Is using Penguins forward Bryan Rust as a penalty killer worth the risk?

Once upon a time, Bryan Rust wasn’t a top-six winger or a vital member of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top power-play unit.

Heck, he wasn’t even a 20-goal threat.

He was simply a bottom-six winger who could flip to either side of his line.

And he killed penalties. Willing to pester opposing power-play quarterbacks and block shots, he was one of the four forwards the Penguins routinely sent over the boards in four-on-five scenarios.

And he took pride in that.

That was evident in the Penguins’ finale to the 2019 preseason.

During the third period of a meaningless 3-2 home shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Rust leaned down to block a shot from Sabres defenseman Colin Miller. The puck struck Rust’s left hand, and as a result of the ensuing injury, he was sidelined for the first 11 games of the regular season.

Upon his return to the lineup, Rust was asked if blocking a shot in an exhibition contest was worth the trouble.

His response was almost as indignant as it was rhetorical.

“Blocked the shot, didn’t I?”

He did. And that’s largely why he hasn’t been used as a penalty killer the past two seasons, each of which have coincided with him becoming one of the team’s most valuable players who isn’t considered a future enshrinee into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In fact, through his first 41 games of this season, Rust had averaged only 16 seconds of short-handed ice time.

By game 42, the alchemy of the Penguins lineup had changed.

Forward Zach Aston-Reese, one of the team’s top penalty killers, was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks as part of a bundle of assets the Penguins parted ways with to bring in top-six winger Rickard Rakell on March 21.

Aston-Reese’s departure, coupled with bottom-six forward Brock McGinn being absent because of a suspected right arm or hand injury, created a hole on the team’s sturdy penalty kill.

In stepped Rust.

One day after the trade, Rust logged 2 minutes, 46 seconds of short-handed ice time in a 5-1 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In the six games since Aston-Reese was traded, Rust has averaged 2:01 on the penalty kill.

“(Rust is) such a good player in every asset of the game, offensively, defensively,” said forward Teddy Blueger, arguably the Penguins’ top penalty killer, regardless of position. “He’s got a great stick, great foot speed. He’s relentless on the pressure. Reads the game really well. He’s got all the elements of being a great penalty killer. He’s done that in the past. His game has progressed offensively, and he’s more of a power-play guy now. But I think his versatility is a big asset to his game for sure. It’s kind of showing right now.”

Rust’s acumen as a penalty killer is difficult to dispute. But it is fair to question the risk of using a player who has become so valuable in five-on-five situations as well as the power play in a role that tends to put players at risk, such as the hand injury Rust suffered in September 2019.

To wit, during an 11-2 home win against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, the Penguins did not use Rust during a five-on-three power-play sequence during the second period for the Red Wings because, by that point, the lopsided contest had all but been decided.

“It is something that we take into consideration, without a doubt,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “… That was just a decision made on the bench based on where the game was.

“Without a doubt, there’s a risk/reward with all of our players, depending on the situations that we put them in. (Rust) is such a good player on both sides of the puck. He’s an elite penalty killer. He’s a very good penalty killer. That’s how he earned his way on to the team (several) years ago.”

Rust’s current deployment as a penalty killer is likely a temporary assignment until McGinn has convalesced (and assuming no other forwards are injured).

In the meantime, the Penguins have full faith in a player they seemingly use in just about every other situation on the ice, no matter the risk.

“His overall game has evolved, Sullivan said. “We’ve chosen not to use him on the penalty kill for this whole season — for most of the season — and for a significant amount of last season strictly because we’re trying to manage his workload. He’s on the first power-play (unit). He’s in the top six (forwards). If we put him in all those situations, before you know it, he’s playing 23 minutes a night. That’s hard for a player, especially for the type of game that (Rust) needs to play to be successful.

“Without a doubt, we have those discussions behind the scenes. We understand it. He helps our penalty kill. He helps our team win. This is a very important time of year for us. So we’re going to make decisions behind the bench that help our team win. (Rust) is going to be part of that in all of those circumstances.”

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