Confirmed with Link: Rutger McGroarty to Pittsburgh for Brayden Yager

[WaveRaven]

Too bad this pushes back development timelines but I'm not going to sweat it too much. These are 2 to 3 years away from being impactful.

 

[jamiebez]

It's interesting to see how the narrative changes over time and circumstance.

Kyle Connor is only 180lbs, so it's not like he needs to get bigger.

As for McG, he's only 200lbs, so it's not like his massive frame is slowing him down.


#9: Chevy flat out states that McG never demanded ice-time in the NHL.

I was totally shocked by Chevy's answer to the question about McGroarty asking for assurance about playing time in the NHL. He flatly answered "we've never had that conversation once".

That was it. No "...and so on and so forth..." or "...permutations and combinations...". Just a straight up "no"

Goes to show that all the speculation about how the Jets should have handled this differently (from myself included) was much ado about nothing.

Also disappointing that yet another player wanted out of Winnipeg

 

[Buffdog]

That's not the point. It isn't that Yager is so small that he can't play in the NHL. Size won't likely hold him back. It is that Jets are getting smaller when they were already probably too small. McGro would have brought something Jets are seriously lacking.

Matthew Tkachuk is listed on EP as 6'2, 201. 1 inch taller and 4 lbs lighter than McGro. Everybody is so impressed by the in-your-face game that Tkachuk plays but downplaying the loss of that in McGro.

Rasmus Kupari is also exactly 6'2, 201lbs

Mcgroarty had SIX penalty minutes last season. Are you comparing him to Tkachuck?

 

[Whileee]

I don't think it's the inch shorter. I think it's the 30 lbs lighter. We traded a power forward, which we need, for another lightweight skilled forward, which we already have. I mean can the Jets get any softer?

I don't think the Jets are particularly "soft" (or small), but I agree that they could use a bit more size and physicality in their prospect pipeline. Barlow can play a physically-engaged style. They have a couple of really big forwards in the pipeline, but I'm not sure they will ever have the skills to make an impression in the NHL (e.g. Julien, Walton).

On the other hand, I think you generally draft talent and can trade for the grit. There are very few really effective top-end "power forwards" in the Tkachuk mold. McGroarty is more mid-sized in that category... more like Jake DeBrusk. Nino is actually quite a bit bigger than McGroarty. So is Barron.

 

[surixon]

I was totally shocked by Chevy's answer to the question about McGroarty asking for assurance about playing time in the NHL. He flatly answered "we've never had that conversation once".

That was it. No "...and so on and so forth..." or "...permutations and combinations...". Just a straight up "no"

Goes to show that all the speculation about how the Jets should have handled this differently (from myself included) was much ado about nothing.

Also disappointing that yet another player wanted out of Winnipeg

Very well could be this, or Chevy is taking the high road and not slamming a player on the way out.

 

[Whileee]

Rasmus Kupari is also exactly 6'2, 201lbs

Mcgroarty had SIX penalty minutes last season. Are you comparing him to Tkachuck?

It's a good point. McGroarty plays a physical game along the boards and works hard, but he doesn't play a physically intimidating game. He'll be able to win puck battles and maybe hold position around the net more than smaller players, though. I do think good teams have to have a good mix, but good teams are built on a foundation of skill and supplement their skilled players with complementary players that can play other roles.

Very well could be this, or Chevy is taking the high road and not slamming a player on the way out.

Well, Chevy wasn't reluctant to say that McGroarty told him that he basically just didn't feel like playing for the Winnipeg Jets, as soon as he put on the jersey for Development Camp. I think that's a worse look than making it about whether he wants to play in the AHL or NCAA next season. It sounds like more of a Cutter Gauthier situation, where the player just didn't want to play for the team that drafted him. That's the gist of what Chevy related.

 

[surixon]

I don't think the Jets are particularly "soft" (or small), but I agree that they could use a bit more size and physicality in their prospect pipeline. Barlow can play a physically-engaged style. They have a couple of really big forwards in the pipeline, but I'm not sure they will ever have the skills to make an impression in the NHL (e.g. Julien, Walton).

On the other hand, I think you generally draft talent and can trade for the grit. There are very few really effective top-end "power forwards" in the Tkachuk mold. McGroarty is more mid-sized in that category... more like Jake DeBrusk. Nino is actually quite a bit bigger than McGroarty. So is Barron.

I think what we need is to figure out how to optimally utilize the pieces we already have.

That means larger roles to Fly, Cole, and Snerg. Finding a way to get the Lowry line to score more and shaving a couple minutes from Mark to keep him fresher.

