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Rust played a career-high 81 games during the 2022-23 season but earned just 46 points. That comes out to 0.57 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2018-19 campaign. He tailed off a bit after the All-Star break with just 16 points in 32 contests. On the bright side, Rust hit the 20-goal mark for the fourth consecutive year. He totaled just 11 power-play points (two goals) while his average ice time fell to 17:54; Rust averaged 19:24 of ice time per game over the previous three seasons. The 31-year-old will benefit from skating on Evgeni Malkin's wing if he can maintain a second-line role. If not, Rust could drop his top-six role and put a damper on his fantasy ceiling.
Rust picked a good time for arguably his best season to date, finishing with 24 goals and 58 points in 60 games as he prepared to enter unrestricted free agency. The lone blemish regarding Rust's season was the fact he was sidelined for 22 games. Rust's 180 shots on goal and 21 power-play points were also new high-water marks. Rust ended up re-signing with the Penguins, inking a new six-year, $30.75 million contract. It's a fair contract for both the team and player and locks Rust into a major top-six, top power-play role for the club for the foreseeable future, making him a mid-round fantasy option in all formats this coming year.
After a breakout 2019-20 season in which he scored 27 goals and 56 points, Rust took a slight step back offensively last year. He registered 22 goals and 42 points (including 11 power-play points) through 56 games. It was his second straight season averaging over 19:30 of ice time as he's pretty much locked into a top-six role with Pittsburgh at this point. The 29-year-old should begin the season as a top-line winger next to Sidney Crosby, giving him plenty of fantasy upside. Rust should have no issue reaching the 20-goal mark for the third consecutive year and could be a great value pick in middle rounds.
When the Penguins traded away Phil Kessel ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, there likely weren't many people that thought Rust would be the one to pick up the goal-scoring slack. The American winger went on to set personal bests in goals (27), assists (29) and power-play points (17) last year. It will be up to Rust to prove that his performance wasn't merely a flash in the pan but instead a sign of things to come. Heading into next season, the Michigan native projects to serve in a second-line role playing alongside Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker, a fantastic assignment that should bring out the best in nearly any player. Fantasy managers may want to exercise some level of caution to avoid overpaying for Rust, though another 50-plus point campaign would certainly provide rock-solid fantasy value.
A slow start to the 2018-19 campaign -- one goal and six assists in 29 games -- likely had fantasy owners ready to give up on Rust. However, after getting back on track in mid-December, the energetic winger managed to hit the 35-point mark for a second consecutive season while setting a new career high in goals (18) in 72 contests. Unfortunately, a late-season injury forced the Michigan native to end the year on an 11-game goal drought, including four playoff contests. Much like teammate Patric Hornqvist, Rust's spot in the lineup should be considered fluid at best heading into the upcoming campaign, but he should get the opportunity to play in a top-six role from time-to-time. If he can avoid another early slump, Rust should be able to threaten the 40-point mark while posting double digit-goals for a third straight season in 2019-20.
From top to bottom, the Penguins organization loves everything Rust brings to the table, which is why it rewarded him with a four-year, $14 million contract during the offseason. The hardworking winger's speed and tenacity continues to translate into opportunities playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at different times. It's the ability to work from the first line to the fourth that makes the Michigan native so valuable to the team. Last season, Rust set a career high with 38 points, and he should be capable of challenging for the 40-point threshold again this year.
A broken arm limited Rust to just 57 outings last season, yet he still fashioned 15 goals and 13 assists -- both career highs. The winger’s forechecking expertise coupled with his knack for heading into the dirty areas in order to control the puck makes him a perfect player to line up with offensive stalwarts Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. There’s plenty of untapped potential here, but the manner in which coach Mike Sullivan divvies up the power-play minutes formerly occupied by Nick Bonino could go a long way toward determining whether you have “Rusty Gold” on your hands. Rust averaged a mere 12 seconds with the extra man last year, so keep expectations in check.
Rust is a bottom-six winger who provides energy and a few timely goals. The 24-year-old collected only four goals and 11 points in 41 regular-season tilts, but was nonetheless named the team’s rookie of the year. He capped his campaign with a big Stanley Cup run, potting six goals and nine points in 23 games, including the Game 7 winner against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals. It might be unwise to count on Rust’s offense – he’s never averaged a point per-game at any level – but he figures to see regular shifts on Pittsburgh’s third line in 2016-17.
