The Pittsburgh Penguins have had more than a few Hall of Fame worthy players come through their organization. Sometimes, it is easy to overlook a talent like Bryan Rust because these players get all the recognition. However, Rust has earned his place among Penguins’ royalty.
Rust Has Been a Constant in Pittsburgh
Rust was drafted by the Penguins in the third round of the 2010 Draft. Last season marked his sixth straight with 40 or more points, and it was also the fourth time in that span he went over 50 points. No other player, besides Sidney Crosby, has been as consistent.
Rust has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and this season has been no different. He suffered a lower-body injury during preseason, which caused him to miss the first few weeks of the regular season. He returned to play on Oct. 11 against the New York Rangers. Through 25 games, he has eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. One of those goals was the game-winner in Pittsburgh’s 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 6. He finished that game with three points.
On Nov. 28, the Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in overtime. Through the first two periods, Pittsburgh was severely outplayed. Going into the third period, the score was 3-1 until Rust scored early in the period. He put his team back within reach of the game. Crosby went on to tie the score and send the game to overtime.
As he has done so many times in the past, he was there in both of those games to score a big goal in a critical moment. The one area where his game seems to be lacking this season is defense. He looks a bit slower, which could be due to lingering injuries. The top line as a whole has not been great defensively. They have gotten beaten in goals against and have gotten outscored during 5-on-5 play on several occasions. The Crosby-Rust duo has been great offensively, but their defense has been severely lacking.
Rust Should Stay in Pittsburgh
Rust went from a third-round pick to a bottom-six player to playing on the top line with Crosby. He was a huge part of the Penguins’ 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup Championships. Even though his team has not made the playoffs in the last few seasons, they have not been eliminated by much, and he is a huge reason why.
Rust has worked hard to get where he is, and he has been an influential part of building a winning culture in Pittsburgh. He has been at the center of trade rumors for a while, but it may not be in the Penguins’ best interest to move him.
Pittsburgh is in a rebuilding phase, and there are a lot of young players coming up the ranks. Rust is the perfect person to set the tone for the young guys. Having Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang there to also work with the rookies is a huge plus. However, none of these young players are generational talents, and they are going to have to work hard in order to be successful at the NHL level.
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General manager Kyle Dubas is trying to bring the winning culture back to Pittsburgh, and Rust already plays a vital part in that. He is the perfect example of hard work paying off, and keeping him would actually be better for the Penguins’ rebuild. Dubas has done a good job at setting his team up for success, and as the trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to watch what he does next.
