Confirmed with Link: Bryan Rust proves user Peat wrong.

[mpp9]

I think that's the ideal setup right now, yeah.

So ZAR, huh?

Jokes aside, what the organization wants ZAR to be would be ideal.

If Sam Bennett can play LW, I think that's a realistic target.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Jokes aside, what the organization wants ZAR to be would be ideal.

If Sam Bennett can play LW, I think that's a realistic target.

I wouldn't complain.

I think mostly so long as Malkin is playing the way he has so far this year the team and his line will be successful. I know that sounds like simpleton shit but he seems pretty focused this season.

 

[LOGiK]

I wouldn't complain.

I think mostly so long as Malkin is playing the way he has so far this year the team and his line will be successful. I know that sounds like simpleton **** but he seems pretty focused this season.

no more fatman nagging his line down

 

[JTG]

Bryan Rust and Jared McCann are the x-factors for this team. As they go, the team will go. If both can put up 25 goal, 50 point paces and be shutdown PKers...it's everything you ask for in a depth guy.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Bryan Rust and Jared McCann are the x-factors for this team. As they go, the team will go. If both can put up 25 goal, 50 point paces and be shutdown PKers...it's everything you ask for in a depth guy.

I'd say you can add Galchenyuk to the x-factor list. We're seeing what this team can do without getting any contributions from him. If he can suddenly find his scoring touch and provide us with another 20-25 goal scorer, that would be huge going forward.

 

[JTG]

I'd say you can add Galchenyuk to the x-factor list. We're seeing what this team can do without getting any contributions from him. If he can suddenly find his scoring touch and provide us with another 20-25 goal scorer, that would be huge going forward.

I legitimately do not think he will be here much longer. JR doesn't typically sit around and wait for these guys if he can find a deal that works. It would be great if Galchenyuk finds his groove, but he doesn't even look like he is close to finding that.

 

[Ryder71]

Another solid showing by Rusty tonight (and the entire line for that matter). He's stringing them together rather nicely. So glad he's Geno's wingman.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Great that Rust has started the season so well, but when he's hot, he's hot, when he's not...he's not.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if by the end of the season he's much better than the .5 p/g guy he's been for most of his career.

That said, I prioritized Bjugstad over him in the off-season based on how he performed between Simon and Hornqvist, and that was dead wrong.

 

[spcastlemagic]

Rusty is scoring 30 this year screenshot post

 

[Gurglesons]

Great that Rust has started the season so well, but when he's hot, he's hot, when he's not...he's not.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if by the end of the season he's much better than the .5 p/g guy he's been for most of his career.

That said, I prioritized Bjugstad over him in the off-season based on how he performed between Simon and Hornqvist, and that was dead wrong.

This is actually not true.

People are criticizing last year when he had just signed his first big contract and was forced to attempt to carry Brassard or Sheahan regularly.

The two years prior he was at a 40+ point pace.

 

[Trade]

Rust has like one notable cold streak in his career...love how he gets this “when he’s bad he’s baaaaaaaaaaad” label.

Who would’ve guessed when he consistently plays RW where he’s always looked more comfortable playing AND stays put with Geno he’d perform to the best of his abilities? Rust is exactly the kind of player Geno needs. Opportunistic, fast, great defensively and he’s a pretty solid playmaker, too. Always felt like the “blinders” claims were way overblown cause he liked to do that solo wide one man Rush when he was playing LW. We all know about his goals inthe ECF in 2016 but his assist on Crosby’s OT winner in game 2 is an extremely heads up play.

Could easily see him cracking 30 this year and continuing on as a 25+ goal guy.

 

[Peat]

*stares at 2nd page of this thread*

 

[TKalltheTime]

*sits here with the “I f***ING TOLD
YOU SO” smirk on my face*

 

[Ogrezilla]

The two years prior he was at a 40+ point pace.

isn't that pretty much a 0.5 p/g player? Since 16-17 he's at .54 p/g. He has ranged from .48 to .55 in those years, only breaking .5 once. Maybe he was less streaky the prior years, but his overall production was very similar.

I think his point is that Rust has done this before. He has great streaks, then down streaks, and ends up being a .5 p/g (or 40+ point player if you want) player in the end. He had a 14 point in 13 game stretch last year for example, despite ending the season at .48 p/g. 40% of his production came in 18% of the season. Hopefully we don't see quite that extreme this year, but I don't expect him to finish the season over a point per game

The flip side was last year when he started the season at .2 p/g for the first 2 months and people overreacted to that. Ideally, he figures out how to stay hot. Realistically, I just hope his cold streaks are less severe and he plays like a 0.4 to 0.5 p/g player as his floor and the hot streaks are just bonus on top of it.

 

[Gurglesons]

isn't that pretty much a 0.5 p/g player? Since 16-17 he's at .54 p/g. He has ranged from .48 to .55 in those years.

I think his point is that Rust has done this before. He has great streaks, then down streaks, and ends up being a .5 p/g (or 40+ point player if you want) player in the end. He had a 14 point in 13 game stretch last year for example, despite ending the season at .48 p/g. 40% of his production came in 18% of the season. Hopefully we don't see quite that extreme this year, but I don't expect him to finish the season over a point per game

The flip side was last year when he started the season at .2 p/g for the first 2 months and people overreacted to that. Ideally, he figures out how to stay hot. Realistically, I just hope his cold streaks are less severe and he plays like a 0.4 to 0.5 p/g player as his floor and the hot streaks are just bonus on top of it.

