Confirmed with Link: Bryan Rust proves user Peat wrong.

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Gurglesons

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I dont see what that has to do with anything. We're talking about Rust, who's in the middle of a 13 points in 12 games hot streak. My only claim is that water's likely gonna find its level here rather than Rust having some sort of elite breakthrough.

Well your point is that when Rust is “hot” he is “hot” and when he is “not” he is “not. So what exactly do you mean by that?

And yes that is what you said not that he is and I apologize.

It’s the same argument people used to criticize Bonino. He’s a forward that is often relied to be used in heavy defensive minutes so his numbers suffer. Since we have Teddy and Tanev to do that now he is getting more offensive minutes and delivering. We had Kessel and Hornqvist and Sheary and Hagelin ahead of him the two previous years. Now he has nobody ahead of him and is producing as such.
 

Dipsy Doodle

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May 28, 2006
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Well your point is that when Rust is “hot” he is “hot” and when he is “not” he is “not. So what exactly do you mean by that?

And yes that is what you said not that he is and I apologize.

It’s the same argument people used to criticize Bonino. He’s a forward that is often relied to be used in heavy defensive minutes so his numbers suffer. Since we have Teddy and Tanev to do that now he is getting more offensive minutes and delivering. We had Kessel and Hornqvist and Sheary and Hagelin ahead of him the two previous years. Now he has nobody ahead of him and is producing as such.

Only that I don't see this as being some sort of breakout year for Rusty, much as I like him.

Love when he's feeling it offensively, but it's not meant to last IMO. I would be surprised if he finished the year with say...0.6 p/g. Which is fine, because he's still a very useful player even when he's not scoring.
 

Ogrezilla

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Jul 5, 2009
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Only that I don't see this as being some sort of breakout year for Rusty, much as I like him.

Love when he's feeling it offensively, but it's not meant to last IMO. I would be surprised if he finished the year with say...0.6 p/g. Which is fine, because he's still a very useful player even when he's not scoring.
this is where I'm at too. I hope he turns the corner this year and can improve his totals, but I'm not counting on it. If he manages to stay healthy the rest of the way I would predict he ends right around 40 points.
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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what’s wrong with Jake? Think he’s looked good...when Sid returns, go McCann/Kahun-Sid-Simon/Horny...what’s the problem?

First problem is generally Sid gets what he wants and what he wants is Guentzel.

Second problem is, if they do keep Malkin and Guentzel together, is Sid's line actually okay? There's some good players there but none of them are Guentzel. I'm not sure that's a good enough line.

Finally... I mean, you've got the assets, you've got the cap space and roster space if you make guys; why not try and get a second high end LW to stick somewhere in the top six? And if you can do that, is Guentzel going to be the better option? Is the optimal guy to play with Malkin, even ignoring the Sid thing? Good, yes, but best?
 

Riptide

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Dec 29, 2011
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Hey I'm all aboard the Rust gravy train right now- he's killing it.
But he also was killing it last year while on Sid/Jake's flank for a spell before he disappeared and then had (another) injury.

I hope he can continue this for the rest of the year but history says he's not this type of player and he's on an insane hot streak that's likely to be in the valley eventually.

My issues with Rust last season where not due to his production (or lack there of), but due to the style of hockey he was playing - or more importantly wasn't playing. It's why I liked the Tanev signing so much - he is everything Rust should have been but wasn't last season. Fortunately it looks like Rust has turned things around... hopefully he can keep up his play. But like you said - that's never been a theme he's stuck too... and while this time might be different, I'm not going to hold my breath.

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.

That was rarely ever the complaint about him last season. The issue was in HOW HE was playing stylistically, not his lack of production or what the line as a whole was doing. Brassard and Sheahan had nothing to do with that. Basically he decided to stop going balls out and went for production (much like what Kunitz did 2012+). And Rust wasn't putting up Kunitz type numbers - which only made it worse.

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.

Rust contributes a "lot" to our PP? Since when? He didn't see any PP time in 1/3rd of his games this season and the only games he's seen "significant PP time" have been the last couple of games and the CHI game where Crosby left early. And even after that Rust still didn't see any PP time for several games.
 
