The Pittsburgh Penguins will be a team to watch very closely this off-season. After missing the playoffs for the third year in a row, there has naturally been speculation that the Metropolitan Division club will make changes to their roster. 

Penguins forward Bryan Rust has been talked about often as a potential trade candidate, and more questions have come up about his future in Pittsburgh with his no-movement clause ending on July 1. Following this, the veteran winger will have zero trade protection, and the Penguins can move him to any team without restrictions if they wish to. 

With the Penguins retooling, it is understandable that he has been discussed as a potential trade candidate. This is especially so when noting that his trade value is high for the Penguins right now. He is coming off an excellent season with the Penguins, where he set new career highs with 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. 

Yet, besides coming off an impressive season, Rust is also a valuable trade chip because of his affordable $5.125 million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season. Thus, the Penguins would have the potential to get a serious return for the 33-year-old if they elect to move him.

While there are certainly some potential pros in the prospect of dealing Rust, there is no question that it would also hurt the Penguins in the short-term, at a minimum. He is still an incredibly important part of their top six, and their offense would suffer significantly if he was moved. In addition, he is also a key part of their penalty kill, so they would miss him in this regard, too.

Nevertheless, the Penguins certainly have a big decision to make when it comes to Rust. It will be interesting to see if he ends up staying with the Penguins or being traded this off-season from here.

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