A lot of the reason he has been a .5 PPG player is Sullivan dropping him to the bottom six to carry one of those lines. We now have Tanev, Kahun, and McCann to do that.

 

[Peat]

A lot of the reason he has been a .5 PPG player is Sullivan dropping him to the bottom six to carry one of those lines. We now have Tanev, Kahun, and McCann to do that.

His p/60 has only gone up in the bottom six in the last two seasons. Obviously less minutes means there's still a reduction, but I doubt its much.


In any case... yes, I'm delighted Rust is proving me wrong. Particularly with his chemistry with Geno and find a pairing that elevates both players.

I will be even more delighted if, twenty games down the line, we are celebrating new improved consistent Rust who no longer has those horrible droughts. Everybody who's been paying attention knows he can have months like these. A bit more consistency to go with these highs, or a few more highs, and the results will be awesome.

p.s. This said, I don't think the point about being deeper at W than C has been disproven; more that Rust has vaulted towards the top of the W pile and Bjugstad is sauntering towards the tradebait pile (when fit). We could still trade a good wing and not really notice, even with the ridiculous injury list.

 

[ColePens]

*stares at 2nd page of this thread*

You got so much love. Bask in that glory!

 

[JTG]

Rust has had more than one notable cold streak, but he's a lot like Kunitz. Rust can impact a game on the PK or he can impact it on the forecheck or back check. For Rust's entire career he has been a really streaky scorer - he'll score 7 goals in 11 games and then be cold for 30 games. He is coming into the age now where his game should be rounding out, and it appears that it is doing it beautifully.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

When is the last time Rust played regularly with Geno on RW? The B2B Cups? Because this seems like a much more ideal setup for him. He never fit well at LW and he and Malkin seem to have something that he and Sid definitely don't. With that alone being the case I have to wonder if Rust even suffers his usual droughts this season, at least to the same degree.

 

[Peat]

You got so much love. Bask in that glory!

I'm British. People saying nice things about cause me to mumble incoherently, stare at something else, then talk loudly about the weather or some shit like that.

Also, are people actually confused about what gender I am?

When is the last time Rust played regularly with Geno on RW? The B2B Cups? Because this seems like a much more ideal setup for him. He never fit well at LW and he and Malkin seem to have something that he and Sid definitely don't. With that alone being the case I have to wonder if Rust even suffers his usual droughts this season, at least to the same degree.

B2B cups, although even that it wasn't super regular. Had a couple of moments here and then with him (Hagelin-Malkin-Rust in late 17-18 always springs to mind). Basically... ever since Phil wanted to play with Geno, little Geno time for Rust.

But in any case, that's the jackpot question. I'm unwilling to bet on Rust being consistent just yet, but I am wondering the same thing as you.

 

[Ogrezilla]

A lot of the reason he has been a .5 PPG player is Sullivan dropping him to the bottom six to carry one of those lines. We now have Tanev, Kahun, and McCann to do that.

I just think it's silly to call someone wrong for calling him a .5 p/g player when his best season is 0.55 p/g. It's basically the same thing. Hopefully he can do better this year, but it's not an insult to call him what he's been for 4 years now.

 

[Gurglesons]

I just think it's silly to call someone wrong for calling him a .5 p/g player when his best season is 0.55 p/g. It's basically the same thing.

I guess I just don’t think a player that puts up .5 p/ g pace and is a solid defensive forward who contributes a lot to our PP is “bad” at any point.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm British. People saying nice things about cause me to mumble incoherently, stare at something else, then talk loudly about the weather or some **** like that.

TIL that I'm at least an honorary Brit.

B2B cups, although even that it wasn't super regular. Had a couple of moments here and then with him (Hagelin-Malkin-Rust in late 17-18 always springs to mind). Basically... ever since Phil wanted to play with Geno, little Geno time for Rust.

But in any case, that's the jackpot question. I'm unwilling to bet on Rust being consistent just yet, but I am wondering the same thing as you.

That's what I thought. It never seemed like he got much regular time there but when he did it was some really, really good hockey being played between those two. Looking like yet another reason why Kessel moving on was for the best. You get the EXACT right LW there (Guentzel could be it but I'm reluctant to take him from Crosby) and you could really be looking at as dominant a top six as we've seen in quite some time, here.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I guess I just don’t think a player that puts up .5 p/ g pace and is a solid defensive forward who contributes a lot to our PP is “bad” at any point.

5 points in 24 games isn't good either. Sure bad is an overstatement, but he certainly wasn't earning his paycheck for a good chunk of last season. He also ended the season with 4 points in his last 17 games including playoffs, ending on a 9 game pointless streak.

And come on about the PP. He has 6 career powerplay points.

I love Rust, but calling him streaky isn't some crazy opinion. Though just quickly glancing at his game logs, last year was far and away the most egregious in that regard.

 

[Fordy]

rust proved a lot of people wrong. he got his fire back, plain and simple