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CRANBERRY, Pa. — Rutger McGroarty understands a spot with the Pittsburgh Penguins isn’t guaranteed. 

The 20-year-old forward prospect didn’t expect to be handed one after being traded from the Winnipeg Jets on Aug. 22.  

McGroarty will play at the 2024 NHL Rookie Showcase in Buffalo. That’s all that’s been promised, he said. 

Earning a way to Pittsburgh is what he wants. 

“I feel like I’m going to get what I deserve and I’m going to come ready to work for camp,” McGroarty said Wednesday. “I like where my game’s at right now, but I’m just excited to get to camp and hopefully leave a bit of an impression on them.” 

In the trade, the Penguins sent top forward prospect Brayden Yager to the Jets, who selected McGroarty with the No. 14 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. McGroarty, hoping to soon debut in the NHL, signed his entry-level contract the same day, choosing not to return to the University of Michigan. 

He previously informed Winnipeg he would not sign there. 

“I wanted to be upfront and honest with them and just tell them I wasn’t going to be signing with them,” McGroarty said. “I’ve got nothing but respect for those guys. They handled it with a lot of class, and I wish them nothing but the best, but as I said, I’m fired up to get started here now. 

“I feel like everything’s right here, the development path, the veteran guys that they have here, the organization that they have here and the town here as well.” 

McGroarty fits the current climate in Pittsburgh: focused on the future but dedicated to doing right by forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. He could land a high-profile role with a good enough training camp, possibly next to Crosby or Malkin on the top two lines at either left or right wing.

“He possesses the combination of ability, leadership and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run,” general manager Kyle Dubas said in a press release announcing the trade. 

Crosby, Malkin and Letang, have won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017). McGroarty wouldn’t mind the pressure of joining them. 

“I love it,” McGroarty said. “I love being a part of an atmosphere like that. I feel like I’ve played on a lot of winning teams in my career. Obviously, not to this extent in the NHL with guys like that, but I love being a part of that atmosphere.  

“I love coming in. I love the grind every single day. I love winning, so that makes me really excited. Hopefully, I can be a part of that.” 

McGroarty has considered playing next to Crosby in particular. 

“He’s the best player in the world,” McGroarty said. “I’ve grown up watching him play, so it’s definitely crossed my mind. I feel like that would be very cool if I could one day do that.” 

McGroarty isn’t getting ahead of himself. He said his skating could use some work. He has size and power at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and highlighted a high hockey IQ as a strength. 

The native of Lincoln, Nebraska, was captain of the United States when it won the gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven games. He had 91 points (34 goals, 57 assists) in 75 games across two seasons at Michigan. 

And that’s led to Pittsburgh, where McGroarty aims to have similar influence.

“Hopefully, drag the other guys across the line with you and help them get better,” McGroarty said. “I’m also a very vocal guy. I’ve got a ton of energy. I’m always buzzing around, so hopefully, some of that is contagious energy that other guys can feed off of.”