Potential first round Leafs draft target reveals that he models his game after Matthew Tkachuk
With under a month to go until the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, the Leafs hold the 25th overall draft pick and a chance at drafting a player in that range who may not make an immediate impact, but who still stands to be a good NHL player.
One player who seems to have endeared himself to Leafs fans during the draft combine last week is Lincoln, Nebraska native Rutger McGroarty. The US National Development Team standout is coming off of a season that saw him post 33 points in 25 games. How did he endear himself to Leafs fans? Well, for starters, he himself is a Leafs fan. Another reason? He models his game after fellow American and close friend of Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk.
A 6'1, 205-pound C/LW, McGroarty's draft ranking is all over the place. Elite Prospects has him at #40, Bob McKenzie has him at #26 and Smaht Scouting has him at #20, so it's really anyone's guess where he'll go, but there seems to be a fairly good chance that he will be available to the Leafs at #25. As for the 18-year-old McGroarty himself, here's what he feels he brings to the table.
"I feel like I'm a winning hockey player and I feel like I bring it every day. I want to make my teammates better and I'm in it for the right reasons. I love playing the team game and coming to the rink every single day. Once it comes down to the nitty-gritty times of the season, I feel like I'm a playoff hockey player.
"I feel like I could definitely add that leadership ability. I could come in and bring that compete and energy. Being a kid that's always been a Toronto fan, I've always been a big fan of them. And I got a lot of friends up there so I feel like I'd be comfortable in the Toronto area."
Is it me, or does this kid just feel like a Leaf already?
