It has been a whirlwind season for Pittsburgh Penguins top prospect Rutger McGroarty.
After an impressive showing in training camp – when he registered six points in six preseason games – McGroarty took advantage of the Penguins’ forward injury situation and made the NHL team out of training camp.
After playing in three games – and once the Penguins started to get healthier – McGroarty was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate. In terms of production, things started off slow for the 20-year-old winger, as he registered just one goal and three points in his first 12 games.
Since then, he has put up six goals and 24 points in 33 games, including a goal and six points in his last four games. He also had his first fight in professional hockey in Saturday’s 5-3 loss against the Springfield Thunderbirds, which – although it didn’t exactly go McGroarty’s way – still showcased the edge in his game.
FIGHT. Rutger McGroarty vs Michael Buchinger!
McGroarty made contact with Thunderbirds goaltender Colten Ellis at the side of the net, drawing the ire of Buchinger.
McGroarty eventually obliged the request, but didn’t fare well against Buchinger in the fight. @InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/PbpKbjtTrV
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) February 23, 2025
For those who have watched McGroarty throughout the season, they know the process has always been there. Now that the production has begun to follow, it’s becoming abundantly clear just how good of a prospect the Penguins have in McGroarty.
He has a high degree of hockey IQ and playmaking smarts. He’s rarely out of position and anticipates well, always finding himself in the right spots to create space and make plays.
He’s also got a pretty decent shot. He only has seven goals on the season, but it’s not for lack of trying. McGroarty’s shooting percentage is only 7.8 percent – well below career averages – and shows how snakebitten he has been this season.
McGroarty’s lineup versatility, physicality, smarts, and blossoming offensive game should make him one of the first candidates for a call-up if and when the Penguins decide to start bringing some of their prospects into the fold. For now, he will continue to help Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earn its way to playoff contention in what has been a very successful season up to this point.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – whose 28-13-6 record and .660 win percentage makes them a top team in the league – will play their next game Sunday against the Providence Bruins, who sit just one point back of them in the AHL’s Atlantic Division standings. In one game against Providence this season, McGroarty registered no points, was a minus-1, and had three shots on goal.
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