Back on July 17th, Yegor Chinakhov came out and said that he no longer wanted to remain in Columbus and would like to play somewhere else. 

Speculation began immediately as to where he might land and what his trade value would be. Don Waddell came out and said that when he found a good deal, he'd entertain a trade. 

The one team that is constantly mentioned in trade speculation is none other than the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Penguins are in a weird place right now. They have four potential Hall of Famers on the team and will most likely be a bad team this year. Most Columbus fans know the Penguins as a perennial Cup contender, so this is, in fact, weird. 

Malkin won't be offered another contract after this year, and Crosby and Letang still have another two years left on their deals, so what will they do?

One name that is being constantly linked to Columbus is 33-year-old Bryan Rust. 

Rust is an 11-year vet with 638 games of NHL experience. He's been a loyal Penguin, playing all 11 years in Pitt, and has 437 points. He's averaging 56 points per 82 games played. Last season was a career year for Rust, setting career highs in goals, assists, and points. He had 65 points in 71 games. 

Rust also has term on his contract, with 3-years at $5,125,000 per season remaining. 

TheFourthPeriod.com has linked Columbus to Rust even before the Chinakhov trade request, saying: "Rust has three years left on his contract and his full no-movement clause expired at the end of June 30, leaving him without any no-trade protection. There is already plenty of interest out there, and with Pittsburgh in sell mode, he could be had but will command a high package if the Penguins part with him." They list Columbus, Toronto, and Buffalo as teams linked to Rust. 

With the Pens in rebuild mode, it'll take more than Chinakhov to get Rust, though. Chinakhov and a young prospect might do it, but who would that prospect be? The Jackets have a strong pool of prospects, but would Waddell be willing to part with any of them to upgrade at the forward position? Yes, Rust would upgrade the forward group, and yes, Waddell would be willing to part with a prospect to make the CBJ better. 

THN Pittsburgh's Kelsey Surmacz mentioned last week that GM Kyle Dubas would set the starting point for Rust at a first-round pick. Dubas has said that Rust won't come cheap, and teams should expect to pay big time for an experienced winger like Rust. Insider Frank Seravalli also said that the Pens are "asking for a ton" in any Rust trade. 

Surmacz also says, "If Chinakhov is part of the deal, Pittsburgh may either need to accept a 2026 conditional first-round pick or a straight-up 2027 first-round pick. Pushing back the first-rounder could also, potentially, mean that the Penguins may be able to squeeze one more asset out of the Blue Jackets in this trade scenario - possibly a B-level prospect or another pick."

Whether fans like it or not, Don Waddell will trade Yegor Chinakhov at some point, and the return may or may not be what fans expect. To land Rust, Waddell will need to part with prospects and picks that fans probably won't be happy with, but that's the price you pay when you're trying to build a roster to compete for a playoff spot. 

Let us know below how you would handle this trade. 

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