NHL Rumors: Insider speculates Rutger McGroarty's 'sense of entitlement' is hindering Winnipeg Jets prospect's trade

The Winnipeg Jets were rumored to be considering trading top prospect Rutger McGroarty, but no deal materialized. According to reports, the Jets were actively exploring options to trade the 20-year-old McGroarty, who reportedly felt his NHL future didn't align with Winnipeg.

Leading up to the draft, TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger reported that the Jets were seeking a first-round pick, a prospect or a young player in exchange for McGroarty.

Additionally, The Athletic's Murat Ates revealed that the Jets made significant efforts to offload McGroarty during the initial round. The Minnesota Wild had initially offered their 13th overall first-round pick but retracted the offer once defenseman Zeev Buium became a viable option.

On the "Winnipeg Sports Talk Show," insider Mike McIntyre speculated that McGroarty's perceived sense of 'entitlement' is impeding potential trade deals for the Winnipeg Jets prospect.

"I've heard just behind the scenes here that and then there's been a lot of trade talk, obviously with Rutger McGroarty, and maybe a lot of people wondering why hasn't it happened. I've heard that, that even the trade talks that that have happened," Mclntyre said.

"Those have led to extreme frustration because there are other teams that might be interested in McGroarty, that are hearing a lot of the same things from the majority camp that the Jets have heard in terms of, of playing time and assurances," he continued.

The insider concluded:

"And the general consensus is that yeah, there's a sense of entitlement there. That, you know, it's obviously led to issues with the Jets. I think it's also leading to potential issues with other teams and potential trade partners," the insider added.

While direct statements from McGroarty or the Jets are lacking, insights from sources close to the situation indicate a prevailing sentiment of entitlement surrounding the player, impacting not only his current team but also potential trade partners in the league.

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Hockey insider familiar with Rutger McGroarty's situation shed more light

Hockey insider Murat Ates of The Athletic shed more light on Rutger McGroarty's trade situation.

On the "Winnipeg Sports Talk Show," he revealed that during the NHL draft's first round, two teams had thought they had secured the deal for the Jets' 20-year-old prospect.

However, one of the potential deals fell through because the team involved was hesitant about McGroarty's expectation for a straightforward path to NHL playing time. They were unable to offer him a concrete plan in that regard.

"At least two other teams thought that they had a deal for Rutger McGoarty during the first round of that draft.

"One of them, to my knowledge, was put off by the idea that, well, his hope or expectation was a clear path to NHL playing time. They weren't really able to offer him a plan in that regard," Ates said.

Ates reckons Rutger McGroarty's value in the NHL market remains high despite his expressed desire to part ways with the Winnipeg Jets. McGroarty was drafted 14th overall by the Jets in the 2022 NHL draft and plays for the University of Michigan at the NCAA.