Believe it or not, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust is going into his 13th NHL season this year.
He made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season before playing in 41 games during the 2015-16 regular season. Everyone quickly found out that he was NHL-ready that year, especially when he scored some massive goals for the Penguins in their run to the 2016 Stanley Cup.
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Rust got his start as a depth forward before working his way up to the top line. He’s now one of Sidney Crosby’s preferred linemates since he reads the latter so well.
Hard work, dedication, and tenacity are the three pillars of Rust’s game, and fans see it on a nightly basis. He works his absolute butt off and embodies what it means to be a Penguin. He may not have a letter on his jersey, but there’s no question he’s one of the top leaders on the team.
Rust set a career-high in goals (31) and points (65) during the 2024-25 season before equaling that point total during the 2025-26 season. He was also three goals away from setting a new career-high in goals after finishing this year with 29.
Rust has scored at least 20 goals in seven consecutive seasons, and logic dictates that he will make it eight in a row during the 2026-27 season. Yes, he’s 34, but he’s been an incredibly consistent player these last several seasons, and I don’t expect that to change this year
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Like Rakell, I expect Rust to score between 20 and 30 goals and compile 50 to 60 points. Some of his goals will come from his patented move: he takes defenders on and goes backhand-to-forehand in front of the net. He has done it countless times over the course of his career and isn’t about to stop now.
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He’ll ride shotgun with Crosby on the top line at 5v5, but his power play deployment will be the more interesting one. He’s usually on the top PP unit, but that could change this year with the continued emergence of Egor Chinakhov. Chinakhov has arguably the best shot on the Penguins, and their top PP unit could use more of it this year. He feels like the natural replacement for Rust, who can easily slide to PP2.
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Time will tell if head coach Dan Muse and assistant coach Todd Nelson go down that path, but it makes a ton of sense.
Rust will still be a stalwart on the Penguins’ penalty kill, which finished sixth in the NHL last season. He played 114:46 on that unit and was great at getting to loose pucks and blocking shots. His 114 minutes were the most he spent on the PK since the 2022-23 season, when he was on that unit for 129 minutes.
He has still been involved in trade rumors these last couple of offseasons, but Penguins general manager/president Kyle Dubas hasn’t felt compelled to move him. Going off that, I think Rust will remain a Penguin unless Dubas gets an offer he truly can’t refuse.
Rust has played a lot of meaningful hockey for the Penguins and that’s expected to continue this year, assuming they stay in the race for the full season. He’s also only 30 assists away from 300 for his career and is expected to hit that milestone by the end of this upcoming season, assuming he stays healthy.
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He’ll suit up for his 711th NHL game when the Penguins open the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sept. 30.
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