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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
The Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins have traded promising young players in a significant transfer: The Jets sent forward Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh in exchange for forward Brayden Yager, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
McGroarty, 20, was selected 14th overall by Winnipeg in the 2022 NHL Draft; Yager was selected at the same spot – No. 14 – by Pittsburgh in 2023.
The Jets were unable to give McGroarty an entry-level contract after he expressed concerns about his future in Winnipeg, and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had been looking for a trade partner ever since.
McGroarty, a Nebraska native, had already declared his intention to return to the University of Michigan for the upcoming 2024-25 season in April. Last season, he scored 16 goals and 52 points in 36 games for the Wolverines. However, the transfer to Pittsburgh could change McGroarty’s timetable as he has already signed an entry-level contract with the Penguins, the source said.
In exchange for McGroarty, Winnipeg acquired a promising player from Pittsburgh.
Yager, 19, a skill-set center with a good finish who can play in all situations, just signed his own entry-level contract with the Penguins in July. This came after helping the Moose Jaw Warriors win the WHL championship last season thanks to a 95-point regular season and a dominant 27-point performance in the playoffs.
It’s likely that McGroarty is closer to an NHL appearance than Yager, and that’s good news for the Penguins, who have failed to make the playoffs in two consecutive years and could use an influx of young talent.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound McGroarty plays a tough game with a solid blend of skill and quickness. At Michigan, he was a Hobey Baker candidate and earned spots on the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Tournament Team.
Sportsnet was the first to report on the deal.
