Pittsburgh loses one of its top scoring threats in a top-six that has already been struggling to start the season
Pittsburgh loses one of its top scoring threats in a top-six that has already been struggling to start the season
The Pittsburgh Penguins' top-six has struggled to produce through the first 10 games of the season.
And things are about to get even more complicated.
Head coach Mike Sullivan announced today that forward Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Rust, 32, missed the first two games of the 2024-25 season to injury and had spent most of the season's earlygoing alongside Sidney Crosby. Over the course of those seven games, Rust did not produce any even-strength goals and mustered just one even-strength point.
He does have two power play goals - and scored his first five-on-five goal of the season alongside Evgeni Malkin in Vancouver on Saturday - but has just three goals and four points total on the season.
Despite Rust's early-season struggles, the Penguins' roster is built to rely on Rust for some scoring in the top-six. With him out of the fold, it's going to be challenging for Pittsburgh to account for that deficit.
It appears that Crosby, Malkin, and other top winger Rickard Rakell might skate on the same line during Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Wild, which puts most of the Penguins' scoring threats all on one line.
Lars Eller, Drew O'Connor, Anthony Beauvillier, and Kevin Hayes have provided some offense as well, with Eller scoring four goals and the others having three each on the season so far. However, most of this production has been happening in bottom-six minutes and matchups, and these players are going to see more minutes and an elevated role with Rust out and the biggest offensive threats on one line.
Rust being out affects a lot of the Penguins' lineup decisions in general, as he was on Pittsburgh's first power play unit and sees time on the penalty kill as well. In 11 seasons with the Penguins, Rust has never played a full 82-game season.
In other injury news, Forward Matt Nieto - who has missed almost a year due to injury complications - appears close to a return, as he is skating full-contact with the team. Forwards Blake Lizotte and Vasily Ponomarev are also progressing, and both skated with the team during the optional morning skate on Tuesday.