Penguins Immediately Sign McGroarty; Dubas Reveals Why He Made Trade

Thursday, August 22, 2024 ,


Well, that didn't take long. Minutes after the trade was confirmed, the Pittsburgh Penguins immediately got newly acquired top prospect Rutger McGroarty's signature on a contract. 

It's a three-year entry-level deal for the former #14 overall pick (2022 NHL Draft), as he has become the newest Penguin. The contract comes with a $950,000 cap hit, and the AAV is $1.45 million including a $95,000 signing bonus and $500,000 in “A” performance bonuses.

The stunning trade swaps two highly-regarded first-rounders after McGroarty made it clear this spring that he would not be signing in Winnipeg. 

Penguins GM Kyle Dubas says it wasn't an easy choice to ship out his own first-rounder Brayden Yager (also #14 overall, in 2023), but he felt it was worth pulling the trigger:

“We had a difficult decision to make with this trade because we hold Brayden Yager in such a high regard as a person and prospect," said Dubas in a statement. "After much consideration, we decided that the opportunity to add Rutger McGroarty was ultimately in the best interest of the Penguins. He possesses the combination of ability, leadership and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run. We look forward to welcoming Rutger and his family to the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins.”

McGroarty has top-line potential at the NHL level, perhaps as early as this season. As noted in The Athletic, the Penguins seemingly do have one opening in their top six going into the season (behind Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Michael Bunting and Rickard Rakell), and it would appear that spot could be McGroarty's to take, if  he earns it at training camp. 

Photo: © Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports





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