Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word On Hockey. The offseason is now in full swing with the NHL Entry Draft completed and free agency underway. The Montreal Canadiens were able to grab one of the top offensive players in the draft in Ivan Demidov. However, the Habs have been quiet to start the free-agent period. This shouldn’t come as a surprise though. It was expected that if the Habs were to make moves, it would be via trade. This brings us to today’s rumour which is that the Habs are targeting the Winnipeg Jets‘ top prospect, Rutger McGroarty.
All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours: Habs Eyeing Top Prospect
As Chris Johnston stated during the draft, the Canadiens had discussions with the Jets about McGroarty. Johnston mentions that the talks weren’t specifically based around their fifth overall selection in the draft, however, there were talks. Now Sportsnets Eric Engels has doubled down on that saying he believes that talks will pick up between the two teams this summer and there is a trade to be made between the two clubs.
It’s no secret now that McGroarty has requested to be moved and there will be a ton of suitors for his services. However, the Canadiens seem to be the team that would be the best fit. They also have the assets to be able to get a deal done with the Jets.
McGroarty to the Habs Just Makes Sense
The Canadiens are starved for offence. The team finished 27th in goals for last season; outside of the top line, the offence was nonexistent. Hence the rumours of them looking to acquire more offence. McGroarty is certainly the type of player that would be able to help. McGroarty was a force for the University of Michigan this season putting up 16 goals and 52 points in 36 games. He also captained the USA World Junior team this past year where the team captured gold. McGroarty was impressive scoring five goals and nine points in seven games.
Landing McGroarty Won’t Come Cheap
If the Habs are able to land McGroarty, it’s going to cost them. The Jets are in the market for players who can help now. They are in need of defensive help and could also use a middle-six forward as well after losing Sean Monahan in free agency. The Canadiens have a ton of young NHL-ready defenders that they would be able to package with a young forward as well as potentially one of their two first-round picks for they have for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Names like Logan Mailloux, Justin Barron, and Jordan Harris all come to mind. Two of which are former first-round selections from the 2020 and 2021 NHL Entry Drafts. Eric Engels also mentioned David Reinbacher as someone the Jets would certainly be interested in, however, it’s doubtful the Canadiens would elect to move him in any deal as he’s expected to be a top-pairing defender for the team for years to come.
Regardless of what the package to acquire McGroarty is, there is certainly a deal to be had between the two clubs. It’s certainly a story we should continue to watch as the offseason progresses.
Main Photo: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
