Maple Leafs Urged to Trade For Bryan Rust

As the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to scope out potential trades this offseason, the idea. of the team moving veteran wing Bryan Rust has come about. Rust could net Pittsburgh some strong future assets and the front office may be willing to move him while they rebuild the team.

One interesting landing spot for Rust could be the Toronto Maple Leafs. NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report listed some landing spots for the veteran, and the Maple Leafs were mentioned.

"The Maple Leafs keep losing in the playoffs because they never score enough goals or come through in big moments. Rust has a knack for being the type of player who has consistently come through in big games.

"Is he better than Marner? No, but he has the type of big-game DNA the Maple Leafs are lacking," Gretz wrote.

If the Maple Leafs were to go after Rust, it could be a major boost to the lineup. Toronto has some big shoes to fill with Marner leaving the team, and Rust could help plug up some of the gaps.

Last year with the Penguins, Rust put together a career season. The veteran scored 31 goals and 34 assists over 71 games played.

It would likely take some creativity on the part of the Maple Leafs front office to get a deal done, especially considering that the team doesn't have a lot of tradable assets. But for Toronto to position themselves stronger in the Eastern Conference, this could be a move worth making.

The Maple Leafs continue to look for ways to improve the team, and it could see them make a splash late in the offseason. Rust could be the perfect addition, and the team may want to look into going after a deal.