Why the Blue Jackets should consider drafting Rutger McGroarty, a skilled power forward
Elite offensive skill and strength helped the high-scoring winger to overcome skating issues.
Brian Hedger
If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s an untapped pool of potential hockey talent in the Great Plains, Rutger McGroarty may be your answer.
McGroarty shifted his hockey career to Michigan at age 10 with his father, a hockey coach at the junior level, but he’s from Lincoln, Nebraska, and looks the part. McGroarty is listed at 6-1, 204 pounds by NHL Central Scouting and has a frame that could easily handle additional bulk.
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That combined with high-end offensive skills and a willingness to do the dirty work defensively make him a first-round prospect. He met with 27 of the NHL’s 32 teams at the scouting combine in May, but skating issues are a concern with the captain of the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U18 group, and that’s led to a scattered ranking among draft experts — who foresee McGroarty going anywhere from 12th overall to the late first round.
“I feel like I’m a winning hockey player and I bring it every day,” McGroarty told reporters at the combine. “I want to make my teammates better, and I’m in it for the right reasons. … Once it comes down to the nitty-gritty times of the season, I feel like I’m a playoff hockey player. I’m a big boy and I feel like I can contribute.”
Do the Blue Jackets feel the same?
McGroarty met with Columbus and felt like the interview went well, but the Jackets will have plenty of options with their sixth and 12th overall picks.
Here’s a closer look at McGroarty, who ranks 22nd on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters:
Position: Forward
Height, weight: 6-1, 204
Shoots: Left
Birthdate: Mar. 30, 2004
Hometown: Lincoln, Neb.
Team (League): U.S. National Team Development Program
2021-22 point totals: 35 goals, 34 assists and 69 points in 54 games for U18s; 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points for NTDP in 25 USHL junior games
What are Rutger McGroarty's strengths?
Among an impressive grouping of strengths, McGroarty’s ability to finish scoring chances tops the list. He has a knack for beating goaltenders with a good wrist shot, has the size and strength to scrap for loose change around the net and has shown the ability to score goals at every level.
McGroarty also has a high level of playmaking ability, which makes him a true dual-threat player in the offensive zone. He’s been a “point-a-game" player or better at nearly every stop in his career and is expected to continue that next season at the University of Michigan. McGroarty’s size and willingness to use it should also excite NHL teams, as evidenced by his play this past season with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
One video clip from his MVP performance in the 2022 Biosteel All-American Prospects Game is all that’s needed to see McGroarty’s eagerness to play a physical brand of hockey. The game featured teams with NTDP players on each side, and it pitted McGroarty against a number of his teammates for the exhibition.
One was star center Logan Cooley, who paid the price when McGroarty smashed his friend with an open-ice hit to win a loose puck in the neutral zone.
It didn’t matter that it was an exhibition game or that Cooley, a top-five talent in this draft, centered the NTDP’s top line. McGroarty blasted him like a power forward from Nebraska who sees himself as the next coming of the Tkachuk brothers, Matthew (Calgary Flames) and Brady (Ottawa Senators), a pair of wrecking balls with skill.
What are Rutger McGroarty's weaknesses?
Skating is the biggest drawback with McGroarty, who's working with renowned skating coach Barb Underhill to smooth out his stride.
The biggest issue is McGroarty’s takeoffs from a slowed speed or standstill. His first strides make it difficult to reach top speed while defending or racing for pucks, which draws negative attention from talent evaluators.
Once up to speed, he can generate enough separation to get off shots or find open teammates for scoring chances, but the takeoff issues make some leery of his NHL projection. It's the single biggest reason McGroarty isn't seen by most analysts as a top-10 talent, but it also hasn’t stopped him from making life difficult for goalies yet.
"For me, I believe that one day I’m gonna become a really good skater," McGroarty said. "I feel like I’m a very coachable kid, and I feel like I’m really putting in a lot of effort now. (Barb Underhill) and I have developed a really good relationship, and she’s worked with some of the best, like (Tampa Bay Lightning center) Brayden Point. She sees potential in my skating over the next three to four years, so I’m excited to keep working with her."
How would Rutger McGroarty fit in the Blue Jackets' system?
The Blue Jackets don’t have a lot of forwards in their system quite like McGroarty, who succeeds in all three zones and pressures opposing defenses with a rare combination of size, strength and skill.
Kirill Marchenko, who’s 6-3, 197, is probably the closest match, but the 21-year-old Russian forward made his biggest impact in Russia’s top level (KHL) by scoring goals and making plays primarily from the perimeter. The Jackets also have highly-skilled Kent Johnson, last year’s fifth overall pick, but he’s a flyweight who isn’t a power forward in any sense of the term.
McGroarty isn’t a center, which might be a strike against him with Columbus, but the Jackets have bolstered their center depth recently. Captain Boone Jenner has transitioned into a full-time role as a pivot and the roster also has center options with Cole Sillinger, Jack Roslovic, Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth.
Adding McGroarty wouldn’t help with team speed but could replace some of the bite lost by trading Josh Anderson, Pierre-Luc Dubois and former captain Nick Foligno.
"I feel like Matthew Tkachuk would be the number one (comparison), just his competitiveness, his energy," McGroarty said. "I feel like he’s a skilled power forward and I look at myself the same way."
Will Rutger McGroarty still be available for the Blue Jackets?
McGroarty will be available with the sixth overall pick, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll go anywhere near that high because of the skating issues.
He’ll likely be there at 12th overall, too, but some recent rankings have placed him right around that range. A team looking for a power forward could jump up to grab him, but the most likely scenario calls for McGroarty to be taken somewhere between the 18th and 32nd picks.
How long until Rutger McGroarty is ready for the NHL?
McGroarty is headed off to Michigan as a freshman next season, which is for the best in his development. While naturally strong, he could use more strength and conditioning at a top collegiate program while continuing to work on his skating.
McGroarty is expected to spend at least one season and maybe more in Ann Arbor, but could be ready for an NHL debut by 2023-24.