penguins Prospect Guaranteed to Make the Official Roster Next Season Will Penguins prospect Rutger McGroarty earn a full-time roster spot next year? | ||
| Yes, he definitely will | 77 | 67.5 % |
| No, he needs more seasoning in the AHL | 37 | 32.5 % |
| List of polls | ||