It's a good point. McGroarty plays a physical game along the boards and works hard, but he doesn't play a physically intimidating game. He'll be able to win puck battles and maybe hold position around the net more than smaller players, though. I do think good teams have to have a good mix, but good teams are built on a foundation of skill and supplement their skilled players with complementary players that can play other roles.


Well, Chevy wasn't reluctant to say that McGroarty told him that he basically just didn't feel like playing for the Winnipeg Jets, as soon as he put on the jersey for Development Camp. I think that's a worse look than making it about whether he wants to play in the AHL or NCAA next season. It sounds like more of a Cutter Gauthier situation, where the player just didn't want to play for the team that drafted him. That's the gist of what Chevy related.

Well said McGroarty. He isn't a run around and slam people into the boards type. He is battler that uses his strength to take the puck to the crease or to hold it up.

We have Vilardi that does similarly in the paint.

 

[DRW204]

About a month ago I went back and watched a bunch of the Colorado series. We didn't need to be heavier or taller. We needed a defensive pairing that could handle the middlestat line. Dylan Samberg really really struggled after Dillon got injured. When that happened Stanley played too much. Perhaps Heinola can improve this but probably not radically this year.

We have a great young group of forwards, centres and wingers now. We drafted Freij which is a good start. We need defenceman with skill and that can skate.

Hellebuyck needs to improve in spring as well.

clearing the front of the net was a problem. not sure if you'd attribute that to solely toughness though. truthfully, the Jets fwd group looked multiple steps behind that series & could not keep up w/ Colorado. but agree on the defense and goaltender as a whole, that was an all time bad performance from those 2 areas.

 

[DRW204]

I don't think it's the inch shorter. I think it's the 30 lbs lighter. We traded a power forward, which we need, for another lightweight skilled forward, which we already have. I mean can the Jets get any softer?

by the time Yager is an NHL regular, which is what 2 years from now (assuming this year CHL, following year AHL), he will put on a bit of muscle & get his maturation weight. impossible to predict how much, but 180ish lb at 5'11-6'0 is pretty average for NHL fwds. If he was small and slow/poor skater that'd be a concern for sure, but it seems like most reports put him around pretty good and a a couple here and there average at worst (haven't seen one that says weak).

at the 2023 combine yager was 5'11 170, barlow 6'0 195
at the 2022 combine rutger was 6'1 204 , lambert 6'0 180

no idea what the 2022 are at now. you can use their heights/weights now as some sort of estimate in growth on Yager. but it's all ridiculous predictions exercise.

i do agree the current Jets fwd group is soft though, they were also slow and not built for the POs speed and tenacity.

but height and weight should not be a limiting factor on Yager in the NHL.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Well said McGroarty. He isn't a run around and slam people into the boards type. He is battler that uses his strength to take the puck to the crease or to hold it up.

We have Vilardi that does similarly in the paint.

I think a lot of people point to the hit he made against Sweden in the WJC last year where he caught an unsuspecting player (who should have known better) with a big hit. While it certainly showed a willingness to hit, it is also a hit that you make once or twice in the NHL before someone seriously makes you answer for it. The rest of the tournament he was engaged physically but certainly not to the level of higher rated prospects like Gauthier or Leonard. Which also explains why those two went several spots higher up in the draft as they are more similar to the Tkachuk(s).

 

[Buffdog]

by the time Yager is an NHL regular, which is what 2 years from now (assuming this year CHL, following year AHL), he will put on a bit of muscle & get his maturation weight. impossible to predict how much, but 180ish lb at 5'11-6'0 is pretty average for NHL fwds. If he was small and slow/poor skater that'd be a concern for sure, but it seems like most reports put him around average at worst.

at the 2023 combine yager was 5'11 170, barlow 6'0 195
at the 2022 combine rutger was 6'1 204 , lambert 6'0 180

no idea what the 2022 are at now. you can use their heights/weights now as some sort of estimate in growth on Yager. but it's all ridiculous predictions exercise.

i do agree the current Jets fwd group is soft though, they were also slow and not built for the POs speed and tenacity.

but height and weight should not be a limiting factor on Yager in the NHL.

Just need to get Yager on Connor's secret sauce

 

[SLAYER]

Just need to get Yager on Connor's secret sauce

View attachment 902812

Pretty sure Nate Schmidt was suspended for that when he played for VGK

 

[DRW204]

Just need to get Yager on Connor's secret sauce

View attachment 902812

 

[hockeyarena]

I was totally shocked by Chevy's answer to the question about McGroarty asking for assurance about playing time in the NHL. He flatly answered "we've never had that conversation once".

