The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In a corresponding move, the club placed defenseman Jack St. Ivany on injured reserve.
This recall gives Pittsburgh head coach Dan Muse an additional forward at his disposal in the wake of Bryan Rust, who has to sit out the team’s next three games due to a suspension. The move also restores McGroarty’s place on the team’s NHL roster, something he lost after suffering a concussion in the first week of the month.
McGroarty, 21, will re-enter the Penguins’ NHL roster likely with a heightened level of confidence in his abilities as a scorer. The Penguins had McGroarty build his way back from his injury at the AHL level in part to help him regain some confidence as an offensive creator. McGroarty has been a top scorer at every level he’s played at outside of the NHL. While he has just three points in 16 NHL games so far this season, he managed four points in his final two AHL games.
Pittsburgh is likely hoping he’ll be able to hit the ground running and reach another level of production in the NHL after getting to contribute to some offense with the AHL Penguins.
For the duration of Rust’s absence, it’s possible McGroarty will get the chance to play in the veteran’s vacated role alongside Sidney Crosby on Pittsburgh’s top line. Such an opportunity would be a significant one for McGroarty, as playing with Crosby would likely put him in prime position to get the kind of scoring opportunities that are far more rare when playing in the bottom-six.
If he indeed ends up playing there, and can capitalize on the opportunities naturally provided in such a role, he could further bolster his confidence in a way that would pay dividends even after Rust returns from his suspension.
As for St. Ivany, who lands on IR as part of this recall, his removal from the active roster was widely expected after it was announced earlier this week that he’d undergone surgery on his left hand. He’s expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks as he recovers from the procedure.