Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust entered the 2023-24 season with something to prove. The year prior, he played in a career-high 81 games but failed to reach the 50-point mark and nearly fell short of the 20-goal mark.
The veteran winger bounced back this season, setting a new career-high in goals (28) and finishing third on the Penguins with 56 points in just 62 games. With the departure of longtime teammate Jake Guentzel, Rust sits in an unfamiliar position as the Penguins top winger on the roster.
Kyle Dubas may elect to acquire another top-line winger this offseason with his projected $13.9 million in salary cap space. However, Rust’s play down the stretch this past season proved that he may be ready to take on that role himself.
Following Guentzel’s injury on February 14th, Rust scored 14 goals and 26 points over the final 25 games. It was the second time this season that Rust scored at a 40-goal pace for a significant stretch. He opened the season scoring nine goals in his first 17 games before missing time due to a lower-body injury.
Availability is the biggest hurdle for Rust becoming the Penguins’ top option on the wing. He missed stretches of games due to injury on three separate occasions, with two of those landing him on the injured reserve.
Injury concerns aren’t a new issue for Rust. He’s played 70+ games just twice in his ten-year career. He did play in all 56 games during the COVID-shortened 2021 season, but injuries will not be easier to avoid as he gets older.
The talent is present for Rust to break through and reach another level late in his career. With several areas to fix this offseason, Dubas and the Penguins may be counting on Rust to do just that in 2024 as they look to fill out a deeper and more balanced roster.
