Jets' first rounder red flagged for his poor behaviour: Market value going down

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Cooper Godin
July 6, 2024 (12:05)

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A Sportsnet reporter believes that actions of Winnipeg Jets top prospect Rutger McGroarty are definitely a red flag.

It's been about two weeks now since reports came out saying that the Winnipeg Jets are likely to trade 2022 first-round pick Rutger McGroarty this summer and at that point, teams were already calling to inquire about the cost to acquire him.

So far, the Jets haven't been able to find a new home for McGroarty, but there has been plenty of interest and a trade could come at any point before the start of the 2024-25 season. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that there are six teams that McGroarty has been linked to - the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders.

The main reason it's gotten to this point is because the Jets reportedly want McGroarty to begin his professional career in the American Hockey League, while he feels that he should be able to skip that and be on the Winnipeg Jets' roster immediately as his former teammates Gavin Brindley and Frank Nazar did after signing their entry-level contracts.

While on the 'Winnipeg Sports Talk' podcast, Sportsnet reporter Sean Reynolds believes that McGroarty's actions of expecting to be handed an NHL roster spot when he hasn't proved himself at the professional level yet is definitely a red flag.

"This is crazy to me. We're talking about red flag. A young man who has yet to prove himself at the pro level expects to walk in and be on an NHL roster right away and fans think that's not a problem? That's a problem." Reynolds said.

We'll have to wait and see what the rest of the summer brings on the Rutger McGroarty front, with rookie camps for all 32 NHL teams set to open in a little over two months from now.