Confirmed Trade: [PIT/WPG] Rutger McGroarty for Brayden Yager

[McJedi]

Wtf that's the one guy I was hoping wasn't going the other way. Have a bad feeling about this. Yager has been progressing really well.

They guy you got is one year closer to being NHL ready on a team full of vets that is very NHL ready right now.

And your new guy appears to be rated a little higher than Yager by the scouts that post their prospect rankings lists (for whatever those are worth).

Seems like an even Steven trade to me. I doubt you get it done using a lesser prospect. Your pool is thin and thin at the top.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

If the two have identical ceilings while McGroaty has the higher floor, that makes McGroaty a better prospect.

Cop out, middle man Dan reply here but I think both have a similar range of outcomes

I just like (prior to this trade, which has changed nothing) McGroarty a lot more personally

I don’t buy that he has a better floor though. His skating isn’t good, give me Yager’s floor just on that.

 

[Empoleon8771]

They guy you got is one year closer to being NHL ready on a team full of vets that is very NHL ready right now.

And you new guy appears to be rated a little higher than Yager but the scouts post their lists (for whatever that is worth).

Seems like an even Steven trade to me. I doubt you get it down using a lesser prospect.

Yeah that's the thing here for why saying it's a loss for the Penguins doesn't make any sense. Winnipeg wasn't going to trade McGroaty for a 2nd rounder and some meh prospect. You have to give to get.

The Penguins had 2 assets to get McGroaty, it's either the 2025 1st or Yager. And I'm pretty sure everyone would fairly be clowning on the Penguins had they traded the 2025 1st for McGroaty. If they could have gotten McGroaty for Pickering and a 2nd, they would have obviously done that trade instead.

 

[SCP Guy]

Seems like a even deal...surprised the Jets didn't need to grease the trade wheel a little more to get a deal done....But the pens get a very good prospect in McG and the Jets don't get stuck taking 4 quarters for a dollar

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Dubas gonna Dubas.

Pittsburgh is going nowhere fast.

Yeah, heaven forbid he makes a trade where he gets the better player out of the deal.

God damnit Dubas!

 

[Empoleon8771]

rookie on the 1st line??

O'Connor probably starts on L1 to open the year but McGroaty likely ends up on L1 by the end of hte year.

I'd hope for:

McGroaty-Crosby-Rakell
Bunting-Malkin-Rust
O'Connor-Eller-Puustinen
Lizotte-Glass-Beauvillier

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

That is an amazing trade for the Penguins to pull him off, he’s just as good of a prospect as Yager. I’m super curious what this trade is going to look like.

Dubas is doing a terrific job rebuilding the Penguins prospect pool.

McGroaty is likely a better prospect than who would be where the Penguins 1st would be.

I’d want lottery protection on it but say pick #10 for McGroaty is a net improvement for the Penguins IMO.

I think the thing that makes the most sense here is a lottery protected 1st for McGroaty, since the Jets will likely be getting a pick around 12th overall while the Penguins get a young guy l ready to contribute now. But another aspect that I wonder about is McGroaty wanting NHL time immediately, the Penguins have to trim some of the fat off of their roster to open up a forward spot for him.

McGroaty is a better prospect than Yager but I was really hoping to have both. Hard to complain from the Penguins POV though and I think this is about as good of a return as Winnipeg could get.

Because McGroaty is a better prospect than Yager and more NHL ready.

Pretty much every single NHL prospect ranking list has McGroaty above Yager.

How is this deal a $20 bill for 2 $10 bills? It’s a straight up swap where the Penguins are getting the better prospect.

And you're not trading for a prospect of McGroaty's caliber without trading quality yourself.

Owen Pickering and a 2nd rounder isn't cutting it for a prospect of McGroaty's caliber.

Because Chevy could have just kept McGroaty, since he controls his rights for another 2 years.

Yeah it's either Yager or a 2025 1st, those were the only things the Penguins had that could have convinced the Jets to move McGroaty.



Exactly, the Penguins got a prospect upgrade for free but people are still calling them losers for some reason. It makes no sense.

