Jets Right to Deal Top Prospect Rutger McGroarty Amid NHL Trade Rumors

With the 14th pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Winnipeg Jets selected right winger Rutger McGroarty out of the University of Michigan.

Two years after making the move and picking the player most believed would be a foundational piece of the team's future, the Jets are preparing to trade their top prospect.

NHL insider Elliott Friedman reported as much on SportsNet's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast and The Athletic's Murat Ates confirmed the story.

Ates wrote, "The league source indicated that McGroarty's view of his long-term future with Winnipeg changed since the conclusion of his NCAA season. Winnipeg wanted to sign McGroarty to a professional contract in April but was unwilling to promise a path to playing time."

This came on the heels of McGroarty's teammates enjoying playing time with Chicago and Columbus. The difference? Those two squads had losing seasons while the Jets were a playoff team that was not going to guarantee a young, unproven talent playing time.

A lack of communication regarding a long-term plan for his playing time, and McGroarty's belief that he was ready to excel in the NHL before team officials did, led to the current situation.

"He no longer believes his future is with the Jets," Ates wrote.

A league source told Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun that it is "not a good look" for the Jets and while there is likely some sort of blame to be assigned to a team that has had similar issues with the development of their draft picks in the past, trading McGroarty is the best decision the organization can make at this point.

McGroarty compiled 52 points this past season with Michigan and has exhibited the raw talent to be a star in the NHL.

Still, from an optics standpoint, the last thing the Jets should want is to get into a public battle with a young player that would ultimately reverberate through the organization and locker room.

If it is clear that McGroarty is not happy and does not see himself playing for the team given the circumstances, which it apparently is, trading him and getting a haul in return before going about business and focusing on a Stanley Cup run is the right decision.

The team needs a top-four defenseman. Perhaps it can get one in a package for the Wolverine.

Facing cap space issues, and with a brand new head coach in Scott Arniel, the team has plenty on its plate this off-season. Letting negativity run wild and potentially affect the club negatively would be a mistake.

Find a partner, execute the deal, and the front office can worry about its pursuit of a Stanley Cup from there.