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Ryan Gagne
Jan 11, 2025
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Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust is having a career year in 2024-25, becoming just the ninth player in franchise history to score at least 30 points in eight seasons.

Pittsburgh Penguins top prospect and ex-Winnipeg Jet Rutger McGroarty is starting to ramp up the production at the AHL level

On Thursday night, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust scored a goal and had two assists for a three-point night. 

He now has 32 points and has reached the 30-point plateau for the eighth time in his career, becoming only the ninth player in franchise history to compile that many 30-point seasons.

This season, Rust ranks second in goals (16) and third in points (32) behind Rickard Rakell (36) and Sidney Crosby (47). He's never scored 30 goals in a season but is on pace for 33. Moreover, Rust is four goals away from scoring 20 for the sixth consecutive campaign.

Regarding points, Rust has never reached 60 in a season, topping out with a personal best of 58 in 2021-22. According to his Elite Prospects profile, he could finish 2024-25 with 66. 

On top of having one of the most productive campaigns of his career, Rust is now just one of nine skaters ever to record 30 points in at least eight seasons, joining a list with some of the most iconic names in franchise history:

  1. Sidney Crosby: 20 
  2. Evgeni Malkin: 18 
  3. Mario Lemieux: 15 
  4. Kris Letang: 14
  5. Jaromir Jar: 11
  6. Rick Kehoe: 10
  7. Jean Pronovost: 10
  8. Bryan Rust: 8
  9. Jake Guentzel: 8

Considering that Rust is under contract for three more seasons after 2024-25, there's a chance that he can become one of seven players to reach double digits. 

In 600 games, the former third-round pick (80th overall) from the 2010 Draft has 188 goals and 404 points as a member of the Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup in 2017 and 2018.