WOW! Penguins Swap Yager to Jets for McGroarty
For the past couple of days I considered scraping together a mish-mash type of article, but just couldn’t lock on to a subject that inspired me enough to put my fingers to the keyboard.
Then…WHAM. Penguins POHO/GM Kyle Dubas took care of my motivation issues. In one dramatic swoop.
Today he traded our No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, Brayden Yager, to Winnipeg for forward Rutger McGroarty, the 14th overall selection in the ’22 draft.
Make that power forward Rutger McGroarty.
Swapping an undersized, physically unassertive forward for one who bangs and competes and gets his fingernails dirty?
Music to my ears.
To say nothing of swapping out the 58th best prospect (Yager) for number 33 (McGroarty), according to The Athletic’s recent ranking of drafted prospects.
For longer than I can remember, I’ve stressed our need to get “grindier,” for lack of a better way to put it. Acquiring Michael Bunting last spring was a huge first step that direction. Acquiring McGroarty reinforces it.
As an organization, the Pens have a long history of valuing skill over compete, to a detrimental extreme.