The Jets got a great return for a guy who didn't want to be there and the Penguins got a free prospect upgrade that is also more NHL ready. How is that anything but a win-win for both sides?

https://x.com/i/web/status/1826663011769110837

Confirmed straight up swap. Good deal for both sides.

I just find this thread funny because it's a bunch of Penguins fans and Jets fans mostly happy about the deal, then a bunch of Leafs fans saying how bad it is for the Penguins and saying how bad Dubas is.

Literally every single prospect rating list I can find has McGroaty ranked above Yager.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5303482/2024/03/04/top-nhl-prospects-2024-matvei-michkov/

In this list from March, McGroaty was listed as #18 and Yager was listed as #37. This list doesn't include the 2024 draftees, which is what this list has:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5612279/2024/07/16/nhl-prospects-ranking-celebrini-michkov/

This list has McGroaty at #33 and Yager at #58. You can also point at some of the analytical prospect models that paint a similar picture:




Anyone who tries to argue that these prospects are far apart is absolutely wrong, but McGroaty is the better prospect as of right now.

I am legitimately curious for how Yager does in the WHL next year with who Moose Jaw is losing to the pros. Firkus (126 points in 63 games), Calvert (95 points in 68 games), Mateychuk (75 points in 52 games as a defenseman) and Savoie (47 points in 23 games) are all graduating from the WHL, the support around Yager next year is going to be wildly worse than it was last year.

He likely ends up getting traded to a new team with more support later in the year, but I wouldn't be surprised at all for Yager to have a regression on his production just due to the substantially worse team around him. I haven't seen much of Yager in the WHL, but I've read comments from people who have that say Yager was less impressive than the teammates around him.

If the two have identical ceilings while McGroaty has the higher floor, that makes McGroaty a better prospect.



Yes? How exactly should we value prospects other than their prospect ratings and production?

Both McGroaty and Yager are very good prospects that most scouting sources seem to be slightly higher on McGroaty. I think saying they have similar upsides while McGroaty is the safer prospect is entirely fair, but that fundamentally means McGroaty is a better prospect.

Yeah that's the thing here for why saying it's a loss for the Penguins doesn't make any sense. Winnipeg wasn't going to trade McGroaty for a 2nd rounder and some meh prospect. You have to give to get.

The Penguins had 2 assets to get McGroaty, it's either the 2025 1st or Yager. And I'm pretty sure everyone would fairly be clowning on the Penguins had they traded the 2025 1st for McGroaty. If they could have gotten McGroaty for Pickering and a 2nd, they would have obviously done that trade instead.

Wow - thats a lot of energy used to save face, all in a span of ~3 hours too

Im impressed, truly; anything to make sure youre always right!

I wish I was able to be so wrong yet just change my opinion while I bark at others who felt the same way I just previously did.

Teach me your ways

 

[Empoleon8771]

Wow - thats a lot of energy used to save face, all in a span of ~3 hours too

Im impressed, truly; anything to make sure youre always right!

I wish I was able to be so wrong yet just change my opinion while I bark at others who felt the same way I just previously did.

Teach me your ways

Oh no, a Penguins fan posting in a thread about a Penguins trade on a hockey forum. The horror!

Also, what "saving face" is there here? I thought the deal would be the Penguins 2025 1st for McGroaty. It ended up Yager for McGroaty instead. Those aren't really much different levels of return, and frankly people may argue that the 2025 1st is more than Yager to give up in this deal.

 

[Heldig]

So much for all the WPG fans stating their GM was ready to dig in for multiple years

IF Chevy did not get his asking price. He did.

 

[Hell Yeah!!!]

Dubas got better value but didn’t bend the other guy over enough! Am I doing this right?

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Good return for Winnipeg.

 

[SensFactor]

Even trade

 

[frontsfan67]

I am a fan of neither team. However from what I’ve seen internationally, with clips, and watching the odd game I like Yagers potential way more. I see him as an impact top 6 forward in 3-4 years, on powerplay, penalty kill and he will make the jump to the NHL in 2.

