Bryan Rust is about to enter his 13th NHL season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have every reason to expect the same steady, hard-nosed production he’s delivered for years.
That consistency has become Rust’s calling card. He came into the league during the 2014-15 season, then logged 41 games in the 2015-16 regular season and wasted no time showing he belonged. The big moments arrived fast, too, with Rust scoring key goals during Pittsburgh’s run to the 2016 Stanley Cup.
He started out as a depth forward, but that role didn’t last. Rust climbed all the way onto the top line and has become one of Sidney Crosby’s favored linemates because of how well he reads the game with him. The fit has been obvious for a while.
The effort never changes with Rust. Hard work, dedication, and tenacity define his game, and those traits show up every night. He may not wear a letter, but he’s clearly one of the team’s top leaders.
The numbers back up the reputation. Rust set career highs with 31 goals and 65 points in 2024-25, then matched that 65-point total in 2025-26 while finishing with 29 goals, just three shy of another personal best. He has now scored at least 20 goals in seven straight seasons, and the expectation is that he’ll make it eight in a row in 2026-27.
Even at 34, Rust has been too reliable to bet against. The projection here is another season in the same lane: somewhere between 20 and 30 goals and 50 to 60 points.
One of the ways he keeps piling up goals is with the move fans know well - he takes defenders on and goes backhand-to-forehand in front of the net. He’s made a living on that play, and there’s no reason to think he’ll stop using it now.
At 5-on-5, Rust should still be skating with Crosby on the top line. The more interesting question is what happens on the power play.
He’s usually been on the top unit, but that could change this season because of Egor Chinakhov’s continued emergence. Chinakhov has arguably the best shot on the Penguins, and the top power-play group could use more of that.
He looks like the natural replacement for Rust, who could move to PP2 without much trouble.
Whether Dan Muse and Todd Nelson actually make that switch remains to be seen, but the logic is there.
Rust also remains a key part of the penalty kill, where the Penguins finished sixth in the NHL last season. He logged 114:46 on that unit and did the dirty work that matters - hunting down loose pucks and blocking shots. That was his highest PK total since the 2022-23 season, when he spent 129 minutes there.
Trade rumors have followed him in recent offseasons, but Kyle Dubas has never felt pushed to move him. Unless someone comes with an offer Dubas can’t turn down, Rust looks set to stay put.
There’s still plenty of meaningful hockey ahead for him, assuming the Penguins remain in the race all season. He is also 30 assists away from 300 for his career and is expected to reach that mark by the end of the upcoming season if he stays healthy.
When Pittsburgh opens the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 30, Rust will be playing in his 711th NHL game.
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