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Beauner

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My issues with Rust last season where not due to his production (or lack there of), but due to the style of hockey he was playing - or more importantly wasn't playing. It's why I liked the Tanev signing so much - he is everything Rust should have been but wasn't last season. Fortunately it looks like Rust has turned things around... hopefully he can keep up his play. But like you said - that's never been a theme he's stuck too... and while this time might be different, I'm not going to hold my breath.



That was rarely ever the complaint about him last season. The issue was in HOW HE was playing stylistically, not his lack of production or what the line as a whole was doing. Brassard and Sheahan had nothing to do with that. Basically he decided to stop going balls out and went for production (much like what Kunitz did 2012+). And Rust wasn't putting up Kunitz type numbers - which only made it worse.
Outisde of the first 20 or whatever games to start last season, he's been the exact same player he always has been. A quick, aggressive forechecker who can chip in offfensively at a decent clip. He's not ever going to score consistently like Jake for instance but we don't need him to. That's not who he is. But statistics be damned if he continues to be what he always has been outside 20 games last year, that's someone I want on my team 101 times out of 100.
 

Riptide

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Outisde of the first 20 or whatever games to start last season, he's been the exact same player he always has been. A quick, aggressive forechecker who can chip in offfensively at a decent clip. He's not ever going to score consistently like Jake for instance but we don't need him to. That's not who he is. But statistics be damned if he continues to be what he always has been outside 20 games last year, that's someone I want on my team 101 times out of 100.

Sadly Rust was rarely that player last season - which was why he was constantly being talked about as being a cap casualty. I'll see if I can find the article, but even Rust said that the coaches were on him about that last season.
 

spcastlemagic

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Jul 3, 2006
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Some guys struggle when they get the big contract. I think that was Rust's issue last year - in his own head too much. I think his problems are behind him and he has his game figured out and we are witnessing Rust have his most productive year ever. As I will continue to point out, Rusty is scoring 30 this year.
 
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EightyOne

My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
Nov 23, 2016
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I don't really consider Rust a young guy.

If anything, he's more of a late bloomer. Still finding your game at 25 is....yeah.
 
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The Old Master

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I mean, you've got the assets, you've got the cap space and roster space if you make guys; why not try and get a second high end LW to stick somewhere in the top six?
i think going forward we need to be looking for a top end center. geno is getting up there and while it might not be the time now, he would be best moved to left wing. but for that to happen you would need a top end center in place and not wait till the time comes to try to find one. i don't think geno would take kindly to moving to wing for a lesser center, nor should he. (although he could be moved to sid's wing) top end centers are harder to find than wings so the earlier we start the better. imo
 

Trade

Guentzel is ELITE
Apr 13, 2015
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I don't really consider Rust a young guy.

If anything, he's more of a late bloomer. Still finding your game at 25 is....yeah.
Late bloomer cause he had to battle for a roster spot over Iron Man and Pittsburgh legend, Craig D. Adams along with Zach Sill and Marcel Goc.
 
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K Fleur

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My issues with Rust last season where not due to his production (or lack there of), but due to the style of hockey he was playing - or more importantly wasn't playing. It's why I liked the Tanev signing so much - he is everything Rust should have been but wasn't last season. Fortunately it looks like Rust has turned things around... hopefully he can keep up his play. But like you said - that's never been a theme he's stuck too... and while this time might be different, I'm not going to hold my breath.

This is one hell of a take for someone who spent the summer pumping the tires of the biggest outlier performance of Erik Gudbranson’s career :laugh:
 

Zero Pucks

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May 17, 2009
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Second problem is, if they do keep Malkin and Guentzel together, is Sid's line actually okay? There's some good players there but none of them are Guentzel. I'm not sure that's a good enough line.
We won a cup in 2016 with Sheary and Hornqvist as Sid's linemates. I think we can find a combination of players that's good enough, if not better. That year lots people were calling to breakup the HBK line, that was playing stellar, and put Kessel with Malkin when he got back from injury. I just don't think you ever breakup and line that is rolling like Guentzel, Malkin and Rust are right now or HBK was back then. It's been such a drag to get Malkin going the last year or so and he finally is. I'm not very worried whether Crosby could make something work some combination of Chucky, Hornqvist, Kahun, McCann or Simon. You might be right Sid gets what he wants and it'll be to play with Guentzel, but I'd like to see us explore some of those options first.
 
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