Friedman: Jets and Rutger McGroarty are not talking - his name is coming up in trade talks

[CanMerc]

Some MN think that BG would rather have a McGroarty type because of his size. Others, like me. would rather have Rossi , because he is a legit NHL middle six C already, and had a really nice(not great, but 20 goals ) rookie year. I think Rossi would be an overpay for McGroarty. I do agree that Rossi would solve some problems for WPG. Just can't get excited about trading a LW for a C.

I would wait till the draft before trading the #13, and see who is there. If it's Yakemchuk, Catton, or Sennecke, i'm keeping the pick. Eiserman or Parekh, I do the trade.

I think Rossi would be a good pickup for WPG, but definitely see your point of wanting to keep him…as for the the pick, personally, I wouldn’t be looking for any McG for a 1st type deals… strictly looking to fill a spot not draft a prospect

 

[Hunter368]

Please stop selling him to me so my jockey heart break isn't that bad.

Haha, I see both sides of it, the player and team.....its a tough one for both sides. People can trace my comments back to when he was drafted I loved him then and hope the best for him & love him still. That being said there is a process to follow, Chevy will do whats best for the team if there is a trade as he always does.

 

[57special]

I think Rossi would be a good pickup for WPG, but definitely see your point of wanting to keep him…as the the pick..personally, I wouldn’t be looking for any McG for a 1st type deals… strictly looking to fill a spot not draft a prospect

Yeah, I can see WPG wanting to keep their momentum from last year. I think that McGroarty will only fetch a better player than Rossi if said player has age, contract, or health issues. You pay a premium for Rossi because he is so young, and under team control at a very reasonable price.

I get your point with the pick. It's a weird draft... players with big upsides, but also big question marks. McGroarty isn't the fastest, but otherwise seems to fit the mold of a 10 year middle six wing. I didn't watch enough of him in college to have a strong opinion on how ready he is, but you would think that he should be ready to go by spring of 2025?

BTW, when do we stop being reasonable and start yelling at each other?

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

I agree that Rossi seems like the best trade for Winnipeg at this point, if we want one. Trading for first round picks doesn’t do much for us at this stage and I assume Chevy’s phone is ringing off the hook. Icing him is difficult because we have Lucius, who has been around longer, and Lambert, who looks NHL-ready. Giving Rutger an NHL roster spot would really disrupt things, but I say find a way to do it.

It’s possible that Rutger has flat-out refused to sign with the Jets and the relationship is permanently broken, but isn’t saying so publicly to help Chevy out. I’d be pissed if that was the case.

 

[CanMerc]

Yeah, I can see WPG wanting to keep their momentum from last year. I think that McGroarty will only fetch a better player than Rossi if said player has age, contract, or health issues. You pay a premium for Rossi because he is so young, and under team control at a very reasonable price.

I get your point with the pick. It's a weird draft... players with big upsides, but also big question marks. McGroarty isn't the fastest, but otherwise seems to fit the mold of a 10 year middle six wing. I didn't watch enough of him in college to have a strong opinion on how ready he is, but you would think that he should be ready to go by spring of 2025?

BTW, when do we stop being reasonable and start yelling at each other?

lol… yeah this feels weird….lol

 

[Hunter368]

Yeah, I can see WPG wanting to keep their momentum from last year. I think that McGroarty will only fetch a better player than Rossi if said player has age, contract, or health issues. You pay a premium for Rossi because he is so young, and under team control at a very reasonable price.

I get your point with the pick. It's a weird draft... players with big upsides, but also big question marks. McGroarty isn't the fastest, but otherwise seems to fit the mold of a 10 year middle six wing. I didn't watch enough of him in college to have a strong opinion on how ready he is, but you would think that he should be ready to go by spring of 2025?

BTW, when do we stop being reasonable and start yelling at each other?

