NHL: Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins - Source: Imagn — NHL: Bryan Rust - Source: Imagn

NHL Rumors: $30,750,000 Penguins winger in high demand as 'plenty of teams' eye trade talk

Modified Jun 15, 2025 16:16 GMT

Bryan Rust is currently the longest-tenured member of the Pittsburgh Penguins outside of the big three trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.

The veteran winger has seen the highest of highs and, most recently, the lowest of lows in the Steel City. Rust was an integral part of the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017 after being brought up from the AHL when Mike Sullivan was hired as head coach.

He began as a nice bottom-six piece but has since emerged into a top-six forward that can really do it all. Because of that and where the Penguins now stand as a franchise, many are wondering what lies ahead for Rust. It sounds as if teams around the league would love to get their hands on the 33-year-old.

TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun provided an update on Pittsburgh's offseason plans on OverDrive, which they shared the clip of on X (formerly Twitter).

"They're listening on everyone that aren't legacy guys. You know, they're not gonna move Malkin or Crosby. Rust is the guy, the one that teams are calling on the most. But, they didn't decide to sell until really midway through last year," LeBrun said.

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Rust has three years remaining on the six-year, $30,750,000 contract extension he signed with the Penguins in 2022.

Bryan Rust is one of the Penguins' offensive engines

The 2024-25 campaign saw Bryan Rust produce a career high in goals and points.

Despite playing in just 71 games, Rust racked up 65 points (31 goals, 34 assists) as a part of Pittsburgh's top line with Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. Crosby has notably been fond of having Rust as a linemate, which could throw a wrinkle in any potential trade, especially after longtime partner Jake Guentzel was dealt away at the 2024 deadline.

Something to keep an eye on is the change in trade-protection status on Bryan Rust's contract. The third-round pick (80th overall) from the 2010 NHL draft had a full no-movement clause intact through the first three years of his six-year deal. However, that will not be in effect in the final years, giving general manager Kyle Dubas free rein to move his star winger.

It's going to be an interesting offseason in Pittsburgh, as the Penguins are poised to be one of the more unpredictable teams to follow in the coming months.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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