Rutger
McGroarty
R · PIT · Balanced · Above average
- PAL
- 61
- WAR
- 0.2
- Value
- 77
- PTS
- 6
2025-26№ 290 / 615
Rutger McGroarty (Pittsburgh Penguins) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Rutger McGroarty
#2RPlays: Right wing · 8% of faceoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins
HEIGHT : 188 cm · WEIGHT : 96 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : March 29, 2004 · Lincoln, United States
Drafted : 2022 · WPG · round 1, pick #14
Contract : $950,000 · 2024-25 → 2026-27 · Entry-Level Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $95,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 24 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 34 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | |
Rutger McGroarty: our analysis
2025-26 season: 24 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS, -3 +/-, 11:58 TOI. WAR 0.2 (290th of 615) · PAL 61, above average.
In 2025-26, Rutger McGroarty, 22, posts a PAL Rating of 61 out of 100 (above average), and his WAR of 0.2 ranks 290th among 615 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: discipline (99, among the best in the league), creation (73, above average) and possession (73, above average). On the other hand, offense (28, below average) and power play (30, below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: penalties (+1.0); his biggest cost: finishing (-0.9).
His WAR went from 0.0 in 2024-25 to 0.2.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 77 (very good contract) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Rutger McGroarty's story
Growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska, McGroarty came up outside the usual hockey hotbeds and still found his way into elite development. He joined the USNTDP as the first player from Nebraska to do so and produced steady output: 20 goals and 21 assists in 53 games in 2020–21, then 35 goals and 34 assists in 54 games the following season. His late-game heroics at the 2022 BioSteel All-American Game, where he recorded a goal and an assist to force overtime, earned him MVP honours.
He opted for college hockey with the Michigan Wolverines beginning in 2022–23. As a freshman he tallied 18 goals and 21 assists in 39 games. His sophomore campaign moved him into national view — he led the nation in scoring in October 2023 with 15 points in eight games, was named Hockey Commissioners Association Player of the Month in January 2024 after averaging 2.67 points per game, and closed the season with 16 goals and 36 assists in 36 contests. Over two seasons at Michigan he compiled 34 goals, 57 assists and 91 points in 75 games, earning All-Big Ten First Team and AHCA West Second Team All-American recognition.
Selected 14th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Draft, McGroarty did not start his pro career in Winnipeg. After reports he would not sign with the Jets, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 22, 2024, in exchange for Brayden Yager and immediately signed a three-year entry-level contract. He made the Penguins’ opening night roster and debuted in the NHL on October 9, 2024, was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) on October 16, 2024, and was recalled by Pittsburgh on March 29, 2025.
Internationally he has worn the USA sweater at multiple events: silver at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, a scoreless appearance at the 2021 U18 Worlds, captaincy and silver at the 2022 U18 Worlds (8 goals, 1 assist), bronze at the 2023 World Junior Championship (1 goal, 6 assists), and as captain he helped the U.S. win gold at the 2024 World Juniors with five goals and four assists. On the ice he plays as a forward who mixes goal scoring with playmaking — the stats show both an eye for the net and an ability to set up teammates.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 13:40
- PP TOI/GP
- 1:03
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:25
- Pts/GP
- 0.00
- EV points
- 0
- Hits
- 0
- Blocks
- 1
- Takeaways
- 0
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 62.5 %
- Off. zone starts
- 21.1 %
- Faceoffs
- 25.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
Prospect value
Scout Report Center →Rank
51
among all 32 teams' prospects
Rating
95/ 100
percentile among prospects at his position
Potential
70/ 80
First line or top pair
Ceiling: 11.0 WAR from age 21 to 26
NHL probability
76 %
of playing 200 NHL games from age 21 to 26
Expected WAR, age 21-26
4.1
the most likely outcome
NHLe
43
NHL points over 82 games, from 2025-26 (AHL, 30 games)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
5between 0 and 18 (80% range)
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 3
- Games
- 23
So far: 0 pts in 2 games. The team has played 18 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.26 pts per game (last season: 0.25).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 28 %
77
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 74
- Confidence 57 %
- ST
- Strength
- 85
- Confidence 32 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 64
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 44
- Confidence 57 %
- CK
- Checking
- 76
- Confidence 32 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 79
- Confidence 16 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 92
- Confidence 32 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 73
- Confidence 28 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 73
- Confidence 28 %
- DF
- Defense
- 79
- Confidence 24 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 36
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating74
- Top speed (35 %)35.9 · 73
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)5.587 · 75
- Distance /60 (20 %)16.2 · 77
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.1 · 73
ST — Strength85
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)4.852 · 83
- Body mass (50 %)0.602 · 82
EN — Endurance64
- Ice time per game (45 %)13.9 · 68
- Total ice time (20 %)281 · 35
- Shift length (15 %)44.8 · 70
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)12.7 · 70
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.569 · 65
DU — Durability44
- Share of games played (100 %)0.57 · 44
CK — Checking76
- Hits /60 (70 %)5.247 · 78
- Season volume (10 %)3.296 · 63
FG — Fighting79
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.92 · 79
DI — Discipline92
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)0.083 · 93
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.575 · 78
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)1.064 · 85
PA — Passing73
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.619 · 71
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.459 · 75
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.076 · 74
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)4.449 · 77
SC — Scoring73
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.863 · 71
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.883 · 76
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.016 · 72
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.473 · 78
- xG per shot (10 %)0.08 · 75
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)14.3 · 76
