Prospect Info: Rutger McGroarty, 2022 NHL Draft, #14 Overall

[Buffdog]

“Want to play in the NHL” means getting drafted/signed by a team that incorporates rookies.

All teams incorporate rookies, including the Jets

Some teams have more spots available for rookies than others at any given time

Some rookies are more ready to be incorporated than others. Some need development at lower levels to round out their games

 

[ps241]

So we have heard Chevy was in on a few of the vet UFA’s we didn’t get. Since then we appear to be backfilling most of the roster spots with filler. If this is close to how it looks come camp then certainly it could be a year our prospect pool can earn NHL minutes.

I think that is a good thing if it happens. We took our shot last year with a vet heavy roster and I am ready for some mild churn.

Things could obviously change any moment.

 

[Jet]

“Want to play in the NHL” means getting drafted/signed by a team that incorporates rookies.

We incorporate rookies when they are ready to play.

We shouldn't start incorporating rookies that aren't ready because there's a very good chance you damage that player's potential.

Perfetti was given the 2C spot out of camp last year practically as a rookie.

We've seen over and over again that the players that the Jets haven't incorporated as rookies ended up being tweeners at best or worse.

Tears have been shed over the mishandling of such Jets draft picks and superstars as Spencer Machacek, Nic Petan, Sami Niku and many more.

So we have heard Chevy was in on a few of the vet UFA’s we didn’t get. Since then we appear to be backfilling most of the roster spots with filler. If this is close to how it looks come camp then certainly it could be a year our prospect pool can earn NHL minutes.

I think that is a good thing if it happens. We took our shot last year with a vet heavy roster and I am ready for some mild churn.

Things could obviously change any moment.

Yup that's what I'm hoping for as well.

It's funny that people will complain no matter what happens - we didn't land big fish, or we don't give our young players chances.

Of course in the middle is we have filler blocking young players which is valid but happens a lot less than it's made out to be.

 

[DRW204]

So we have heard Chevy was in on a few of the vet UFA’s we didn’t get. Since then we appear to be backfilling most of the roster spots with filler. If this is close to how it looks come camp then certainly it could be a year our prospect pool can earn NHL minutes.

I think that is a good thing if it happens. We took our shot last year with a vet heavy roster and I am ready for some mild churn.

Things could obviously change any moment.

Current Fwds under team control (signed or RFA), where on the nhl roster are these supposed prospects playing?

1 Scheifele, Mark
2 Connor, Kyle
3 Ehlers, Nikolaj
4 Iafallo, Alex
5 Niederreiter, Nino
6 Vilardi, Gabriel
7 Lowry, Adam
8 Perfetti, Cole (RFA)
9 Appleton, Mason
10 Namestnikov, Vladislav
11 Barron, Morgan
12 Kupari, Rasmus
13 Gustafsson, David
14 Jonsson-Fjällby, Axel
15 Anderson-Dolan, Jaret
16 Shaw, Mason

Current Dmen
1 Morrissey, Joshua
2 Pionk, Neal
3 DeMelo, Dylan
4 Miller, Colin
5 Samberg, Dylan
6 Stanley, Logan
7 Fleury, Haydn
8 Coghlan, Dylan (RFA)

the bolds are returning from last year. i think people are seriously overestimating how many prospects are supposedly making this team imo.

 

[Buffdog]

Current Fwds under team control (signed or RFA), where on the nhl roster are these supposed prospects playing?

1 Scheifele, Mark
2 Connor, Kyle
3 Ehlers, Nikolaj
4 Iafallo, Alex
5 Niederreiter, Nino
6 Vilardi, Gabriel
7 Lowry, Adam
8 Perfetti, Cole (RFA)
9 Appleton, Mason
10 Namestnikov, Vladislav
11 Barron, Morgan
12 Kupari, Rasmus
13 Gustafsson, David
14 Jonsson-Fjällby, Axel
15 Anderson-Dolan, Jaret
16 Shaw, Mason

Current Dmen
1 Morrissey, Joshua
2 Pionk, Neal
3 DeMelo, Dylan
4 Miller, Colin
5 Samberg, Dylan
6 Stanley, Logan
7 Fleury, Haydn
8 Coghlan, Dylan (RFA)

the bolds are returning from last year. i think people are seriously overestimating how many prospects are supposedly making this team imo.

