With Bryan Rust serving a three-game suspension and defenseman Jack St. Ivany sidelined following surgery, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed to make a roster move ahead of their three-game home stand. That move came Thursday morning, as the team recalled forward Rutger McGroarty.
McGroarty returns to the NHL roster after a short but productive stint with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he was sent on a conditioning assignment following a concussion sustained in practice. In four games with the AHL affiliate, he tallied five assists, continuing what’s been a strong showing at that level. For the season, McGroarty has notched four goals and eight assists in just nine AHL games-solid numbers that speak to his offensive instincts and playmaking ability.
At the NHL level, McGroarty has seen more limited production-two goals and one assist through 16 games-but his potential remains clear. The question now is how the Penguins will deploy him in a lineup that has found some real chemistry across all four lines.
With the team clicking, especially in the bottom six, the Penguins are understandably cautious about shaking things up too much. The most straightforward option would’ve been to slide McGroarty into Rust’s spot on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. That would’ve preserved the current structure of the Evgeni Malkin-Tommy Novak-Egor Chinakhov trio, the Ben Kindel-Anthony Mantha-Justin Brazeau line, and the Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari fourth unit-all of which have been functioning well.
But based on Thursday’s morning skate, the Penguins appear to be going in a slightly different direction.
Justin Brazeau was skating on the right wing with Crosby and Rakell, while McGroarty was slotted on the left side with Kindel and Mantha. That move reunites McGroarty with Kindel, with whom he’s shown some chemistry in the past, and gives Brazeau a chance to test his game alongside Crosby in a top-line role.
It’s a strategic decision that keeps the lineup largely intact while giving McGroarty meaningful minutes in a middle-six role. And perhaps just as importantly, it avoids the need to reinsert Kevin Hayes into the lineup, which at this point seems to be a lower priority for the coaching staff.
This is a big opportunity for McGroarty-not just to get back into the NHL mix, but to make a lasting impression. The Penguins are firmly in the playoff hunt, and while that’s the primary focus, there’s also a clear organizational emphasis on developing young talent. McGroarty fits into that long-term vision, and with Rust temporarily out of the picture, he’s got a window to show he belongs.
For Pittsburgh, it’s about keeping the momentum going while also building for the future. For McGroarty, it’s about seizing the moment.