Penguins' Winger Chasing Elusive Milestone

Pittsburgh Penguins' RW Bryan Rust looking to bounce back after inconsistent season.

Last season was uncharacteristic for Pittsburgh Penguins' winger Bryan Rust. The Penguins' reliable sniper struggled to find consistency and finished with his lowest goal total (20) since the 2018-19 season (18).

Rust's regression was not one of the team's primary issues, but with the Penguins' bottom-six shaping out to be a defense-first unit, Rust's return to form may be necessary for the Penguins' success this season. Fortunately, all signs point to Rust returning to his former self in 2023-24.

After signing a new contract during the 2022 offseason, Rust saw increased responsibilities on last year's Penguins. With the departure of Zach Aston-Reese and Brian Boyle, the Penguins saw several holes open up in their penalty kill unit. Enter Bryan Rust.

Often the personification of a "jack of all trades," Rust stepped up and picked up the slack on the Penguins' penalty kill. That came at the expense of ice time on the power play and at 5v5. Combine that with Rust finishing the season with his lowest shooting percentage (9.5%) since his rookie season in 2015-16 (5.9%), and you can see why his overall numbers dipped last season.

Entering this year, the Penguins have added several players who can kill penalties and will rely less on Rust in that area. Allowing Rust more opportunities at 5v5 and on the power play, increasing the amount of scoring opportunities he gets this season.

Before last season, Rust operated at a 30-goal pace for three consecutive seasons but never reached that mark due to injury in 2021 and a pair of COVID-shortened seasons in 2019 and 2020. 

Everything is lining up for Bryan Rust to bounce back in 2023, and if he can stay healthy, that elusive 30-goal season may be in the cards for the Penguins' top-six winger.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

Penguins Defenseman Out Day-to-Day with Lower-Body Injury

Jake Guentzel Continues To Progress Towards Penguins Lineup

It's Decision Time for Penguins' Management

Penguins Recall Ty Smith, Two Others Back to NHL Roster

Penguins Goalie Named One of Canada's Best