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Penguins and Sabres Emerging as Perfect Trade Partners Involving Veteran Winger and Young Defenseman
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Hockey Now
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres have emerged as major trade partners ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which begins on Friday.
The 2025 NHL Entry Draft has arrived, and not only are teams gearing up for their selections, but could also be preparing to pull off trades, as has been the case in each of the last several years.
Per a new report, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins are logical trade partners and Buffalo could be eyeing Pittsburgh veteran Bryan Rust.
Before the deal of JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn and Shayna Goldman named Rust as a player that the Sabres had been coveting for a while not only for his goal scoring but also for his leadership.
The Penguins and Sabres are logical trade partners. Pittsburgh needs to get younger, and Buffalo needs to round out its roster with the right veterans to finally get back to the playoffs. Bryan Rust is the most appealing player the Penguins have to offer, but it would take more than Rust to even out a trade for Peterka. Even though Rust is 33, he just set career highs with 31 goals and 34 assists last season. His contract is reasonable, and his veteran leadership would be huge for Buffalo's locker room.
While Peterka is no longer available after being traded to the Utah Mammoth, one player that continues to make the rounds in rumours is defenseman Bowen Byram, who could be on Pittsburgh's radar if they decided to deal Rust.
Defense is an area that badly needs an upgrade in Pittsburgh, and as a left-handed defenseman with major upside, Byram could help fill that role.
Rust has not only helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup earlier in his career, but could be the kind of player that could help the Sabres finally return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a 14 year absence.
Rust has 3 years left on his current contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $5,125,000.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 27 | 140 ANSWERS Penguins and Sabres Emerging as Perfect Trade Partners Involving Veteran Winger and Young Defenseman Should the Sabres try and acquire Bryan Rust from the Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 65 | 46.4 % |
| No | 75 | 53.6 % |
| List of polls | ||