DF — Defense79
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)0.02 · 77
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.11 · 80
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.523 · 80
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.039 · 80
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.781 · 69
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)56.2 · 83
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)2.346 · 76
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience36
- Career regular-season games (65 %)49
- Career playoff games (25 %)0
- NHL seasons (10 %)37
OV — Overall77
- SC · Scoring (28 %)73
- PA · Passing (22 %)73
- DF · Defense (18 %)79
- SK · Skating (12 %)74
- EN · Endurance (8 %)64
- DI · Discipline (5 %)92
- ST · Strength (4 %)85
- CK · Checking (3 %)76
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.2
wins above replacement
290 of 615
PAL Rating
61/ 100
Performance · Above average
171 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
77/ 100
Very good contract
0.95 M$ · expected PAL 36
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 45
- Defense
- 63
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 28
- Creation
- 73
- Shooting
- 38
- Possession
- 73
- Defense
- 61
- Discipline
- 99
- Power play
- 30
- Penalty kill
- 35
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
60/ 100
Average
better than 60% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
63/ 100
Average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
49/ 100
Average
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 168 of 424 forwards.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 18
- Shot selection
- 43
- Penalties drawn
- 80
- Puck management
- 83
Defense
- Takeaways
- 48
- Discipline
- 79
- Safe zone exits
- 19
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.2
wins above replacement
-0.3 to 0.9 — 90% interval
290 of 615 forwards
+1.2 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +0.1
- EV defense
- +0.3
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- +0.0
- Shooting
- -0.9
- Penalties
- +1.0
- Average → replacement
- +0.7
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | PIT | 24 | 0.2 | -0.3 to 0.9 | 290/615 |
| 2024-25 | PIT | 7 | 0.0 | -0.3 to 0.2 | 366/596 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 114.1 km/h8th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 33.3 km/h8th percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 26th percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 39.2 %19th percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 7.1 km6th percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 3.79 km26th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 39.2 %17th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 20.8 %100th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 40.0 %46th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 311th percentile | 024th percentile | 0.0 %3rd percentile |
| High danger | 221st percentile | 034th percentile | 0.0 %10th percentile |
| Mid range | 010th percentile | 054th percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
| Long range | 031st percentile | 092nd percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
NSH
FLARutger McGroarty: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Rutger McGroarty have in 2026-27?
Rutger McGroarty has 0 goals and 0 points (0 assists) in 2 games in 2026-27.
How old is Rutger McGroarty?
Rutger McGroarty is 22 years old: he was born on March 30, 2004.
How tall is Rutger McGroarty, and how much does he weigh?
Rutger McGroarty is 6'2" (188 cm) and weighs 212 lb (96 kg).
Where is Rutger McGroarty from?
United States: Rutger McGroarty was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States.
What team does Rutger McGroarty play for?
Rutger McGroarty plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, at R, wearing number 2.
Is Rutger McGroarty injured?
No: Rutger McGroarty is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Rutger McGroarty?
Rutger McGroarty produced 0.2 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 290th of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 61 out of 100: above average for his position.
How much does Rutger McGroarty make?
Rutger McGroarty earns $950K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 77 out of 100 (very good contract): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Rutger McGroarty's contract end?
Rutger McGroarty's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Rutger McGroarty overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 77 out of 100 (very good contract), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Rutger McGroarty a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 290th of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
What are Rutger McGroarty's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Rutger McGroarty has 34 games, 4 goals, 5 assists and 9 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 6 points in 24 games.
Where was Rutger McGroarty drafted?
Rutger McGroarty was drafted 14th overall (round 1) by Winnipeg Jets in 2022.
How does Rutger McGroarty perform in the playoffs?
Rutger McGroarty has not played in the NHL playoffs yet.
Which player is most similar to Rutger McGroarty?
Zachary Bolduc: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Zachary Bolduc's page →Is Rutger McGroarty a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 5 points in 2026-27, or 0.22 points per game.
Is Rutger McGroarty related to anyone famous?
Yes: Jim (father, Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman from Mississauga, Ontario).
What is Rutger McGroarty's nationality?
Rutger McGroarty is American. Internationally: United States national teams: silver medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics; captain and silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championship (8 goals, 1 assist); bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Championship (1 goal, 6 assists); captain and gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship (5 goals, 4 assists).
What awards has Rutger McGroarty won?
BioSteel All-American Game MVP (2022) ; Hockey Commissioners Association co-Player of the Month (October 2023) ; Hockey Commissioners Association Player of the Month (January 2024) ; All-Big Ten First Team (after the 2023–24 season) ; AHCA West Second Team All-American (after the 2023–24 season).
How many championships has Rutger McGroarty won?
4: Gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship with Team USA; Bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Championship with Team USA; Silver medal at the 2022 IIHF World U18 Championship with Team USA; Silver medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics with Team USA.
Where did Rutger McGroarty play before turning pro?
USA Hockey National Team Development Program (two seasons, through 2021–22); University of Michigan, Michigan Wolverines (began 2022–23, two collegiate seasons).
How many points is Rutger McGroarty projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 5 points in 23 games in 2026-27 (0 to 18 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)