Sorry if covered already, did Rossi play all last year at center or wing also? Thx

Minny & Wpg are so similar places to live TBH, love my trips to Minny shopping.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I think this batch of US players isn’t doing the next batch any favors. Teams may actually start avoiding them when possible, affecting draft position which has an impact on finances too. The kid doesn’t have as much leverage as you might think. This happening now suggests the kid wants out now, he’s trying to maximize the amount he makes by starting as early as he can. If the team doesn’t sign him and won’t trade him because they aren’t getting value he has to sit and waste two years he clearly thinks he doesn’t need in the NCAA’s. Sure he gets freedom down the road but he loses these two years of would be pay.

Is there supposed to be something wrong with that?

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

If he’s got a specific team in mind that’s not too long. It’s the same thing Fox did with NYR.
Right now, the clock is ticking and he’s a depreciating asset for the jets. A solid prospect that won’t play for them.
The longer they wait to deal him, the worse the return will be….
Fox was basically a throw in on the Ferland to Car deal…
Rangers traded for him early to get him playing in their system.
If there’s a specific team Rutger wants to play for, I can see them doing the same.
So far, there’s no news he just wants to play in 1 or 2 places which is good news for Jets.
As time goes on, that will start to leak as well. Usually these guys don’t hold out unless they have 1-2 choice destinations….
Jets would be wise to deal him at the draft/this offseason and make it some other teams problem to try and convince him to sign and play there.

Seems like RG wants to play now and is physically ready so he isn't going to want to wait two more years to start his NHL career. That seems the issue more than playing someplace specific. And IMO this is different from guys who are drafted later who need more time to develop so at that point it might make sense to go to the place where you have the best opportunity.

 

[AKL]

Sorry if covered already, did Rossi play all last year at center or wing also? Thx

He was exclusively a center last year

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

As a Hawk fan giving up #18 would be hard to do, really like prospects in that range this year

Wonder if Jets would have interest instead in this package

#34
Leafs 2025 1st (Top 10 protected)
D Wyatt Kaiser (Plays both LD and RD)

 

[Aoko]

The American factor is worse than the Russian factor. Prove me wrong.

 

[CanMerc]

As a Hawk fan giving up #18 would be hard to do, really like prospects in that range this year

Wonder if Jets would have interest instead in this package

#34
Leafs 2025 1st (Top 10 protected)
D Wyatt Kaiser (Plays both LD and RD)

Honestly, this doesn’t do much for WPG…we have zero need for another lefty D, and ‘24 2nd and late 1st next year adds nothing to help us now

 

[Hunter368]

He was exclusively a center last year

I see he's young still, room to develop more potentially. I see his FO's aren't great, neither is his size which likely hurts his FO ability a bit. Offensively he did pretty well (I see he did PP also), how was he defensively? Who was his main wingers?

 

[cneely]

I see he's young still, room to develop more potentially. I see his FO's aren't great, neither is his size which likely hurts his FO ability a bit. Offensively he did pretty well (I see he did PP also), how was he defensively? Who was his main wingers?

Why would the Jets want Rossi to groom as a 2c when they picked Perfetti right after him, he's been as good or better, and they don't seem interested in making him the 2c?

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Capitals proposal:

• '24 first round pick (#17) and '24 third round pick (formerly belonging to Boston) for McGroaty and Nate Schmidt. Capitals willing to take on the Schmidt contract totally thus freeing almost 6 mil in cap for the Jets and no longer having to consider a buyout.

or

• Nic Dowd and Nick Jensen and '25 second round pick (formerly belonging to Colorado) for McGroaty and Nate Schmidt. Jensen's a RD and Dowd though primarily used as a 4C for the Capitals and on the PK, has been used up and down in the line up. Difference of around 600 K in cap for the Jets on this one.

 

[Captain97]

Yy

Just thought of a 3 way trade that could benefit all parties involved. If values are off don’t tear me to shreds just using this as a base for a trade and would be open to any tweaks that would make it a more fair trade.