I think it depends on rhe direction the org wants to take. They could try Lambert at 2C and leave Names on the 4th line, or they could put Names and 2C and break Lambert in on the 4th line

Or they could put Names at 2C and run vets on the 4th line lol

Ehlers being dealt may alternthat too, depending on the return

 

[Heldig]

Current Fwds under team control (signed or RFA), where on the nhl roster are these supposed prospects playing?

1 Scheifele, Mark
2 Connor, Kyle
3 Ehlers, Nikolaj
4 Iafallo, Alex
5 Niederreiter, Nino
6 Vilardi, Gabriel
7 Lowry, Adam
8 Perfetti, Cole (RFA)
9 Appleton, Mason
10 Namestnikov, Vladislav
11 Barron, Morgan
12 Kupari, Rasmus
13 Gustafsson, David
14 Jonsson-Fjällby, Axel
15 Anderson-Dolan, Jaret
16 Shaw, Mason

Current Dmen
1 Morrissey, Joshua
2 Pionk, Neal
3 DeMelo, Dylan
4 Miller, Colin
5 Samberg, Dylan
6 Stanley, Logan
7 Fleury, Haydn
8 Coghlan, Dylan (RFA)

the bolds are returning from last year. i think people are seriously overestimating how many prospects are supposedly making this team imo.

The last 5 forwards on the list can be upgraded by adding Lambert and Chibrikov.

 

[DRW204]

The last 5 forwards on the list can be upgraded by adding Lambert and Chibrikov.

So we're looking at 1 4th line spot effectively for a prospect.

Again think ppl may be overestimating how many spots will be occupied by prospects this year. 1 or 2 spots hardly constitutes as a movement IMO, I think that's pretty normal.

 

[KingBogo]

The last 5 forwards on the list can be upgraded by adding Lambert and Chibrikov.

I think we see 2 rookies make the team this year. Heinola for sure on defense and a forward. Most likely Lambert but maybe Chibrikov. But a lot can change between now and September.

 

[ps241]

Current Fwds under team control (signed or RFA), where on the nhl roster are these supposed prospects playing?

1 Scheifele, Mark
2 Connor, Kyle
3 Ehlers, Nikolaj
4 Iafallo, Alex
5 Niederreiter, Nino
6 Vilardi, Gabriel
7 Lowry, Adam
8 Perfetti, Cole (RFA)
9 Appleton, Mason
10 Namestnikov, Vladislav
11 Barron, Morgan
12 Kupari, Rasmus
13 Gustafsson, David
14 Jonsson-Fjällby, Axel
15 Anderson-Dolan, Jaret
16 Shaw, Mason

Current Dmen
1 Morrissey, Joshua
2 Pionk, Neal
3 DeMelo, Dylan
4 Miller, Colin
5 Samberg, Dylan
6 Stanley, Logan
7 Fleury, Haydn
8 Coghlan, Dylan (RFA)

the bolds are returning from last year. i think people are seriously overestimating how many prospects are supposedly making this team imo.

My expectations are that Heinola, Stanley are 6 and 7 and maybe Lambert or Chib get looks in the forward group. In some cases injuries may lead to more usage but if 3 of the 4 above are splitting 2.5 spots pre injury impact it would be an aggressive season if you are a prospect hawk. If it’s less than that then so be it I guess, if they can’t beat out the other guys on the list we probably aren’t getting out of the first round in the playoffs anytime soon with core we currently have.

 

[Heldig]

So we're looking at 1 4th line spot effectively for a prospect.

Again think ppl may be overestimating how many spots will be occupied by prospects this year. 1 or 2 spots hardly constitutes as a movement IMO, I think that's pretty normal.

I think Lambert makes the top 9. Probably as a RW.

Chibrikov could be an excellent addition on a fun 4th line:
Barron - Namestnikov - Chibrikov

And Heinola as 6/7 D.

 

[Flair Hay]

Lambert basically needs to win 2C job or he is on the Moose to start.

Chibrikov is intriguing because he has a pretty well rounded game. If his work ethic and skill statistics outshining some of our other 4th liners I see no reason he can't be on the team day one.

 

[Jet]

Lambert basically needs to win 2C job or he is on the Moose to start.

Chibrikov is intriguing because he has a pretty well rounded game. If his work ethic and skill statistics outshining some of our other 4th liners I see no reason he can't be on the team day one.

Yeah I think Chibby is going to surprise some. He's just more nhl ready imo.

I feel like he'll fit in on whatever line he starts on - which might give him a bit of a leg up.

