Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Could Bryan Rust Be the Key Piece in a Penguins-Kings Blockbuster Trade?
Photo credit: Sports Illustrated
A recent trade pitch from Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News sees the Pittsburgh Penguins ship Bryan Rust to the West Coast to the Los Angeles Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have not been able to find a trade partner so that they can finally unload defenseman Erik Karlsson, and have also been unable to find trade partners for forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.
GM Kyle Dubas has been trying to trade all 3 players, but so far, has come up short. But a new trade proposal would see the Penguins ship Rust to the West Coast.
Why Bryan Rust's Career Year Has Boosted His Trade Value
Per analyst Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News, Rust's season in 2024-25 would go a long way in enticing another team like the Los Angeles Kings to acquire him.
The Penguins could very well sell high on him if the right offer comes along. His reasonable $5.125-million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season also undoubtedly adds to his trade value.
Rust had a career-best 65 points (31G, 34A) for the Penguins last year, which boosted his value and could get the Penguins additional assets in return.
Could Los Angeles Pay the Price to Finally Escape First-Round Exits?
Additionally, per analyst Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report, Rust would fit in nicely with the Kings thanks to his 2-way style of play.
Rust would not only fit in with the Kings' style of play with his two-way ability, but he would also have been their third-leading goal-scorer and third-leading point-producer during the 2024-25 season.
The Kings have been knocked from the postseason in each of the last 4 years in the opening round by the Edmonton Oilers, a major source of frustration for them.
Adding a player like Rust with Stanley Cup-winning experience would give the Kings another weapon at their disposal to try and get them over the hump of 1st round exits.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 31 | 22 ANSWERS Could Bryan Rust Be the Key Piece in a Penguins-Kings Blockbuster Trade? Would Bryan Rust be a good fit with the Los Angeles Kings? | ||
| Yes | 13 | 59.1 % |
| No | 9 | 40.9 % |
| List of polls | ||