The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of decisions to make during the 2025-26 season. With all the speculation that they may actually trade Sidney Crosby, despite him not wanting to be moved. As well as the reports that this is Evgeni Malkin’s final year in the NHL, there is one player that could be moved who isn’t generating nearly enough buzz.
Bryan Rust is one of the best players on the Penguins and could bring back a good return if he were to be dealt. A few teams have been linked to him, including the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets, but the one that stands out is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who could be looking to replace Mitch Marner in the top six.
Heavy Sports has a new trade proposal that has the Penguins sending Rust to the Maple Leafs in a pre-season deal.
Maple Leafs Get: Bryan Rust
Penguins Get: Nick Robertson
Calle Jarnkrok
Henry Thrun
2027 Second-Round Pick
Toronto Maple Leafs Among Teams Linked to Bryan Rust
If the Penguins decide hold on to Bryan Rust and start the season with him, there’s a good chance they will elect to move him by the NHL trade deadline, according to The Fourth Period which ranked Rust fifth on its summer trade watch list. The Penguins’ “full rebuild” puts Rust’s role with the team in question, according to The Athletic’s Josh Yohe, who wrote on August 25 that “it’s fair to question how much longer” Rust will remain the roster.
The Fourth Period had Rust ranked fifth in their latest Summer Trade Watch List, with the Maple Leafs among the teams reportedly linked to him.
“Rust has three years left on his contract and his full no-movement clause expired on June 30, leaving him without any no-trade protection. There is already plenty of interest out there and with Pittsburgh in sell mode, he could be had but will command a high package if the Penguins part with him.”
Rust, 33, is signed until 2027-28 with an affordable average annual value (AAV) of $5.13 million. The term could be one reason the Penguins haven’t traded him yet. However, if Dubas wants to make the deal work, there will be no shortage of teams lining up to acquire a top-six forward like Rust.
Penguins’ Asking Price Could Land Them More
Rust is a veteran winger who can score in the range of 55-65 points per season. Over the last two years, he produced 56 points in 62 games during the 2023-24 season and 65 points in 71 games last season. That was on a struggling Penguins team with limited support. If Rust were traded, specifically to the Maple Leafs, he could fill a void on the top line alongside Auston Matthews and potentially reach 70-75 points in an 82-game season.
Because of that, Dubas could be looking for more than what the Maple Leafs are currently offering. He likely knows Rust could reach a new level of production on a contender, which drives the asking price up. There’s a scenario where this deal only goes through if it includes Easton Cowan or Ben Danford. Otherwise, the Maple Leafs may fall short in the Rust sweepstakes and Pittsburgh will look elsewhere.
Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News suggested that the Penguins may in fact sell high on Rust.
“Rust is also coming off a big season, so the Penguins could very well sell high on him if the right offer comes along. In 71 games this past season with the Penguins, he set new career highs with 31 goals and 65 points. His reasonable $5.125-million cap hit until the end of the 2027-28 season also undoubtedly adds to his trade value.”
At the same time, the Penguins still need NHL talent to ice a roster during their rebuild. The Maple Leafs’ offer gives them a young scorer in Robertson, a reliable sixth or seventh defenseman in Thrun, and a veteran forward Dubas knows well in Jarnkrok. Add in a second-round pick in next year’s draft, and Pittsburgh gets both immediate help and future pieces to build with.