Bryan Rust has become indispensable for Pittsburgh. (Michael Miller)
This week, goalies Darcy Kuemper and Jeremy Swayman nearly came to blows before officials intervened; Carolina dodged a bullet when leading goal scorer Seth Jarvis didn’t have to miss any games after coming out early Saturday with a head injury; and soon-to-be 37-year-old Patrick Maroon has said he’s packing it in after this season.
Bryan Rust’s Ascension
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in free fall since 2020-21 and are all but assured to miss the playoffs for the third straight season. Caught between a necessary full rebuild and trying to recapture their former glory, it’s an awkward time in Steel City.
Still, the Pens have been playing better lately (thereby hurting their lottery odds), driven by the play of aging superstars Sidney Crosby (seven-game point streak) and Evgeni Malkin.
Pittsburgh had won five of six before losing to Florida on Sunday, but it still managed a point against the Panthers, making it six of seven games with points earned. Too little, too late? Yes. But it’s also been an encouraging stretch.
Besides the big two, Bryan Rust continues to shine while flashing some serious skill (see video below). He was in on all three Pen goals Sunday, scoring twice (both within five minutes) and adding a helper, giving him three tallies and two assists over the last two games.
Rust already has five goals in March, his most in a month since a huge December showing and is now on pace to top his career highs in assists and points. He’s been a real force on the power play (4-10-14) and is enjoying his highest shooting percentage since 2019-20.
A third round pick in 2010 who didn’t exactly have a hype train behind him, Rust has evolved into a very important part of the franchise, ultimately becoming a top line player. He’s not driving play as well as usual this season, but still has a CF percentage over 50 for the sixth straight campaign.
Rust isn’t a big man at the wing (5’11”, 192) but plays the game hard, always providing yeoman’s effort and delivering solid two-way play. The biggest knock on him is durability, as his career high is 81 games played, but only one other season did he manage to suit up in more than 70.
Winnipeg Keeps Winning
At the opposite end of the standings spectrum are the Winnipeg Jets. Since getting “only” 89 points in 2021-22 – the last time they missed the playoffs – they have been a team on rise, growing to 95 and then 110 last season.
This season, the Jets have already reached 100 points, and remain somewhat comfortably in the top spot in the Central Division, while currently listed at +320 on FanDuel to win the President’s Trophy for the best record in the regular season.
While Winnipeg has dropped two of the last three, the news isn’t all bad as it looks like third line winger Nino Niederreiter is getting going now. You may recall that he paid major dividends after being dealt from Minnesota to Carolina back in 2018-19, but he’s never been able to duplicate that pace since.
Still, with his goal Sunday Niederreiter now has points in back-to-back games after managing just one assist over the previous 14 games. And although that makes it just one goal this month (and his first in 15 games), it was nice to see that it came on the power play, giving him three such markers for the season.
Niederreiter has lost traction as a Fantasy asset recently, but with six straight seasons of 15 goals or more, he is a decent source of secondary scoring in certain formats. He’s more attractive in leagues that reward hits given that he’s already topped 130 for the season.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Dylan Samberg, D, Winnipeg Jets (ESPN: 11.8 per cent; CBS: 19 per cent): Samberg has never been a major Fantasy asset, but he’s another Jet making positive strides right now. With two goals (including an overtime winner) and two assists over the last four games, the second-pairing blueliner has picked up his offensive play and has already had his highest scoring month of the season with five points through 10 games. With that surge, Samberg has a new career best with six goals and has matched his best point total ever – in 29 fewer games. He’s also a great asset in shot blocks, posting nearly two per game.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
Prog rock gods King Crimson formed in London by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake (of ELP fame), Ian McDonald (who was later in Foreigner) and Peter Sinfield. From their 1969 debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, comes the beautifully haunting “Moonchild” which is made up of “The Dream” and “The Illusion.”