#BRYAN RUST PROFESSIONAL#

#BRYAN RUST PROFESSIONAL#

The Penguins have reached the playoffs in 16 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in North American professional sports. “They’re two unbelievable players, two Hall of Famers … (My signing) shows (the new owners) want to win and we’re not going to change our mindset.” “As a team, as a player on this team, we obviously would love to have those guys back,” Rust said. Rust signing a team-friendly deal could be a sign that new owners Fenway Sports Group is considering keeping the band together. While both have said they’d love to stay with the only team they’ve ever played for, it’s ultimately going to come down to money. Longtime Penguins Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are scheduled to become free agents for the first time in their careers in July. The 30-year-old who helped the Penguins to back-to-back championships in 20 also knows that sticking around for a reasonable rate for a player coming off a 24-goal, 34-assist season could give Pittsburgh a little more flexibility as it prepares to tackle what could be a thorny offseason. This is a number that we’re really happy with.” “I think our mindset was getting something done in Pittsburgh and if there was a little bit of it discount taken, I guess there could have been,” Rust said Sunday. If that means the six-year deal worth $5.125 million annually he signed late Saturday night just shortly after wrapping up son Hunter’s first birthday party came on the cheap in a manner of speaking? So be it. Ultimately, however, staying in the place where he met his wife, had his son and won two Stanley Cups trumped whatever curiosity he might have felt about exploring his options elsewhere.

Sure the versatile Pittsburgh Penguins forward had a sense of what his worth would have been on the open market.

Bryan rust