PITTSBURGH — Kyle Dubas has teased all offseason that the Penguins could swing a deal for a young player who could be ready to make an impact in the NHL this season.

He never mentioned that he might trade his current top prospect to go get him.

The Penguins on Thursday acquired Rutger McGroarty, a 20-year-old forward who starred at the University of Michigan the last two seasons, from the Winnipeg Jets. The cost was rising center prospect Brayden Yager, who was the first draft pick Dubas made as president of hockey operations.

The stunning swap saw the teams trade the No. 14 overall picks from the 2022 and 2023 drafts. McGroarty was picked in 2022. Yager was in the 2023 class.

"We had a difficult decision to make with this trade because we hold Brayden Yager in such a high regard as a person and prospect," Dubas said Thursday in a statement. "After much consideration, we decided that the opportunity to add Rutger McGroarty was ultimately in the best interest of the Penguins."

McGroarty, who is 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, reportedly wanted out of Winnipeg because of a disagreement with the Jets about his short-term future as a player. The Penguins are expected to sign McGroarty to an entry-level contract in the coming days, paving the way for him to leave school and go pro.

This past season, he built on a productive freshman season with the Wolverines by upping his point total of 39 in 2022-23 to 52 in 36 games. That ranked second on a Big Ten team stacked with NHL draft picks. His 16 goals ranked fifth.

But instead of turning pro like a few of his Wolverines teammates, McGroarty opted to not sign a professional contract with the Jets, maintaining his NCAA eligibility. That put him at the center of trade speculation at the NHL draft in late June.

Two months later, McGroarty is finally on the move to Pittsburgh. And while the winger had the option to return to Michigan for his junior year, the Penguins and McGroarty's camp are pushing to get him under contract for the upcoming season.

"He possesses the combination of ability, leadership and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run," Dubas said in his statement. "We look forward to welcoming Rutger and his family to the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins."

Chris Peters, an NHL draft and prospect analyst for FloHockey, said McGroarty is a "gritty two-way forward with the ability to score." In addition to his offensive skill and hockey smarts, McGroarty plays a physical game and is an eager forechecker. The big knock on him over the last few years was his skating.

In the end, Peters said it is "his compete level that really can separate him" as a player.

"He got injured at Michigan last year, which knocked him off his scoring pace a bit, but he was still top 10 in the NCAA in points per game," the analyst added.

McGroarty was also the captain of the U.S. team that won the IIHF world junior championship this winter. He had a goal and an assist in the gold-medal game.

The Penguins gave up another productive prospect to acquire McGroarty.

Yager was coming off an outstanding WHL season in which he helped lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to their first WHL title and an appearance in the Memorial Cup. The 19-year-old center had 35 goals and 95 points in the regular season, then piled up another 33 points during his 24 playoff games.

Dubas and the Penguins raved about Yager after the season. Just last month, assistant general manager Jason Spezza suggested the door would be open for him to make the NHL club this fall if he had an outstanding training camp. However, Yager is more likely a year or two away from the NHL.

Yager signed his entry-level contract last month, saying it was a day he had "been dreaming of my whole life." He also thanked the Penguins for giving him "the opportunity to be a part of the future of such a great organization."

Four weeks later, Yager watched the Penguins trade his rights to the Jets.

For the rest of their careers, McGroarty and Yager will be linked. Over the long haul, time will tell if this deal was a wise decision for Dubas and the Penguins. But if McGroarty signs soon, it should at least pay dividends in the short term.

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