The Washington Capitals could be presented with a unique opportunity in the coming days that they should take advantage of.
Per the Winnipeg Free Press’ Mike McIntyre, the Winnipeg Jets have come to a crossroads with one of the top prospects in the NHL, Rutger McGroarty.
Winnipeg used the 14th overall draft selection in the 2022 NHL Draft to select McGroarty but the two sides do not seem like they’ll be able to come to terms on an entry-level contract.
McGroarty wants to play in the NHL as soon as possible and Winnipeg would prefer to slow-cook their prospects through what they perceive to be their Stanley Cup contending window. Meanwhile, McGroarty has seen less hyped college teammates like Gavin Brindley and Frank Nazar already make their NHL debuts.
McGroarty’s situation is a direct parallel to what went down between the Philadelphia Flyers and top prospect Cutter Gauthier this past year. Gauthier made his intentions known that he would not be signing with the Flyers after they selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft. He was subsequently traded to the Anaheim Ducks in January.
The Jets find themselves in the same situation and per The Athletic’s Murat Ates a trade is reportedly coming and it’s likely to go down before the draft begins on June 28. The Capitals should be one of the teams vying for McGroarty given the current state of their roster and here’s why.
Why the Capitals should make the trade
Outside of having an amazing hockey name, McGroarty represents the perfect chance for the Capitals to redirect some of their current assets in exchange for a piece that better fits the organization’s competitive timeline. McGroarty turned 20 years old last March and will enter his prime years when Washington should be expected to return to regular playoff conversation.
McGroarty has a big frame (6′1″ and 205 pounds) and plays with a similar snarl and compete level as former Team USA teammate and current Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard. He posted 52 points (16g, 36a) in 36 games for the Michigan Wolverines last season, finishing ninth in the nation in overall scoring. He also was captain of the gold-medal-winning US team at the most recent World Junior Championship where he chipped in nine points (5g, 4a) in seven games.
The Lincoln, Nebraska native seems convinced he is ready to play NHL minutes as soon as this upcoming fall. He could easily get those minutes in Washington.
While the Capitals have created a bit of a logjam at center ice for the coming years after acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings, they are set to be very thin on the wings as soon as next season. As things currently stand, the team has just nine players in the NHL with contracts for next year, and three of them are expected to play down the middle.
Max Pacioretty is headed for unrestricted free agency and TJ Oshie’s general availability is also up in the air as he weighs retirement over returning for another injury-filled campaign. Washington does have a solid group of wing prospects but none of them, bar maybe Leonard and Ivan Miroshnichenko, are as ready to step into a regular NHL role as McGroarty is.
Additionally, Alex Ovechkin has just two years remaining on his contract and Tom Wilson turned 30 this past March. General manager Brian MacLellan is clearly focused on the next era of the team given what he’s done at the past two trade deadlines and his public comments to the media about trying to add younger pieces, specifically wingers with top-six talent just like McGroarty, to his roster.
Washington’s “next group up” in terms of players needed to help lead the charge in the post-Ovechkin era are all around McGroarty’s age range. McGroarty, Leonard, Miroshnichenko, Andrew Cristall, Zac Funk, Alexander Suzdalev, Ryan Chesley, and Ludwig Persson are all 20 years old or younger. Funk is the oldest with his July 20, 2003 birthday.
What the Capitals will likely need to trade the Jets
Saying the Capitals should trade for McGroarty is much easier said than done. The Jets know the value of their prospect and will probably want a similar deal or better than the one Philadelphia got for Gauthier. The Flyers netted Jamie Drysdale, a 22-year-old defenseman and former sixth-overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, and a 2025 second-round draft pick in their trade.
The Jets, given their advanced timeline, will likely seek a more experienced, older prospect with the sort of potential upward trajectory that Drysdale has. Given the situation the Capitals now have at center ice with both Dubois and Dylan Strome signed through at least the 2027-28 season, they could have the exact “available” players to fit those specifications in one of Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre, or Aliaksei Protas depending on how Winnipeg values the trio of “graduated” forwards.
