Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Crown the Cats episode on Winnipeg Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty and how he’s likely to be traded soon and what about when he gets to this point?
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Marek: “Rutger McGroarty. So we said this in the last podcast. He will be traded. Whether it happens before or during the draft, Elliotte, do you have a spidey feeling or a finger in the air on this?”
Friedman: “I think it’s possible before.”
Marek: “Okay.”
Friedman: “Someone told me to be ready after the final. Get ready. There are two things I’ve been told, that I need to prepare before the draft, McGroarty and UllMark (who have been sold since the podcast was recorded). I’m sure there are other things out there. But those were the two things I was told. Be prepared.”
Marek: “So you have an idea here or some clarification on how this all happened with McGroarty? Why, one thing I wonder about here is the sidebar of everything. Whenever this deal is made, if you’re Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Winnipeg Jets, one of the first things you want to do is change the story of this kid not wanting to play with the Winnipeg Jets.
Like Bryan Murray, you’ll remember after the Daniel Alfredsson situation happened, right there, it changed the conversation, insert Bobby Ryan here. We need to have a positive story. I would think if you’re Kevin Cheveldayoff, you need a positive story and I wonder if that moves the needle on Cole Perfetti’s extension or something like that like showing the market place that looks, young players want to stay and play. here.”
Friedman: “I don’t think you should make decisions like that.”
Marek: “Groups like that. That’s what teams do, Elliotte. They do.”
Friedman: “I know they do.”
Marek: “They do. You know this.”
Fredman: “You’re right. Teams put it this way, not my team if I, if I ever had a team. You can’t, and I can see that social pressure can destroy things. But especially in some markets unlike others social pressure can have an effect, but you shouldn’t treat your organization like that. That’s how you get into trouble.
And, look, I think the McGroarty thing fell apart at the end of his season. Some of his teammates in Michigan, Frank Nazar was one of them, made their NHL debuts. But Frank Nazar did it in Chicago, and they had nothing to play for.
Winnipeg was playing for the best spot in a tough division that included Colorado and Dallas. And obviously, it didn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean the process was wrong. You should have gone for the best seed you could find.
And it wasn’t like they could do it like Chicago could. But if you’re McGroarty, you see your friend getting a chance to make his debut, you can’t do it, and there’s probably a certain level of FOMO. And then you here next year, you know what we’re not sure you’re ready yet. You are not guaranteed a place.
And if you have a choice between going back for a third year at Michigan, or going to the AHL in Manitoba, I don’t know what 20- or 21-year-old kid wouldn’t choose to go back to Michigan.”
Marek: “Especially (inaudible).”
Friedman: “And I think that’s where it broke down. That’s where it broke down. Now I know Perfetti was raised and Heinola was raised and you know, maybe that started to be a thing. Okay, somewhere down the road. It could be, but, but I think in general, it was a temporary thing that, I think the relationship has changed in the past this year and the way to start next year, it wasn’t open to him.”
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