Carolina receives: McGroarty, WIN ‘24 1st
Winnipeg receives: Mailloux
Montreal receives: Necas

I think winnipeg needs to receive more out of that.

Also if McGroarty is available for Mailooux or a small + with him the Habs might just do that on their own no?

 

[madmike77]

If this kid can pick his team how much value does he have?

About as much as Adam Fox had. The league needs to do something about NHL NCAA rights to players.

As another poster mentioned, if he wants to go somewhere, Canada is likely out. The player has ALL the control and will go only to the team he wants (just like Fox who would only sign with the Rangers).

 

[Weezeric]

Has to be to a club that knows the kid will sign with them though. And that club needs to have a later first round pick to give.

Ehlers would maybe get a late 1st at best.

I wouldn't be shocked if McGroarty returned something as high as the 11th from Buffalo if they see him as a NHL player this year

About as much as Adam Fox had. The league needs to do something about NHL NCAA rights to players.

As another poster mentioned, if he wants to go somewhere, Canada is likely out. The player has ALL the control and will go only to the team he wants (just like Fox who would only sign with the Rangers).

The player does not have all the control, unless he wants to wait two more years to start his NHL career….

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Floated this on the Devils board:

10th, Holtz, and Casey for Ehlers and McGroarty

 

[EddieTheEagle]

Floated this on the Devils board:

10th, Holtz, and Casey for Ehlers and McGroarty

This seems like an overpayment from the Devils but I may be off.

 

[madmike77]

The player does not have all the control, unless he wants to wait two more years to start his NHL career….

He just needs to ride it out one more full year. Then whatever team he signs with will let him play one NHL game the season after to kickstart his NHL timer. That's how it typically works.

 

[Hobnobs]

This seems like an overpayment from the Devils but I may be off.

What part of it is the overpayment?

 

[dgibb10]

What part of it is the overpayment?

Holtz+Casey for a rental winger at 6 mill.

 

[AKL]

I see he's young still, room to develop more potentially. I see his FO's aren't great, neither is his size which likely hurts his FO ability a bit. Offensively he did pretty well (I see he did PP also), how was he defensively? Who was his main wingers?

He was primarily on PP2, which also featured players like Marcus Foligno and Marcus Johansson, so not a lot to work with there.

At even strength the line combinations were pretty much in a blender most of the season. He did spend some time on the first line with Kaprizov, and was solid there, but Kaprizov himself struggled for the first half of the season. For the last few months of the season when the coach put Kaprizov-Ek-Boldy together, Rossi was stapled to Zuccarello on the second line, and that line kind of sucked, but that's generally attributed to the fact that Johansson and Zuccarello, his wingers, weren't very good even strength players last year.

For reference, Feb 7th is roughly when that Kaprizov-Ek-Boldy line was assembled. Before that he was on a 46 point pace, after that he was on a 30 point pace. I fully expect him to continue to get better. Surrounding him with actual talent will definitely help his offensive production, as his greatest asset is his brain, and he needs guys at his level or higher who can play his style.

Defensively he's solid, not great, but far from a liability. At worst he plays passable defense for a top six center.

Surprisingly, for his small stature, most of his goals come from right around the net. There's very much a resemblance of Ek's game in his willingness to go to the dirty areas, although he's still learning how to be better due to his size.

For whatever it's worth, I would much rather keep him and somehow (13th overall +) add McGroarty to the mix of Rossi, Boldy, Yurov, etc. Like the other fan you talked to, I like his game a lot and have a lot of faith in him going forward, and he would be a valuable part of the core. I just recognize that Guerin values size and, I quote, "an FU attitude", and Rossi may be moved at some point, and McGroarty is very much a Guerin style player.

 

[BPD]

The player does not have all the control, unless he wants to wait two more years to start his NHL career….

Seeing as he's in Michigan and NIL is an option, he could rather conceivably out-earn his ELC over the next two years, especially if he's deemed to need time on the Moose.

He can afford to wait. The Jets, on the other hand....