We definitely need some of our young players to take a real step forward - Heinola, Samberg, Gus, Perfetti and even Kupari

 

[lanky]

I think it depends on rhe direction the org wants to take. They could try Lambert at 2C and leave Names on the 4th line, or they could put Names and 2C and break Lambert in on the 4th line

Or they could put Names at 2C and run vets on the 4th line lol

Ehlers being dealt may alternthat too, depending on the return

I think for the sake of developing a young C internally, Names should not play C at all.

Lambert or Perfetti at 2C.
Lambert or Gustafson at 4C.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Current Fwds under team control (signed or RFA), where on the nhl roster are these supposed prospects playing?

1 Scheifele, Mark
2 Connor, Kyle
3 Ehlers, Nikolaj
4 Iafallo, Alex
5 Niederreiter, Nino
6 Vilardi, Gabriel
7 Lowry, Adam
8 Perfetti, Cole (RFA)
9 Appleton, Mason
10 Namestnikov, Vladislav
11 Barron, Morgan
12 Kupari, Rasmus
13 Gustafsson, David
14 Jonsson-Fjällby, Axel
15 Anderson-Dolan, Jaret
16 Shaw, Mason

Current Dmen
1 Morrissey, Joshua
2 Pionk, Neal
3 DeMelo, Dylan
4 Miller, Colin
5 Samberg, Dylan
6 Stanley, Logan
7 Fleury, Haydn
8 Coghlan, Dylan (RFA)

the bolds are returning from last year. i think people are seriously overestimating how many prospects are supposedly making this team imo.

Must we always keep all of the returning players? Can none of them be outperformed by by prospects/rookies?

There are a few in bold who could be upgraded.

I think it depends on rhe direction the org wants to take. They could try Lambert at 2C and leave Names on the 4th line, or they could put Names and 2C and break Lambert in on the 4th line

Or they could put Names at 2C and run vets on the 4th line lol

Ehlers being dealt may alternthat too, depending on the return

And depending on whether Ehlers is traded or not.

I'd love to see him extended. But I want him traded if he can't be signed.

 

[Gm0ney]

It's a higher bar for rookies. They have to almost kick the door down unless there's a planned spot for them.

 

[BLONG7]

Outside looking in here guys...........
Is this the kid driving the bus to get himself put on the team or his agent??
Just trying to be brought up to speed as to why a NCAA kid would do this to his NHL team?

Any thoughts?
Thx

 

[GJF]

Yeah I think Chibby is going to surprise some. He's just more nhl ready imo.

I feel like he'll fit in on whatever line he starts on - which might give him a bit of a leg up.

We definitely need some of our young players to take a real step forward - Heinola, Samberg, Gus, Perfetti and even Kupari

Chibs is my darkhorse "upcoming favorite player to be" for quite a while now

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

I’m fairly certain Appleton won’t be a Jet when this contract expires, so his spot isn’t necessarily safe either. The opportunity is there if Rutger really believes he’s ready and believes he can prove it. I’m not the one playing, but signing the contract and going pro looks like a really smart move for Rutger right now.

 

[han316]

I see a spot open in both the forward and D groups to be had by someone. I suspect Heinola will take the D spot, forward spot up for grabs, hopefully Lambert comes to camp ready to take it.

 

[ps241]

Outside looking in here guys...........
Is this the kid driving the bus to get himself put on the team or his agent??
Just trying to be brought up to speed as to why a NCAA kid would do this to his NHL team?

Any thoughts?
Thx

Really hard to say. All his buddies and former teammates seem to be getting their NHL shot on teams like Columbus and Chicago. Apparently things possibly went south after the frozen 4 this year when Rutger’s path to the NHL was less defined.

There is so much noise around it all now that I think it’s impossible to know for sure.

 

[scelaton]

Outside looking in here guys...........
Is this the kid driving the bus to get himself put on the team or his agent??
Just trying to be brought up to speed as to why a NCAA kid would do this to his NHL team?

Any thoughts?
Thx

I think the answer is in the asking of the question. It is puzzling that such a highly touted NCAA character player would do this and shows that times are changing and highly drafted players are being encouraged by their agents/parents to put their own interests first.

There is no small amount hubris in this action and it has already significantly damaged his reputation. Is this kid really NHL captain material? It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but he has very little leverage in the short term and Chevy is a very patient man.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I see a spot open in both the forward and D groups to be had by someone. I suspect Heinola will take the D spot, forward spot up for grabs, hopefully Lambert comes to camp ready to take it.