While all three of those names took steps in their game last season for the Capitals, they would potentially fit better on a competing team that could use their ready-made NHL ability as well as their smaller cap hits. Winnipeg is set to have a hole down the middle of the ice with Sean Monahan headed for unrestricted free agency and a player like McMichael could fill in as a younger, cheaper middle-six option that provides similar play to Monahan. Protas’ immense versatility and team control through the 2028-29 season on a team-friendly deal ($3.375 million AAV) could also be attractive while Lapierre likely holds the highest perceived ceiling of the three.
There is also the potential that Winnipeg opts for a direct upgrade on Monahan so that young forward Cole Perfetti isn’t thrust into an important top-six role. The Capitals have Strome locked up at a $5 million AAV through the 2027-28 season and if the Jets sweetened the pot some in addition to McGroarty, that could also be a potential deal. However, Strome is well-liked in DC and just turned 27 in March so he may be off-limits.
Additionally, MacLellan has stockpiled draft picks at the last two deadlines for exact market opportunities like this one involving McGroarty. Washington holds their first-round draft pick for the next three drafts, four second-round draft picks in the next two drafts, and five third-round draft picks in the next two drafts.
The Capitals have players like Oshie, Nic Dowd, and Charlie Lindgren that could be moved at next season’s trade deadline if the team is in selling mode again to immediately replenish the draft pick cupboards if they need to dole out some of their current draft capital to Winnipeg. Dowd and Lindgren reportedly had major interest from teams at the 2024 deadline.
Why McGroarty would be more likely to sign with the Capitals
McGroarty would still need to sign his entry-level contract with the Capitals if they did acquire him. He is presently committed to Michigan for his junior season so he may still need some convincing after any trade and the Capitals should be able to provide the exact environment that he desires.
Washington will have the ability to immediately add McGroarty to their NHL roster and guarantee him the professional playing time he wants. His future outlook with the club is also very bright with older, declining players either just ahead or level with him on the depth chart. The Capitals also have a young head coach in Spencer Carbery who has shown he puts up with growing pains from younger players and doesn’t staple them to the bench or press box if they make mistakes.
The Capitals are also not expected to compete for the Stanley Cup soon so the pressure to produce and perform will be low. The team’s locker room is also filled with leaders like Ovechkin, Wilson, Oshie, and John Carlson who have shown a propensity to be great role models for young talent.
McGroarty will also be very familiar with a few names already in the Capitals’ organization. He was teammates with Leonard and Chesley in the US National Development Team program and at the World Junior Championship. McGroarty and Chesley won a bronze medal at the 2023 tournament and then the trio won gold together in 2024.
He has also held a friendship with Miroshnichenko since the two wingers were children. The highly touted youngsters played in the same World Selects invitationals growing up.
How about this for flashback?
First-round picks Ivan Miroshnichenko (WSH), Rutger McGroarty (WPG), Matthew Savoie (BUF) at a 2011 tournament in Bolzano, Italy … pic.twitter.com/2537tDU4WH— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) July 9, 2022
One of the most wholesome moments at the 2022 draft involved McGroarty and Miroshnichenko. The two met up in the “backstage” area of Montreal’s Bell Centre after they were selected by the Jets and Capitals respectively in the first round.
“Oh, big guy, what’s going on?” McGroarty said to Miroshnichenko before hugging him. “Congratulations, man. Come on, give me a hug. I’m so happy for you. Good for you, man. That’s awesome, that’s awesome. Hey, [the Capitals jersey] looks good. Looks good, I’ll see you around.”
McGroarty was also coached by longtime Capitals defenseman Kevin Hatcher as a U13 and U14 player in AAA with HoneyBaked Hockey Club.
The Capitals appear set for a big offseason. After they made their move for Dubois, the team is reportedly not done according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Could a trade for McGroarty be their next move?
