After a few days of evaluations, the Pittsburgh Penguins are putting Bryan Rust on the shelf on a week-to-week basis.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are already hurting with numerous injuries, and they will officially be without a huge piece of their lineup for some time.

After multiple days of evaluations, the Penguins have finally determined that forward Bryan Rust will be out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury.

Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed Rust’s status after he missed a pair of games and a few practices.

Rust suffered his injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning and did not play in the third period.

With Rust expected to miss a decent amount of time, this is an opportunity for certain players to step up, including the likes of Drew O’Connor who will take over on the first line and Valtteri Puustinen who might step in on the power play.

“It’s up to them to maximize those opportunities,” Sullivan said. “They should be excited about it.”

Rust was in the midst of a resurgence this season with 20 points (10G-10A) through 22 games played.

While playing on the first line, Rust was 1/3 of one of the best lines in hockey at even strength.

Rust finding a new rhythm while Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel put together their own outstanding season was a huge driver for the team.

It’s not the easiest road ahead for the Penguins and playing from behind will only get more difficult with a key player like Rust out of the lineup.

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