Rutger McGroarty admits his mistakes after forcing a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Rutger McGroarty was sent down to the AHL by the Pittsburgh Penguins recently, and he admits that he made some mistakes that led to his trade out of Winnipeg.
The Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned forward Rutger McGroarty to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, earlier in the month. He had appeared in three NHL games with no points recorded and was a minus-one. Just before a game that would have seen him play against his former team, the Winnipeg Jets, McGroarty got sent down to the AHL. But the Winnipeg fans didn't miss out on an opportunity to heckle their old player, calling out "Where is Rutger?"
McGroarty had been traded from the Jets to the Penguins in an offseason deal. It was kind of controversial at the time. He had reportedly asked for a trade out of Winnipeg, which led to speculation that his attitude was an issue.
Sources said McGroarty had created tension in the early stages of trade discussions by making demands considered unreasonable at the time, including guaranteed ice time and a power-play role.
Following his reassignment, McGroarty spoke to the 'Pittsburgh Post Tribune', where he acknowledged that perhaps he had taken on more than he was ready for at the NHL level. The candid comments marked a bit of a change in perspective, as he almost came across as acknowledging he still had much to learn and that the AHL might be a place for the development time he truly needs. Fast forward to today and in his fifth game with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, McGroarty finds himself on the top-line left wing. He still hasn't registered a point, but he's getting some really valuable ice time to build his game. He's embracing the opportunity to fine-tune his skills with the hopes of returning to the NHL better prepared for his next opportunity.
«I feel like there's definitely opportunities for me to hold onto pucks and take pucks to the net or just create more by myself.»
According to his coach, he had become more diligent in effort and more humble, with signs that he's adapting to the new mindset. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas did his best to spin the move as one to get Rutger McGroarty some playing time rather than having him sit in the press box. The conditioning stint has given him a place to develop and ponder his earlier errors, something that will make him a better player and teammate in the long run.
