Rust calls four-year deal 'boost' to confidence taken in Cranberry, Pa. (Penguins)

Bryan Rust. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Well, that was easy, hardly contentious at all.

On Wednesday, the Penguins announced they re-signed restricted free agent Bryan Rust to a four-year, $14 million deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2021-22 season.

The contract carries an average annual value of $3.5 million per season. Rust's salary the past two seasons had come at a cap hit of just $640,000.

Speaking to DKPittsburghSports.com on Wednesday, Jim Rutherford declined to characterize the nature of the negotiations -- "they're all different" -- but was clearly glad to get the deal done. The term, which runs through the prime of the 26-year-old's career, was very important, he said.

"Getting a player at his age for four years was important to us," Rutherford told me. 

In parts of four NHL seasons, the versatile forward has 79 points (33 goals) in 181 career games. Last season, Rust established career highs in assists (25) and points (38) in just 69 games. While Rust has never scored more than 15 goals in a season, his value is hard to place a monetary value on, according to Rutherford.

"The goal scorers, the guys who put up more points, are usually the guys you can characterize it better, but when you look at a guy like Bryan that can play up and down the lineup and can kill penalties and play both sides and bring the speed that he does, he’s an important part to our team," Rutherford told the site. 

After being signed to his first big payday there comes a certain expectation, but when I asked Rust he said that there's always pressure. It's just part of the job.

"In the business of professional sports, there's a certain level of pressure," Rust said during a conference call from his off-season home in Michigan. "But signing a deal like this there was a little bit more added pressure, maybe. I think it shows the organization has confidence in me. That gives me a boost to kind of work a little bit harder and do what I can."

Though he's never been a big goal-scorer, he says he can improve on his finishing touch around the net but first he says he must be able to stay healthy and play a full 82-game season to do so. Last season he missed three weeks in early January with an upper body injury and then missed two games with a concussion in early March.

The signing of Rust, just one day after qualifying offers were tendered for RFAs, is perhaps the most significant one for the Penguins this off-season. Not only is Rust the Penguins' most versatile forward, he's a proven playoff performer and has been an indispensable part of two Stanley Cup championship teams. In 58 career playoff games, he has 16 goals and 21 points.

Rutherford said that Rust is at his best at right wing, but if he's to play there next season it could be in a fourth-line role. That could go a long way toward creating the kind of secondary scoring that Rutherford said the Penguins need from their bottom six. The Penguins' lineup already includes right wings Patric Hornqvist, Phil Kessel and, presumably, Daniel Sprong.

Rust said that he took his place in the depth chart into consideration before re-signing but added that he takes pride in the fact that he can play at any spot.

"It doesn't really matter where they put me in the lineup," he said. "I guess I've shown that it doesn't really matter to me if I play left, right, first line or fourth line. I'm just trying to play my same game."

However, the signing of Rust brings the Penguins to just about $4 million under the $79.5 million cap for next season with the contracts of RFA's Riley Sheahan and Jamie Oleksiak still to be worked out. Sheahan was not qualified an offer on Monday but Rutherford left the door open that a deal could still be worked out for the fourth-line center.

“We’re talking to (Pat Brisson, Sheahan's) agent now, trying to get something worked out,” Rutherford said.

Rust is the 13th player on the roster who will make $3 million-plus next season and that raises the likelihood Rutherford could move at least one of those contracts to free up more cap space. The free agent signing period begins Sunday but the general manager told our site that Rust's signing doesn't change the Penguins' approach heading into July 1.

“His signing doesn’t affect anything we’re doing,” Rutherford said. 

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