The Pittsburgh Penguins are in for another tough season as they are projected to be near the bottom of the standings as they continue through their long rebuild. With Sidney Crosby sticking around until the end of his career and being one of the few bright spots on the team, they could look to take advantage of the value of some of their other players on the trade market this summer. One team that’s looking to make a splash and get back into the postseason is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who came up short last season but look promising enough that they could sneak into the playoffs next season.
Related: Columbus Blue Jackets 2025-26 Prospect Pyramid
The Blue Jackets have a ton of cap space left over heading into the 2025-26 campaign, just over $16.3 million to be exact, and could use that to bolster parts of their lineup. Penguins forward Bryan Rust has had his name come up in trade speculation over the past several months, and while he hasn’t been traded yet, nor does a move seem imminent, the Blue Jackets have the assets to try and get a deal done to bolster their top-six forward group.
Rust, who is 33 years old, was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at 80th overall by the Penguins. He scored 31 goals and added 34 assists for 65 points through 71 games with them last season. Throughout his career, which he has spent entirely with the Penguins, he has scored 203 goals and added 234 assists for 437 points through 638 games, which comes out to a 0.68 points-per-game average.
The Penguins would likely be looking for future assets in return for Rust as they aim to get back into contention in the next few seasons, and the Blue Jackets can put together a solid trade package and take on Rust’s entire contract. He is in the fourth season of a six-year contract that has a $5,125,000 cap hit.
What Would a Trade Look Like?
Let me preface this by saying there have been no reports stating the Blue Jackets are interested in Rust, or have even checked in. This is hypothetical based on Rust being available, the Blue Jackets being buyers, and their ability to fit in his entire contract without having to worry about retention. It’s also important to note that Rust doesn’t have any trade protection anymore.
With that being said, a realistic deal looks like the Blue Jackets acquiring Rust in exchange for defender Stanislav Svozil, a conditional 2027 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick.
The conditional first just provides some security, and the Blue Jackets could turn it into a second-round pick if Rust gets injured, doesn’t get a certain number of points, or whatever the condition is that they agree to. As well, the 2026 NHL Draft is expected to have one of the strongest classes in about a decade, so keeping their first-round pick for that draft would be important. On top of that, the Blue Jackets have two third-round picks in both 2026 and 2027, so moving those assets to get a deal over the hump should be a no-brainer.
For the Penguins, they add three draft picks, which allows them to bolster their prospect pool, as well as Svozil, who is a promising defensive prospect. Svozil, who is 22 years old, was drafted 69th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has just two games of NHL experience, but over the past two seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Cleveland Monsters, he has notched 47 points through 120 games. He would have a chance to play in the NHL out of training camp, and considering the Penguins need young players ready to make the jump, this deal makes sense for them.
This deal makes sense in some way for both teams, and this is a realistic deal that could happen. Time will tell if the Penguins decide to move Rust, and if the Blue Jackets show interest, but this would be an interesting deal if the two sides could pull it off.
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Salary cap data courtesy of PuckPedia.
