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

[kevistar]

I don't get it. What's the joke?

this Proposal: - Askarov (NAS) for McGroarty (JETS)

 

[SEALBound]

Hearing rumors he wants out of Pittsburgh.

Can't, hurt already.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Can't, hurt already.

After signing his contract, Sullivan immediately told him to go take a seat in the pressbox until further notice.

 

[KingBogo]

this Proposal: - Askarov (NAS) for McGroarty (JETS)

Thanks. But a lot of posters rarely leave their home board for the main board unless something significant happens with their team and then they may seek out a range of opinions. Its tough to have any insight into a very specific inside joke.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

That's not how the NHL works.

How so? Winnipeg offered him a job with their organization and he turned it down.

In the absence of a signed contract he has absolutely zero professional obligation to them.

 

[3074326]

Pens get a guy who is more ready for the NHL. Sounds good

Love the old people trying to make fun of young people like this exact thing hasn’t happened over the course of multiple decades

It’s not a new thing. It isn’t GenZ. Happens in sports and has happened in all of them for a long time.

 

[Boxertim]

Chevy is a goat. Being GM on the Jets would be very challenging due to certain players not wanting to play there. He’s managed to make the most of it.

Every player that hasn’t wanted to be in Winnipeg was milked and squeezed until they were sent someplace else to sign silly contracts. Glad Winnipeg doesnt have PLD, Trouba, Kane, Bogo…sheesh…imagine being stuck with those 4 contracts!

 

[Johnny HFBOARDS]

I just hope the Kid can get sum 1st line NHL minutes after this trade, Malkin filling up 3rd line time I guess. R M calling dah shots now.

 

[pi314]

I’ve been saying since 5 minutes ago that Yager is way overrated.

 

[Zen Arcade]

I like this from the Pittsburgh side of things. I think McGroarty is a little better and I prefer his skill set.

Obviously, I would've liked Dubas to pull an EA Sports trade and send them Pickering and a bunch of 5ths and 6ths but things don't usually to work that way in real life.

Yager's still a really solid prospect in his own right too, so the Jets could've done a lot worse here.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Pens get a guy who is more ready for the NHL. Sounds good

Love the old people trying to make fun of young people like this exact thing hasn’t happened over the course of multiple decades

It’s not a new thing. It isn’t GenZ. Happens in sports and has happened in all of them for a long time.

Right? Some hall of fame caliber players have done this in multiple sports.

 

[Johnny HFBOARDS]

This trade is what the Pens needed for their ailing team.
Nothing like a little grease.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Can't, hurt already.

I like how he didn't like the way the youth were treated in Winnipeg but then okays a trade to the Penguins where youth aren't tried at all in any meaningful way and are punished instead. It's hilarious to me and I literally laughed out loud. Like this Fudd Ruckers McGroarty wanker might be an idiot after all.

 

[Wings4Life]

Dubas taking the L yet again?

Yager seems like the slightly better prospect to me, but is younger and needs more time to marinate, which I guess doesn't fit with Pittsburgh's "window" (and I use that term loosely).

 

[wpgallday1960]

Has there been even one shred of evidence that this is the case?

I've asked several times and nobody has provided any.




Were there any indications prior to this offseason that he was unhappy with the Jets?

Or is the most likely scenario - that he was pissed he didn't get signed by the Jets immediately following his 2nd season at Michigan - what soured him on the organization?

Nazar was selected one spot ahead of him, had worse stats and was signed by Chicago. Brindley was a 2nd round pick with similar stats that was signed by Columbus. Luke Hughes was his teammate last season and went straight to NJ after his 2nd year with Michigan.

Not really a ridiculous expectation on his part after the season he just had for the Wolverines. Missing out on burning an ELC year this past season plus the prospect of spending next season in the AHL for a team that seemingly doesn't believe in him as much as he thought they did had to not only be frustrating, but potentially cost him a lot of money on top of it.



It's not specifically a USNDT thing. It's just a fact that many high picks that spend 2 seasons in the NCAA have the expectation of getting signed by their NHL club after their collegiate season ends if they've performed well since being drafted. That's just the landscape of the league now. It just happens that most top collegiate players that are high draft picks have gone through the USNDT.

Jets were in a playoff race until the last game of the season. Nazar and Brindleynwere signed to teams that were long eliminated and could give them a tryout with zero consequences. He wanted a guaranteed spot ona playoff team and not earn the right to play especially when the Jets had Lambert and Chibrikov who played well all year for the Moose who earned that right. To put McG ahead of them in the line up is not how the Jets operate.

 

[Darren McCord]

Dubas taking the L yet again?

Yager seems like the slightly better prospect to me, but is younger and needs more time to marinate, which I guess doesn't fit with Pittsburgh's "window" (and I use that term loosely).

McGroarty has a higher ceiling for me. Smart guys who play heavy and hard can be rare. If he pans out he is a harder skill set to find.

He’s a year older and 40lbs heavier than Yager lol. Not that size is everything but I think his ceiling is higher because of the way he plays.

 

[FlappyGiraffe]

Chevy is the man.

I like this for Pittsburgh too, an NHL ready LW on a full ELC is exactly what they need right now. I think he could put up 40+ points this season if he gels with Sid

 

[EastVillageBlues]

You better be elite at your craft being cursed with a name like that, good on him for overcoming

It's less distracting than "Kyle Connor"

Might as well name him John Reese.

 

[Empoleon8771]

McGroarty has a higher ceiling for me. Smart guys who play heavy and hard can be rare. If he pans out he is a harder skill set to find.

He’s a year older and 40lbs heavier than Yager lol. Not that size is everything but I think his ceiling is higher because of the way he plays.

Their upsides are pretty similar IMO, both are likely complementary top-6 players. Yager seems to be in the Konecny mold while McGroarty seems to be in the Benn mold.

McGroarty is a safer prospect though, which is the big reason I think he’s considered a better prospect.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I like this trade because it's 14th overall for 14th overall. It's kind of like Berard for Redden.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I have mixed opinions on this. Liking the Mc up, but not thrilled with trading Yager. Traded a player who would be NHL ready in a season or two for one ready now. Too bad we couldnt have kept Yager.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I have mixed opinions on this. Liking the Mc up, but not thrilled with trading Yager. Traded a player who would be NHL ready in a season or two for one ready now. Too bad we couldnt have kept Yager.

I don't know that Winnipeg would have done it, but I think it's an interesting discussion for whether the Penguins were better off trading their 2025 1st over Yager. Guys drafted with mid-1sts sputter out so frequently that Yager's positive trend makes him stand out, but you're making a huge risk in trading that pick if you'd do it.

I'm pretty confident (at least confident enough) that their 2025 1st will end up in the 10-15 range, so I probably would have traded the 2025 1st before Yager. But I absolutely see why people wouldn't be confident in that assumption.

 

[57special]

I know it's a crazy idea, but I am not going to judge this trade till a few years have passed.

 

[Turin]

Dubas taking the L yet again?

Yager seems like the slightly better prospect to me, but is younger and needs more time to marinate, which I guess doesn't fit with Pittsburgh's "window" (and I use that term loosely).

McGroarty is ranked higher by everyone?

Yager is a sniping C who is defensively responsible but plays on the outside a lot (like a McCann)
McGroarty is a winger who plays on the inside and has better overall hockey sense but worse skating

 

[Michoulicious]

I think McGroarty was really close to be a Hab.

Hughes had a deal in place for someone including #21 OA at the draft if Micheal Hage was not available. My guess is it was McG. Probably something like McG for #21 OA + a 3rd or something.

So: Yager or... #21 OA in 2024 + a 3rd?

What is better value?

see at 23m49s