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

[Bond]

Right, and Yager was obviously the best player offered

I just think they could've gotten it done for less, would guess a Pickering + probably matches other offers for example

But they obviously wanted him, so will take a wait and see approach

If they could have got it done for less they would have. The Pens wouldn’t do the Jets a favour because they feel bad.

 

[BKarchitect]

Pickering would’ve be a poor centerpiece of a return. Echo the comments about that not cutting it in any shape or form.

McG is a beast and a guy that can be part of a winning playoff team someday. Yager is very talented. Fair trade…but love McGroarty’s fit in Pittsburgh especially.

 

[jamiebez]

Chevy did quite well in this trade - hard to imagine a better return given McGroarty's trade demand.

That being said, IIRC according to Friedman - this whole trade demand was put into motion when Chevy decided against signing McGroarty in April after Michigan's season ending either because the Jets were in a playoff push and didn't want to bring him in and/or burn a year of his ELC.

I think most would also argue that McGroarty has more trade value currently than Yager.

Chevy seemed to put himself in this unenviable position, even if he made the best out of it.

We'll likely never know, but I'd also heard/read that it was more an issue of the Jets not guaranteeing him a roster spot on 2024/25. Given how they like to develop guys, it would have been much more likely that he played the season in the AHL.

Jets did play Lambert and Chibrikov in their first NHL games in the season finale, and they've done similarly with college guys in years past (Andrew Copp, for example). So maybe not about burning the year, more about NOT wanting to play in the AHL vs. staying at Michigan.

Both things could be true, I guess.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Then don't re-sign Crosby and just start the rebuild?

Do you want to do that?

Not sure what this has to do with my quote that you posted, but okay.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Lol at Pens fans thinking they were going to get McGroarty without giving up Yager.

 

[StIvany4Norris]

If they could have got it done for less they would have. The Pens wouldn’t do the Jets a favour because they feel bad.

I hope so, return strikes me as Dubas falling in love with the player

 

[Huffer]

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

Lol, if the offers from some deluded fans were 2nd round picks (which the team would get anyway) of course he would have.

Jets fans right about getting the value back.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Chevy did well for the Jets here.

Dubas baffles me, you have a team under the gun and know that Mcgroaty isn't going to play for the Jets, and you still swap your top prospect for him? Feels like they could have squeezed them.

Trying to "squeeze" in negotiations on a player who is clearly highly coveted is how you end up missing out completely.

It's not very often the team who gets the better prospect/player is deemed a loser. I find most of these takes weird.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Right, and Yager was obviously the best player offered

I just think they could've gotten it done for less, would guess a Pickering + probably matches other offers for example

But they obviously wanted him, so will take a wait and see approach

What I am saying is totally speculation in that there were more teams involved, but also speculation in saying he could have been had for Pickering+.

Never truly know what the Jets thoughts were. They could have straight up not liked Pickering as a player or the package presented (if one even was).

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Dubas baffles me, you have a team under the gun and know that Mcgroaty isn't going to play for the Jets, and you still swap your top prospect for him? Feels like they could have squeezed them.

I mean, this is the same guy that had Nylander down to the 11th hour while Toronto was a Top 3 offensive team, caved under the pressure, and signed him to more money than MacKinnon/Barkov/Larkin/Ehlers had gotten before him.

He's not exactly a master negotiator haha.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Don’t like this at all from the Pens

 

[Brodeur]

It's a fair deal in a bubble but the lack of leverage for Winnipeg makes this a poor showing for Dubas

As others said, Pittsburgh wasn't the only team kicking the tires. This wasn't quite the same as say Adam Fox or Tim Erixon forcing a trade to only one team.

Closer examples might be Cutter Gauthier or Jack Johnson way back in the day.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Lol at Pens fans thinking they were going to get McGroarty without giving up Yager.

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.

Trying to "squeeze" in negotiations on a player who is clearly highly coveted is how you end up missing out completely.

It's not very often the team who gets the better prospect/player is deemed a loser. I find most of these takes weird.

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?

 

[BKarchitect]

I’m baffled at anybody who says Pittsburgh didn’t do well here.

I think it’s good for both teams. But I don’t think the Jets would’ve done it if McGroarty didn’t put them in this situation. Good on Chevy for getting a great prospect back though.

 

[StIvany4Norris]

As others said, Pittsburgh wasn't the only team kicking the tires. This wasn't quite the same as say Adam Fox or Tim Erixon forcing a trade to only one team.

Closer examples might be Cutter Gauthier or Jack Johnson way back in the day.

Right, just hard to tell without knowing the other offers

Yager was obviously the best return, but you have to wonder about the runner up here

 

[MardyBum]

Sucks to lose him but at least we got a good prospect back instead of a pick.

Pens fans are going to love the jam and "intangibles" he brings, let alone the hands and goalscoring ability.

 

[Some Other Flame]

Brandon Yager was a quality centre prospect. Bad trade for the Penguins to move him for a winger, especially with Crosby & Malkin getting up there in age.

 

[cupdreaming]

Dr. Dubas does it again. Pittsburg had all the leverage and still managed to give up their top prospect.

 

[Empoleon8771]

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

Confirmed straight up swap. Good deal for both sides.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

I mean it Rutger can come in and play 1LW (where I would expect him to start) and replicate 50 - 75% of Guentzel, I would be ecstatic.

Also young, ranked around 30-40 in prospect rankings (higher than Yager), and is ready now (I think being ready now is a MASSIVE part of this)….

It all plays into the thought process. End of day, I am happy with the deal. A much better scenario than this team playing well the first part of the year and doing something idiotic like trading him away for a rental at the deadline.

 

[gojetsgo]

Dr. Dubas does it again. Pittsburg had all the leverage and still managed to give up their top prospect.

I doubt pitts was the only team interested in him..

 

[Royale With Cheese]

I like this trade from the Jets POV.

Chevy seems to pull off good moves when he's under the gun.

 

[Empoleon8771]

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.

 

[FlameChampion]

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.

Yeah I like both Chevaldayoff and Hughes the most out of the Canadian GM’s

 

[WarriorofTime]

what? we got a good deal lol...

Penguins fans say they won the trade in a landslide, Peg fans say they won the trade in a landslide. Time will tell. The broader story, imo, is an American player successfully forcing their way out of the Peg before eve playing there.