The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting Bryan Rust back tonight, and that gives their forward group another proven scorer just three games into the season.
The team announced that Rust has been activated from injured reserve after missing 11 days with an upper-body injury. He was hurt in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Sabres and had initially been described as week-to-week.
Rust’s return should add another layer of offense to a group that has already started well. The Penguins have won two of their first three games and have put up 15 goals along with four power-play scores on 10 chances.
That kind of production hasn’t stopped Pittsburgh from welcoming back a player who has been one of its steadiest performers for years. Rust, a 12-year veteran, is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career.
He scored 29 goals and 65 points in 72 games with a net-zero rating, while averaging 19:57 of ice time per game. The year before, he posted 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games, finishing with a -21 rating and averaging 19:45 per game.
He’s not expected to jump straight into the top six after the injury layoff. Line rushes at practice this morning had Rust on the right side with Ville Koivunen and Benjamin Kindel for tonight’s game against the Washington Capitals.
A roster move looked likely earlier in the day, but the Penguins cleared the path another way. They traded Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers for Spencer Stastney, opening a spot in the forward group and making a separate move unnecessary.
There was also a note on Andrei Kuzmenko. Tom Gulliti of the NHL reported that the league has granted Kuzmenko non-roster status for tonight’s Metro Division contest. Kuzmenko stepped away from the Penguins in late September after the tragic loss of his father, then returned for two games this season.
In Other News...
Crosby And Ovechkin Get One More Penguins Chapter To Savor
Alex Ovechkins announcement that this will be his final NHL season gives every meeting with Sidney Crosby a little more weight, and the first of four remaining regular-season matchups between the longtime rivals now carries the feel of a farewell tour as much as a divisional game. For the Penguins, it also comes at a time when the roster is still in motion, with practice offering another look at how the forward group might be arranged around Crosby as the season wears on.
Bryan Rusts return is getting closer after he was a full participant in practice, a welcome sign for a Pittsburgh team that could use more stability and scoring touch as the schedule tightens. Even in a season that has already produced its share of odd side notes across the league, from the NHLs short-lived Hot for Hockey campaign to comeback stories elsewhere, the Crosby-Ovechkin chapter remains the one Penguins fans will circle first, because once Ovechkin is gone, these games will never quite feel the same again. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Suddenly Have A Roster Situation Fans Need To Watch
The Penguins forward group took on a different look this week after a trade with Edmonton brought in defenseman Spencer Stastney and sent Filip Hallander the other way. For a team still sorting out its lineup and trying to keep the back end stable, any move like that can ripple through the depth chart quickly, especially with the schedule moving fast and roles still being defined.
There is also a more immediate personnel wrinkle to monitor around Andrei Kuzmenko, who has returned from Russia and is with the club but will not play right away as he adjusts. Coach Dan Muse confirmed that part of the picture, and Bryan Rust is also a game-time decision for the upcoming game, leaving Pittsburgh with a little more uncertainty than usual as it tries to settle on who is available. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Make Early Move To Address A Defensive Concern
The Penguins took an early step toward shoring up a defensive concern by adding Spencer Stastney, a 26-year-old left-shot defenseman, from Edmonton. The move gives Pittsburgh another option on the blue line after a busy start to the season, and it comes with a player who already has some NHL experience, having appeared in 66 games last season split between the Oilers and Predators.
Filip Hallander goes the other way after opening the current season with two points in two games, part of a short NHL resume that now sits at seven points in 18 career games. For Pittsburgh, the trade is a sign that the front office is willing to address the rosters balance early, even if the long-term picture for the newcomer will be something to watch as the year unfolds. [Read more 🡒]