Sure if WPG wants to contend right now they likely can get a 3C like McLeod for McGroarty (see Savoie trade, hard to argue McGroarty has a lot more value than Savoie). They can also wait two years and get nothing.
Again MTL fans have provided a sample of bad proposals across the years, c. 24OA, 38OA, 45OA for a guy who may never sign with you and has second line potential is not one of them.
As stated above, McGroarty is not even in the same ballpark as Gauthier and Gauthier s return was a former 6OA with injury history and likely not worth more than the 15OA at this stage and a 38OA equivalent. I don t kniw what you expect for McGroarty but WPG won t get Eichel value for him.