Penguins A to Z: Rutger McGroarty arrives as an NHLer

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 57 individuals signed to an NHL contract – including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 24, four days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Rutger McGroarty

Position: Right winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 21

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 203 pounds

2024-25 NHL statistics: Eight games, three points (one goal, two assists), 14:37 of average ice time per contest

2024-25 AHL statistics: 60 games, 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists)

Contract: In the first year of a three-year, entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $950,000. Pending restricted free agent in 2027.

(McGroarty does not require waivers to be assigned to a minor league affiliate.)

Acquired: Trade, Aug. 22, 2024

This season: The expectations were in place immediately for Rutger McGroarty. And he did not meet them, at least not at first.

A first-round pick (No. 14 overall) of the Winnipeg Jets in 2022, McGroarty never signed with that club due to an impasse over contract negotiations. That led to the Penguins dealing away their 2023 first-round draft pick, forward Brayden Yager, to the Jets to acquire McGroarty’s NHL rights. He signed with the Penguins the same day as the trade and automatically became the organization’s top prospect.

That led to hopes that McGroarty would make an immediate jump to the NHL and invigorate a mostly older roster with his youthful exuberance.

Part of that equation happened after McGroarty had a productive preseason, posting six points (one goal, five assists) in six games. That led to him opening the season on the NHL roster. But after three regular season contests, it was apparent McGroarty needed some refinement as a professional and was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Oct. 16.

As he got used to a professional schedule, McGroarty’s game grew in a variety of ways. Most notably, he began to produce offense the further he got into the season.

In his first 40 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, McGroarty generated 21 points (six goals, 15 assists). By mid-February, McGroarty began to put things together and posted 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in his final 20 games of the season at the AHL level.

Nasty work on the power play ????‍???? pic.twitter.com/6cC4NK9DA4

— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) March 8, 2025

With the NHL club going nowhere fast in the final weeks of the regular season, McGroarty was recalled March 28 and was given a daunting assignment immediately, skating on the top line next to Sidney Crosby as well as on the power play.

He proved to be up to the challenge, scoring three points (one goal, two assists) in five games, including a game-tying goal late in regulation of a 5-4 overtime road loss to the St. Louis Blues on April 3.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Rutger McGroarty with 00:25 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Ville Koivunen and Erik Karlsson.

St. Louis: 4
Pittsburgh: 4#PITvsSTL #stlblues #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/GcN0ucon9Q

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 4, 2025

A left foot injury suffered April 8 brought McGroarty’s season to a premature end.

The future: Arguably, no one in the Penguins’ organization came further this past season than McGroarty, who primarily skates as a left winger. He went from being overwhelmed by the professional game to finding chemistry with the franchise’s most important player.

McGroarty, who turned 21 on March 30, still has plenty of room for growth. But there’s plenty to be excited about, even more so than when he first arrived.

He has some size and has begun to learn how to use his strength effectively. And he exudes confidence which is important for the prominent role management appears to have in mind for him.

It took some time, but it looks like McGroarty has arrived as an NHLer.