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Rutger McGroarty: the Habs among the “logical” teams to acquire him

 David Miller
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Rutger McGroarty: the Habs among the “logical” teams to acquire him
Credit: Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Winnipeg Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty has been in the news a lot lately.

Murat Ares of The Athletic reported on Saturday that McGroarty is expected to be traded between now and the draft.

The young American won the gold medal at the last Championship, when he was the team captain.

The 20-year-old forward is known to have excellent hockey sense, with a very good shot, talent and a lot of dog.

But which team would make the most sense for the Jets to trade their young player, who feels ready to play in the NHL?

Murat Ares has written another excellent article mentioning, among other things, the destinations that would make sense for the forward prospect.

Here are the teams listed by Ares:

  • San Jose Sharks
  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Montreal Canadiens
  • Ottawa Senators
  • Calgary Flames
  • Philadelphia Flyers

All these teams have two first-round picks in 2024, which the Jets do not.

As we know, the Jets’ first-round pick now belongs to the Habs.

Would it be possible for the Habs to “flip” the Jets’ pick to Winnipeg?

It wouldn’t make too much sense for the Jets, as they’d instantly lose value, since McGroarty was picked 14th in 2022.

But that’s not so bad considering there’s some nice depth in the 2024 draft and also that McGroarty doesn’t want to play in Winnipeg.

On the other hand, the fact that he wants to leave a Canadian market may conflict with the Habs, because if he doesn’t want to play in Winnipeg, why would he want to play in Montreal?

Sure, he’d have a better chance of landing a job in Montreal than in Winnipeg, but it’s still a Canadian market for the American.

If Kent Hughes decides to go after McGroarty, he’ll have done his homework on the player, that’s for sure.

He’d be a great fit with the Habs organization, but would the Jets be willing to get a pick or picks for McGroarty? He could very well bring them an established player who can help the Manitoba club right away.

Let’s see what the draft brings.


Overtime

– Unbelievable.

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