Bryan Rust's versatility makes a Swiss Army knife seem like a flathead screwdriver.
Plug him in on either wing, and on any line, and he'll get the job done.
Looking for someone to do a little shorthanded work? He's your guy.
Oh, and it looks as if he's being penciled in for a spot on the Penguins' No. 1 power play this season, too.
At the moment, when the Penguins are at even-strength, he'll be playing on Evgeni Malkin's right side, with Jason Zucker on the left, giving them a pretty nice line to complement the Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Kasperi Kapanen unit.
But as well-suited as Rust is to his current role, there's no guarantee he will stay in it.
Not because of any shortcomings on his part.
Quite the opposite, actually,
It's more of a reflection of his ability to adapt to different assignments.
And to thrive in them.
So while Mike Sullivan and his staff clearly would prefer to keep Malkin's line intact, Rust will be the logical choice to replace Kapanen on Crosby's right wing if Kapanen doesn't turn out to be a good fit there.
The Penguins won't know that for a while because Kapanen, whose arrival from Finland was delayed by Immigration issues, isn't scheduled to arrive here until Saturday. Only after he serves what Sullivan described as "about an eight-day" quarantine process will he be able to get on the ice with Crosby and Guentzel.
Kapanen's skills set, especially his skating and good release on his shot, should mesh nicely with Crosby and Guentzel, but there's no assurance of that. Just as there's no certainty of when Kapanen will be ready to actually get into a game.
"Until we get him here and I can have a conversation with Kasperi on his fitness level and his comfort level with how we're trying to play, it's hard for me to answer that question," Sullivan said, adding that he will have online discussions with Kapanen during his quarantine to brief him on the Penguins' approach.
For now, Evan Rodrigues is serving and Kapanen's placeholder with Crosby and Guentzel, while Rust is "really excited" about the potential of his current line.
Understandably so
"(Zucker) is a guy who has a lot of skill, can score some goals," Rust said. "He flies up and down the ice, but also isn't afraid to get gritty. ... The ability of him and myself to use our speed to create space for (Malkin), then (Malkin) is going to be able to do what he does best. I think it's going to mesh pretty well."
If so, Rust likely will be a major factor in the group's success, given his history of jelling with Malkin.
"One of the things we really like about (Rust) is that he's got a conscientious, 200-foot game on both sides of the puck," Sullivan said. "He has the offensive instincts to play with a player like (Malkin) who has elite talent, offensively. His foot speed, I think, is a tremendous asset for (Malkin).
"(Rust) helps that line create turnovers. He puts pressure on our opponents' defensemen to have to make plays under duress, (which) usually results in loose pucks and turnovers and opportunity presents itself. He has the ability to catch the (opposing) rush if we turn the puck over or if we get caught in the offensive zone and he's conscientious, defensively."
Crosby and Malkin, of course, are future Hall of Famers who remain among the game's premier centers. But while Rust has fared well with both, he noted that they go about their work in decidedly different ways.
"They're both such creative players and they make so much happen out of what seems like nothing," Rust said. "They just kind of do it in different ways. Sid's a little more like the ultimate grinder. He plays so hard, plays that little give-and-go game, kind of wears teams down a little bit more. But then, as soon as he's given even an ounce (sic) of space, he's going to be making plays and he's going to be putting the puck in the back of the net.
"(Malkin) is a little bit more methodical. He holds onto the puck, kind of creates space with more east-west ... the differences between those guys present a lot of challenges for other teams."
Coincidentally enough, so does Rust, whose sweat equity in his career has allowed him to grow into one of the Penguins' core forwards during his five-plus NHL seasons.
"He's grown in so many ways," Sullivan said. "His on-ice game has really matured. He's really turned himself into a real good 200-foot player. The offense that he's been able to create at this level has been impressive."
That was particularly true in 2019-20, when Rust set career-highs in goals (27) and assists (29) while appearing in 55 games during that COVID-19-shortened season.
Matching that output during the season that begins Wednesday in Philadelphia won't be easy, but Rust appears to be approaching it with the same methodical mindset he has displayed since entering the organization.
"I'm going to try to take it day-by-day," he said. "When things are good, just try to not get too high. And when things are bad, don't get too low."
And never forget that, at least for Rust, there always seems to be another tool in the toolbox.
• The Penguins replaced the No. 3 defense pairing of Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz with Mike Matheson and Cody Ceci during the offseason, and Brian Dumoulin said it's too early to assess the impact of the changes on the defense corps. "Time will tell," he said. "As soon as we start playing games, we'll see where we're at. Obviously, (Ceci and Matheson) are mobile and they defend hard and they're good players."
• Sullivan ran the taxi-squad practice that followed Friday's scrimmage, and said the coaches and Hockey Operations officials are trying to strike a balance between what will be best for the Penguins and for the long-term development of young players. "That's a conversation we will continue to have over the course of this whole season," he said.
• Casey DeSmith, who will back up No. 1 goalie Tristan Jarry, said there isn't a particular amount of starts that he needs to stay sharp. "I don't think there's a specific number," he said. "I remember that when I was up here two years ago, I didn't play for weeks ... I think there was maybe a two-week stretch when I didn't play and then I played against Buffalo and got a shutout in my first game back. ... Practice is where I get most of my preparation. That's where I get most of my confidence."
• Dumoulin, on the coronavirus outbreaks that disrupted camps in Columbus and Dallas, and apparently will cause the Stars to delay the start of their season: "That could happen, it seems, to any team. We have to try to do our best to not let that happen to us, to control what we can. I think that's happened. It seems like throughout this whole process, even from the (postseason) bubble until now, we've taken everything day-by-day. If something comes up or if there's news, the team reaches out to us to change the schedule."