Kapanen is another player whose contract is up after this season that if it comes down to offering him an extension or keeping Rust it should be a no-brainer, even it means “overpaying” for Rust. The Penguins need to find a team that would be willing to take this contract on for them not just to re-sign Rust, but because Zucker has been a major disappointment in Pittsburgh. Zucker makes $5.5 million and still has a year left on his deal after this season.
That said perhaps if the Penguins are selling him on staying with Crosby and Guentzel long-term they can agree to the numbers I mentioned, there would still be work to do.Įasier said than done but the obvious things to do is try and move the contracts that aren’t good value starting with the aformentioned Zucker. Hell, the season he’s had on top of how he’s been a key contributor to two Stanley Cup championship teams I could easily see some NHL general managers giving him even more. First, let’s say for sake of argument that Rust would agree to anywhere from $5.5 million-6.5 million per year. Now let’s figure out how and why the Penguins should do what they can to keep him. Ok, so we have established that Rust is a very good player and a legit top-line winger. You would be hard-pressed to find another winger for less than $7 million that is going to be more effective five-on-five, as well as providing the other aspects of Rust’s game. The Penguins’ system is so dependent on establishing an effective forecheck and Rust leads the charge and sets the tone on a nightly basis. Rust is by all accounts the team’s best and most consistent forechecking forward, and perhaps the most effective forechecking forward in the entire league. Unlike wingers such as Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Zucker, Rust’s game helps the Penguins even when he isn’t scoring. The production though is only part of the reason why Rust should be retained at almost all costs. One big key to the Penguins' success is their ferocious forecheck and puck retrieval.īryan Rust is a one-man forechecking/puck retrieval demon in a league by himself.
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