That was it. No "...and so on and so forth..." or "...permutations and combinations...". Just a straight up "no"

Goes to show that all the speculation about how the Jets should have handled this differently (from myself included) was much ado about nothing.

Also disappointing that yet another player wanted out of Winnipeg

i also noticed to that when he was directly asked, "did you tell rutger he could compete for the #2 centre job in camp this year?" he basically dodged it like Neo and i got the impression they were simply honest with rutger and said yes we expect you to compete in camp, but you'll likely have to spend some time in the AHL just like 99% of prospects.

 

[Huffer]

yup, got accosted

IIRC, what Chevy said is the "Rutger" started to change his mind at last years Dev camp (which is a little bit of a shock considering how happy he was acting).

Chevy only found out about Rutgers change of heart at this years draft combine.

 

[roccerfeller]

I wish him nothing but misery for his entire pathetic career.

Interview with McIntyre on WST - wow. Just eye opening about Rutger and his family

Especially in context of what Chevy said.

 

[tarozi]

Also disappointing that yet another player wanted out of Winnipeg

Why disappointing.... I was born and raised here and even I think Winnipeg is at the bottom of most NHL cities. good luck

 

[surixon]

Interview with McIntyre on WST - wow. Just eye opening about Rutger and his family

Especially in context of what Chevy said.

Coles notes version please.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

It's improved but still a weakness imo.

I think you've misread the situation in Pittsburgh. Their new ownership group that paid around a billion for the team axed their previous management team due to pitching a rebuild.

You don't make moves for Karalsson if the plan is to rebuild for instance.

I Imagine Crosby is gone if you elect to pull the plug and I imagine he's still worth 10's of millions a year to the franchise in terms of revenue.

At the end of the day its a business and the Pens ownership have no interest in rebuilding and suffering losses after what they ponyed up.

As a cap strapped team with shallow forward depth a player like McGroarty that can slide up down the lineup is probably very appealing.

Imo the fact that the deal happened now is proof that there was pressure on Dubas to make the trade. With college and rookie camps starting soon he ran out of time trying to wait Chevy out. I agree Chevy had more pressure but he seems to thrive in these situations.

FWIW i agree that the Pens window has slammed shut, but I think the players still belive they can and they still generate a lot of cash for the owners so they are staying invested.

I won't pretend to know too much about the Pens but .......

I don't think they will opt for a full on rebuild while Crosby is still playing well.
I can't see them continuing to throw assets at win now either. They acquired Karlsson a year ago in what I think was their last attempt to win now. With Sid, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson they still missed the PO. Those 4 old players will only be a year older now. Maybe they can tinker with their roster and squeeze into the PO but there is no contender there. They will be a 1st rd casualty IF they make it at all.

I agree about the timing and I suppose there might have been some pressure on Dubass. But I believe they believe they got the best player in the deal. It may or may not turn out that way but that is another story. There are quite a few top prospect lists that currently rate McGro 25-30 positions higher than Yager.

Chevy does keep pulling rabbits out of hats but it would sure be nice some day to make a trade because it makes the team better rather than because someone wants out.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

I am glad this is done before the season started as I didn't want to have to deal with this all year.

I will die on the hill that Rutger came here last summer and hated it immediately and then his camp figured out what they were going to do. My very strong suspicion is the Jets approached to sign him after his College year and were planning on bringing him in at the end of the season and probably play him in a game or two and then have him play for the Moose in the AHL playoffs. But he refused and his camp came up with the idea that he wasn't "guaranteed" a top 6 spot.

Anyways good riddance hope you fall flat on your face.

On to Yager. Yager is very skilled player. Tremendous pro release and shot. He isn't a fast skater but he isn't slow. He is up and down player, in that he skates in straight lines and is very direct. Good on both ends of the ice. He isn't overly physical but he doesn't get pushed around. He puts up points and is very good powerplay player. He reminds me a bit of Joe Pavelski if you want a comparison. I think he could be a very good number 2 center in the league but we should know what his ceiling will be after this Junior season. He will get traded to a contender and he should star at the World Juniors.

Overall I am pleased with the trade they got a very good prospect in return for a guy who did not want to be here.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Rasmus Kupari is also exactly 6'2, 201lbs

Mcgroarty had SIX penalty minutes last season. Are you comparing him to Tkachuck?

But all that Rasmus can do is skate fast.

