Forward Bryan Rust remains optimistic about state of the Penguins

Bryan Rust was far from satisfied. But he could laugh.

The season was over. Nothing was going to change the fact that the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs.

So the industrious winger was glib when asked what went wrong.

“If I knew the answer, I’d be in charge,” Rust quipped. “And I’m not. I just work here.”

In all reality, Rust did provide an adept audit of the Penguins’ 2024-25 campaign when he spoke during the team’s season-ending interviews April 18.

“Overall, our special teams (were) good,” said Rust, a member of the power-play and penalty-kill units. “Our penalty kill had some times where it wasn’t great, so we kind of fell in the middle of the pack. But overall, we had some stretches where we were really good. Our power play had a huge turnaround from last year. That was a focal point.

“Offensively, I thought we were fairly good, created a fair amount of chances. Defensively, we weren’t nearly as good as we needed to be. In our own zone, off the rush, in all aspects, we gave up way too many goals, way too many opportunities.”

It’s anyone’s guess if that will get squared away to a strong enough degree to get the Penguins back to the playoffs in 2025-26.

But it’s probably a safe assumption that Rust will be part of trying to get the Penguins’ course corrected.

Rust will be entering the fourth year of a six-year contract next season, and, with that, a no-movement clause no longer exists. Despite that, it doesn’t sound like Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is all that eager to investigate a trade for Rust anytime soon, especially for reasons that go beyond what happens on the ice.

“He’s been here his whole career,” Dubas said April 21. “(He has a) daily commitment to being an elite Pittsburgh Penguin and setting the example. He also bridges the gap. One of the things we see here with the young guys, there is such a reverence for (captain Sidney Crosby), who’s earned that reverence. (Rust), he sets the example that guys will always look to.

“And if you start to lose too many of those players, then you can get yourself into a bit of a quandary fast.”

Finding a way to replace the career-best 31 goals and 65 points Rust posted in 2024-25 would be quite a quandary as well.

Bryan Rust - Pittsburgh Penguins (30)
Power Play Goal pic.twitter.com/qDPrOY1ShZ

— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) April 18, 2025

“I think I had a pretty good year,” said Rust, who broke the 30-goal barrier for the first time. “Set some milestones for myself, which is always cool. I’m definitely excited about where things are going. I can go home, have a good summer and do it again.”

One thing that will be different after this summer will be the coach following the departure of Mike Sullivan on April 28.

Several other augmentations are bound to unfold for a team that has gone three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. The late-season promotions of forward prospects such as Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty were early harbingers of that shift.

What gives Rust faith this is pointed in the right direction?

“Obviously, we’ve got some good, solid young players,” Rust said. “But I think the people around this organization, they care so much and they are so invested in making this team great again that I have no doubt that this thing is going to be turned around quickly.”

Will it be quick enough for the 32-year-old Rust as well as the franchise pillars such as Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, who are in their late 30s?

Rust offered another joke along with a dollop of optimism.

“Does Sid age?” Rust said of his 37-year-old linemate. “I guess it is in the back of your mind that these guys who have been here and carry the torch, that time is undefeated,” Rust said. “All good things come to an end. I don’t think we’re quite there yet. We have time, and, obviously, we want to make the most of it. Especially with these franchise guys who have been here for so long.”