The Pittsburgh Penguins made a roster move early this morning, sending forward Rutger McGroarty back to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The club did not bring anyone up in a corresponding transaction, which leaves Pittsburgh with one open roster spot.
That vacancy could matter sooner rather than later. The Penguins have already dealt with multiple injuries in the first month of the 2026-27 season, and the team is also open to moving some veterans through the trade market. If that happens, McGroarty would likely be the first player called back to fill the opening.
McGroarty’s path to Pittsburgh has already been a winding one. The former 14th overall pick was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, but he never signed an entry-level deal there. Rather than risk losing him to free agency down the road, Winnipeg sent him to the Penguins in a trade for Brayden Yager.
So far, McGroarty has had limited chances at the NHL level. Since making his debut with Pittsburgh in the 2024-25 season, he has posted four goals and nine points in 34 games, with a -3 rating and 12:41 of ice time per night.
His production has been much stronger in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In his first season there, McGroarty put up 14 goals and 39 points in 60 games, despite a -10 rating.
He followed that with a more efficient run the next year, finishing with 10 goals and 34 points in just 30 games and a +10 rating. He also added four goals and nine points in 15 postseason games.
In Other News...
Penguins Defensive Meltdowns Wasted Another Crosby-Led Comeback Push
The Penguins got another lift from Sidney Crosby and another reminder that the comeback effort alone is not enough when the defensive structure wobbles. In Montreal, Pittsburgh fell 5-4 to the Canadiens at the Bell Centre, a game that again turned on how quickly the Penguins could recover after giving away momentum and how little margin they had once the Canadiens found their rhythm.
Sergei Murashov was back in net for his first start since Oct. 17, and the night did not deliver the reset the Penguins were hoping for. Dan Muse did win a goaltender interference challenge along the way, but the result still left Pittsburgh searching for answers around its crease and left Murashov still without a victory this season as the losses keep piling up in tight games. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Loss Just Raised Bigger Questions About Where This Team Is Headed
The loss to the Canadiens left the Penguins with more than just another result to digest. It added weight to a stretch that has already been marked by uneven play, a coaching change in Dan Muse, and a roster that still has to answer basic questions about consistency. Even with Tristan Jarry coming off consecutive shutouts, the broader picture around Pittsburgh has not gotten any clearer, especially with trade chatter continuing to swirl around established names and the organization trying to sort out what comes next.
Muse now has a team that needs a reset as much as a response, and the next few days could tell a lot about how he plans to handle it. Lineup changes are on the table after the Montreal game, and the tone around the club has shifted from short-term fixes to something more fundamental about direction. For a Penguins team that has lived through plenty of eras already, the latest setback only sharpened the bigger question hanging over the season. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Got Caught In The Kind Of Game That Exposes Everything
The Penguins got dragged into exactly the kind of game that can make a team look brilliant and vulnerable in the same breath. Montreal kept pushing the pace and found offense from across the lineup, with Oliver Kapanen, Lane Hutson, Alexandre Texier and Chris Kreider all part of a night that kept the pressure on Pittsburgh from start to finish.
For the Canadiens, the road version of their game has looked more controlled than the looser, less disciplined style they have shown at home, and that showed up again in a result that tested Pittsburgh in every zone. The Penguins were left chasing a game that kept opening up, which is the sort of night that exposes defensive cracks and leaves a lot to sort through afterward. [Read more 🡒]