Ha! Not in penalties, certainly. He is not a dirty player and I don't know that he is a fighter. But he plays aggressively and physically. So similar in that way - to a point.

Or do you disagree that McGro plays that style?

 

[surixon]

I won't pretend to know too much about the Pens but .......

I don't think they will opt for a full on rebuild while Crosby is still playing well.
I can't see them continuing to throw assets at win now either. They acquired Karlsson a year ago in what I think was their last attempt to win now. With Sid, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson they still missed the PO. Those 4 old players will only be a year older now. Maybe they can tinker with their roster and squeeze into the PO but there is no contender there. They will be a 1st rd casualty IF they make it at all.

I agree about the timing and I suppose there might have been some pressure on Dubass. But I believe they believe they got the best player in the deal. It may or may not turn out that way but that is another story. There are quite a few top prospect lists that currently rate McGro 25-30 positions higher than Yager.

Chevy does keep pulling rabbits out of hats but it would sure be nice some day to make a trade because it makes the team better rather than because someone wants out.

I agree with the last paragraph, but my guess is Chevy holds onto the talent that has committed to the market because he realizes that if he trades it for other pieces, those pieces may not want to commit (cough Dubois cough).

What I wouldn't mind seeing more of is some future pieces for players with some term. I'm sick of seeing 1sts going for expiring players at the deadline with the goal of trying to convince them to reup. If your going to dangle firsts get a player with 3 years left.

 

[WolfHouse]

i also noticed to that when he was directly asked, "did you tell rutger he could compete for the #2 centre job in camp this year?" he basically dodged it like Neo and i got the impression they were simply honest with rutger and said yes we expect you to compete in camp, but you'll likely have to spend some time in the AHL just like 99% of prospects.

Except he's not a centre...

I am glad this is done before the season started as I didn't want to have to deal with this all year.

I will die on the hill that Rutger came here last summer and hated it immediately and then his camp figured out what they were going to do. My very strong suspicion is the Jets approached to sign him after his College year and were planning on bringing him in at the end of the season and probably play him in a game or two and then have him play for the Moose in the AHL playoffs. But he refused and his camp came up with the idea that he wasn't "guaranteed" a top 6 spot.

Anyways good riddance hope you fall flat on your face.

On to Yager. Yager is very skilled player. Tremendous pro release and shot. He isn't a fast skater but he isn't slow. He is up and down player, in that he skates in straight lines and is very direct. Good on both ends of the ice. He isn't overly physical but he doesn't get pushed around. He puts up points and is very good powerplay player. He reminds me a bit of Joe Pavelski if you want a comparison. I think he could be a very good number 2 center in the league but we should know what his ceiling will be after this Junior season. He will get traded to a contender and he should star at the World Juniors.

Overall I am pleased with the trade they got a very good prospect in return for a guy who did not want to be here.

Really hoping McGro is the new Jimmy Vesey.

 

[Whileee]

Coles notes version please.

McIntyre with a full-throated take-down of McGroarty and his family, basically saying that they pulled the wool over the eyes of the Jets and media (including McIntyre). He even related a story about sitting with McGroarty's mom who told him how great the Jets had been, from Chipman down to Jimmy Roy (who was with him in the hospital after his rib / lung injuries).

Basically, the consensus seems to be that McGroarty and his agent duped the Jets and the media. What I really think is low is that they somehow left an impression that the problem was that the Jets wouldn't provide McGroarty with a good development pathway, which led to all sorts of brick bats for Chevy and the Jets' organization. Really, really bad look for McGroarty and his agent.

It's notable that Brisson is PLD's agent, too. Remember how it seemed that PLD was happy to be in Winnipeg at the start. My guess is that they used Wpg to get PLD out of Columbus and then worked on leveraging Chevy to get to another destination of his choice (probably LA or Mtl). Brisson is the most powerful player agent, but I wonder if he's developing a bit of a negative reputation with some GMs.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

McIntyre with a full-throated take-down of McGroarty and his family, basically saying that they pulled the wool over the eyes of the Jets and media (including McIntyre). He even related a story about sitting with McGroarty's mom who told him how great the Jets had been, from Chipman down to Jimmy Roy (who was with him in the hospital after his rib / lung injuries).

Basically, the consensus seems to be that McGroarty and his agent duped the Jets and the media. What I really think is low is that they somehow left an impression that the problem was that the Jets wouldn't provide McGroarty with a good development pathway, which led to all sorts of brick bats for Chevy and the Jets' organization. Really, really bad look for McGroarty and his agent.

McIntyre's quote was "We did get snowed."