Jets trade McGroarty to Penguins for Yager in prospect swap

The Winnipeg Jets traded 2022 14th overall pick Rutger McGroarty to the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward prospect Brayden Yager, the teams announced Thursday.

McGroarty was committed to the University of Michigan this coming season but signed his entry-level contract with the Penguins after the trade. His deal is for three years and carries an annual cap hit of $950,000 with performance bonuses available, according to PuckPedia.

"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," Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said.

"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."

Reports in June said the Jets wanted to sign McGroarty but couldn't reach an agreement. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he never got a clear reason why McGroarty didn't want to play for Winnipeg.

"I met with Rutger face to face several days later and that was the same response as well," Cheveldayoff said, per The Athletic's Murat Ates. "He said that, when he got to development camp here, he put the jersey on, it became real, and it just didn't feel right at that time."

McGroarty was considered one of the Jets' top prospects. The 20-year-old collected 52 points in 36 collegiate games during his sophomore season in 2023-24. He also captained the United States to a gold medal at the world juniors.

Yager was the 14th overall pick in 2023. He lit up the Western Hockey League with 95 points in 57 games last season and helped the Moose Jaw Warriors reach the Memorial Cup.