This year he will be in the WHL and probably get traded from Moose Jaw, then go to the A’ and then NHL. McGroarty probably plays NCAA maybe one more year then AHL, then NHL in the same year as Yager but with Yager being a year younger.

McGroarty I could see being a middle 6 scorer and on powerplay in 3-4

 

[jfhabs]

I've often found that the people linking the models without understanding what they're saying are a bigger issue than the models themselves.

Neither model is saying anything about which player is better.

It's basically saying McGoarty is closer to the NHL / drafted one year before

 

[francis246]

I am a fan of neither team. However from what I’ve seen internationally, with clips, and watching the odd game I like Yagers potential way more. I see him as an impact top 6 forward in 3-4 years, on powerplay, penalty kill and he will make the jump to the NHL in 2.

This year he will be in the WHL and probably get traded from Moose Jaw, then go to the A’ and then NHL. McGroarty probably plays NCAA maybe one more year then AHL, then NHL in the same year as Yager but with Yager being a year younger.

McGroarty I could see being a middle 6 scorer and on powerplay in 3-4

McGroarty will be in the NHL this year. He’s signing an ELC. So he won’t be eligible to play in the NCAA and he held out from Winnipeg over being sent to the AHL. McGroarty will be on the Penguins for the 2024/25 season.

 

[thefutures]

Pretty good deal for wpg all things considered. Back to back years moving a guy that wants out and doing pretty well

 

[OtherThingsILike]

After familiarizing myself more with McGroarty, I'm coming around on the trade.
McGroarty is an LW, and we have an opening on 1LW.
He seems to be the type of player who Crosby likes to play with.
He's young, and Crosby seems to prefer playing alongside the n00blets rather than more established players.
He's got a style that the team needs, a net-front attacker.
He should be ready to play this season.
I will miss Yager's skill, but I can see how McGroarty is a better fit for the Penguins right now than Yager is.

 

[pth2]

In a prospect for prospect trade, I always find it's concerning how both teams have a lot of knowledge about their own prospect but not much about the other guy since the draft. Here, PIT can't even be sure about the real story about McGroarty, nor Winnipeg about Yager.

 

[francis246]

O'Connor probably starts on L1 to open the year but McGroaty likely ends up on L1 by the end of hte year.

I'd hope for:

McGroaty-Crosby-Rakell
Bunting-Malkin-Rust
O'Connor-Eller-Puustinen
Lizotte-Glass-Beauvillier

Didn’t bunting mesh really well with Crosby to end off the year?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Didn’t bunting mesh really well with Crosby to end off the year?

No he meshed really well with Malkin, not Crosby.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Chat GPT is telling me it's a W

McGroarty is considered a better NHL prospect than Brayden Yager for several compelling reasons:

1. **Physical Presence**: McGroarty possesses a superior combination of size and strength. His physical attributes make him a more impactful player in high-traffic areas, enhancing his ability to win battles along the boards and in front of the net.

2. **Two-Way Game**: McGroarty excels in both offensive and defensive aspects of the game. His robust defensive skills and ability to contribute in all zones make him a more complete player compared to Yager, who is more offensively focused.

3. **Consistency and Performance**: McGroarty has demonstrated consistent high-level performance in junior leagues and international competitions, showcasing his ability to perform under various conditions and against top competition.

4. **Scouting Reports**: NHL scouts highlight McGroarty's strong work ethic, leadership qualities, and physical style of play, all of which are highly valued traits that give him an edge over Yager.

These attributes make McGroarty a more well-rounded and immediately impactful prospect, positioning him as a stronger candidate for NHL success.

 

[crowi]

Good ol' Dubie the Dude, first screwing Leafs salary structure for a decade to come, to killing Pens in the long-term while missing out the playoffs.

 

[izzy]

Good for pitt to acquire a prospect for once for their future! at the expense of their own top prospect lol

 

[wej20]

Good ol' Dubie the Dude, first screwing Leafs salary structure for a decade to come, to killing Pens in the long-term while missing out the playoffs.

Curious how this trade kills the Pens long term?

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

I dunno. Rutger is kind of a lame name.

You shut your dirty mouth!