Ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed to make a few roster moves.
With forward Bryan Rust set to begin serving his three-game suspension for a hit to the head of Brock Boeser Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks and defenseman Jack St. Ivany heading to injured reserve, the Penguins recalled forward prospect Rutger McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate.
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McGroarty, 21, had five assists in his four AHL games since being re-assigned to WBS from the Penguins on Jan. 18. Prior to his re-assignment, McGroarty had two goals and three points in 16 NHL games this season.
A 2022 first-round pick (14th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets, McGroarty has struggled to establish himself at the NHL level this season, and one of the central reasons has been injury. He had an upper-body ailment that caused him to miss all of training camp and the first month and a half of the regular season, and a concussion kept him out for a few games in January prior to his AHL re-assignment.
However, he has excelled at the AHL level this season, putting up four goals and nine points in 12 AHL games. There is a good chance that McGroarty will remain with the NHL club through the end of Rust’s suspension, as he is eligible to return to the lineup on Feb. 2 against the Ottawa Senators.
McGroarty has three goals and six points in 24 career NHL games.
Penguins’ Rust Suspended Three Games For Hit Against Canucks
Penguins’ Rust Suspended Three Games For Hit Against Canucks It looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their top forwards for an upcoming crucial stretch of games.
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