5 moves the Pittsburgh Penguins can make to get back to the playoffs

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 07: Members of the Pittsburgh Penguins acknowledge the crowd after a 2-1 overtime lose to the Washington Capitals in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 7, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 18: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 18, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Putting Bryan Rust with Derick Brassard

This may seem just totally out of left field, but there’s a good reason for it. Brassard struggled with the Penguins when he got to Pittsburgh. He had three goals and eight points in 14 games and right as he was potentially finding his form, he got hurt which didn’t help anything. He wasn’t the same in the playoffs as he had just one goal and four points.

Rust should be a big help on Brassard’s line because he has the ability to make players around him better. It sounds a bit weird since he’s not a star player, but when he’s played with Crosby and Malkin, they always seem to play better. His speed and his big gameplay are crucial to the team and they could form a great duo next season since Brassard is also known for being a big-game player.

A full season for Brassard, plus the playoffs, wouldn’t hurt either, as he didn’t even get to play in 15 regular season games for the Penguins. A Rust-Brassard-Kessel trio would be a very dangerous third line for Pittsburgh as Mike Sullivan loves using Kessel on the third line.

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Putting this duo together wouldn’t just get Pittsburgh back to the playoffs; it could get them their third Stanley Cup in four years.

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