The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today they will be without one of their top NHL prospects at the start of training camp 2025-26. The news is that 21-year-old forward Rutger McGroarty will be sidelined indefinitely with an upper-body injury. McGroarty was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last offseason in exchange for Brayden Yager. Furthermore, he was projected to push for a regular middle-six role. This was after an encouraging year in the AHL and a brief NHL cameo. Let’s check out the impact and what it all means.
Rutger McGroarty is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, Kyle Dubas announced. pic.twitter.com/mZl8VFQpKX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 18, 2025
Major Setback As the Penguins Rutger McGroarty Has Injury
McGroarty was originally drafted 14th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Next, he attended the University of Michigan Wolverines hockey program refining his game. Last season was his first year pro. Moreover, he did well with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton recording 14 goals and 25 assists in 60 games. Also, he skated eight games for the big club, notching a goal and two assists.
McGroarty’s absence leaves the Penguins short on forward depth heading into training camp. More importantly, it delays the development of one of their most highly-rated young players. With his strong finish last year in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the expectation was that McGroarty would earn meaningful minutes this season. Instead, the club will need to lean more heavily on veterans and fringe forwards in the early going. McGroarty will use that idea as motivation to return at 100% and be ready to prove himself when he does.
What This Means for the 2025-26 Season
The “indefinite” label suggests Pittsburgh will take a cautious approach with McGroarty’s recovery. That could leave the Penguins with less internal youth to inject energy into the lineup at the start of the season. However, if he returns healthy later in the year, McGroarty could still provide a much-needed boost for a team balancing the tail end of its veteran core with the growth of its next generation.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry Imagn Images
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