The Pittsburgh Penguins open their season on Wednesday night in a fun rivalry matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins won’t be at full strength, though. They got some bad injury luck late in the preseason that will keep Bryan Rust out of action at least for the time being.
Rust is a crucial and proven player for the Penguins. He’s not the kind of player you want to be missing right out of the gates of the season.
But at this point, Pittsburgh simply has to hope Rust doesn’t miss too much time, and that when he comes back he can be his usual self.
In the meantime, they’ll have to embrace the classic sports cliche of the “next man up mentality.”
How Long is Bryan Rust Out?
Rust is officially week-to-week, according to the Penguins’ official website.
That’s a common designation in hockey that can really mean a short absence or a long one, so it’s not particularly informative, but that’s all there is to go on at this point.
What Happened to Bryan Rust?
Rust was injured in the Penguins’ preseason win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
The Penguins have simply termed it an upper-body injury. At this point, there’s no more clarity than that.
“‘Rusty’ is obviously a huge part of our group,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said on Sunday. “I thought he had a great camp, and so, it’s unfortunate.”
The Penguins also put three other forwards on injured reserve: Justin Brazeau, Ben Kindel and Blake Lizotte.
Bryan Rust Stats
Rust has spent his entire NHL career with the Penguins.
He was the No. 80 overall pick, a third-rounder, in the 2010 NHL Draft. He has since won two Stanley Cups and been a key contributor to this great era in Pittsburgh.
This will be the 13th season for Rust with the Penguins, once he takes the ice.
Last year, he played in 72 games and had 29 goals with 36 assists for 65 points.
He has played 710 games overall for the Penguins, and in his career has 232 goals and 270 assists for 502 points.
Rust also has 85 playoff games with the Penguins that include 22 goals and 15 assists for 37 points.
Penguins Line Replacement
Rust would likely have been on the top line at even strength with Sidney Crosby and Richard Rakell.
Without him, Nick Robertson could get the move up to that line in his first Pittsburgh season.
The Penguins may also rotate some guys through as they try to see what works best with Rust out.
How Long is Bryan Rust Out? Injury Return Timeline for Penguins’ 1st-Line Star