Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins Send a Clear Message to Controversial Forward

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Tom Banks
October 16, 2024 (4:24 PM)

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Rutger McGroarty came to Pittsburgh with a massive air of confidence, but now the team have given him a reality check and sent him to the AHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have very high hopes in 2024/25, but they're also looking towards the future, and it's that future outlook that caused them to trade for Winnipeg Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty this off-season. While his issue in Winnipeg was not having a guaranteed roster spot in the NHL this season, he came to the Penguins without a spot either, but won it during an impressive training camp on a roster full of talented veterans.

However, there's still plenty of holes in McGroarty's game, with one glaring weakness forcing many to believe that he would start this season in the AHL, and now, after three games at the top level, that's exactly where he's headed.

After a scoreless start to his NHL career through three games, the team have now officially announced that McGroarty will be joining the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as they aim to get him much more playing time moving forward as he continues his development. Unsurprisingly, many people have taken to social media with jokes about the situation, although this is likely the best move for his development moving forward.

At 20-years of age, McGroarty has immense talent on the ice, but off the ice he clearly still has plenty to learn with his history of attitude problems, so perhaps this is just the reality check he needs. However, the team have one of the oldest rosters in the entire NHL, so they will likely need his blend of speed and talent at some point this year, so expect to see him back in the NHL in the near future.