What's Rutger McGroarty's real value, and is he ready for the NHL?
Mon, 15 Jul 24 19:00:02 +0000
The Winnipeg Jets and Rutger McGroarty seem to be at a stalemate.
Their former 14th-overall pick wants a guarantee of NHL ice time; most teams aren't inclined to simply give it to him.
He's hardly the first top prospect playing in college to try and extract a guarantee of NHL playing time. Many in his position have bypassed the AHL entirely, their track record as a top prospect and the counting stats to match acting as a springboard to the NHL. The 20-year-old forward certainly has the draft pedigree, and he just finished his sophomore season ninth in the country in total offence.
Another two seasons at Michigan and McGroarty will be able to call his shot as an unrestricted free agent, but does he have the patience to execute that plan? He wouldn't be the first to use that form of leverage to
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