Yes.
But right now, I would rather see McGroarty come to camp ready to take it.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I think the answer is in the asking of the question. It is puzzling that such a highly touted NCAA character player would do this and shows that times are changing and highly drafted players are being encouraged by their agents/parents to put their own interests first.

There is no small amount hubris in this action and it has already significantly damaged his reputation. Is this kid really NHL captain material? It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but he has very little leverage in the short term and Chevy is a very patient man.

You have to wonder about the value of advice "to put their own interests first" like this. Is it really in the kid's best interests? Is it of more interest to the agent?

The player's relationship to the team that drafted him has to have some value, as does his reputation for character in the rest of the league. Both have been damaged. Might he actually take longer getting to the NHL as a result of this move?

If he is as good and as ready as he appears to think he is, he might have won a spot on the Jets roster this year. Instead he might spend another year in NCAA. Then, who knows how it might play out next off-season.

I still expect some rebuilding team that can promise him a spot to make Chevy a good offer soon. But again, who knows?

 

[Weezeric]

You have to wonder about the value of advice "to put their own interests first" like this. Is it really in the kid's best interests? Is it of more interest to the agent?

The player's relationship to the team that drafted him has to have some value, as does his reputation for character in the rest of the league. Both have been damaged. Might he actually take longer getting to the NHL as a result of this move?

If he is as good and as ready as he appears to think he is, he might have won a spot on the Jets roster this year. Instead he might spend another year in NCAA. Then, who knows how it might play out next off-season.

I still expect some rebuilding team that can promise him a spot to make Chevy a good offer soon. But again, who knows?

The next pressure point is after his NCAA season. Does he want to burn a year of his ELC or not? That might be with the Jets or another team but there are financial ramifications if he pushes all the way to UFA

 

[buggs]

The whole thing is weird.

Look, I get Winnipeg isn't where he wanted to get drafted. That's ok. But part of life growing up is paying your dues. There are much, much worse fates than being tied to Winnipeg for 7-9 years and pocketing roughly 25 million or more dollars. You do well, you'll get your payday coming out of your ELC because that's how it rolls now and you set yourself up for UFA for another big payday. You retire at 35 or so with a legacy and $50-100 million dollars in career earnings if you're as good as you think.

Instead he's throwing shade at a team in the league that employs 25 other guys and is known to be a pretty caring organization because he saw his buddies get to play right away. Except his buddies went to crap teams and it seems somewhat likely one or more of them may get tired of losing faster than they think and all that losing may actually hamper their development. Certainly the Jets stunk out the playoffs but they were a fourth overall team in the league. So to expect to step into a starting lineup, likely desired to be top six, at that age, requires considerable, um, testicular fortitude and belief in yourself (likely unwarranted as yet). Ego is fine. Unchecked ego is less so.

Instead, you decide to play hardball, either on your own decision or on the advice of your circle because you think you're better than Winnipeg. Well good for you son. The problem being you did a couple of things that likely weren't considered:

1. your reputation as a team guy went downhill considerably. This is classic "I'm more important than the team". Now, if you're really THAT good, that will be forgotten promptly in your new market. But as it stands now you went from saying all the right things, performing super well at world juniors and being viewed as a future captain to being viewed, rightly or wrongly, as a toxic personality that presents a high risk. The mercenary types won't care, they never have. Others will.

2. For the reasons in point 1 you sullied your own value on the trade market. That's never smart. True, the Jets/Chevy hang onto people much longer than those people want to be hung on to, but jeez, don't those millions buy a little patience from you too? Roll in, sit down with Chevy, say I've changed my mind and I'm never going to sign any UFA years here ever so at the earliest opportunity trade me. Yes, Chevy will consume your early value and you'll be stuck in Winnipeg but you'll probably survive, may even thrive or *gasp* find out it isn't actually hell on earth.

3. For the reasons in point 2, you tangled with the wrong GM most likely. Love or hate Chevy one thing he seems to do exceedingly well is wait. Too well in some instances, but those other instances don't concern you. He also seems to win when his back is pressed against the wall. Weird, but it seems that way. So yeah, you've got two years to wait it out but you're losing money that whole time. And while you're doing that you're at risk of a catastrophic injury. I expect your agent and your family likely have insurance against that, but it will never pay what a full NHL career would have.

Really is a baffling situation. Would love to have had the kid here for his career and the fans would have loved him back. Said all the right things, showed all the right character. Boom, changes.