Molinari: Why Bryan Rust Should Be on Team USA’s Roster

It would be easy to leave Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Bryan Rust off the Team USA roster for the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off tournament.

That doesn’t mean it would be wise.

Oh, it’s not as if there will be yelps of protest from across the contiguous 48 if Rust is overlooked for the competition between the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland, which is scheduled for Feb. 12-20.

The hard truth is that this country has a bounty of forwards capable of performing at a world-class level, and when the balance of the U.S. squad is announced Wednesday, some guys who absolutely could have contributed to the team’s success will find there’s no room for them on the roster.

If the team was being selected by, say, a fan vote, Rust’s prospects for inclusion likely would fall somewhere between nominal and nil. After all, he plays for a team that has mostly stumbled through the first third of the 2024-25 season, and while his personal stats — seven goals and five assists in 19 games heading into the Penguins’ collision with Florida tonight at 7:08 at PPG Paints Arena — certainly are solid, they are not as spectacular as those of some others vying for a chance to represent the U.S.

Fortunately for Rust, Team USA is being constructed by people who recognize and appreciate the diversity of talents and styles needed to compete at high levels. The headliners among the selectors include Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, whose respect for Rust’s work is evident anytime the subject is raised, and Minnesota GM Bill Guerin, who got first-hand knowledge of Rust’s value while serving in the Penguins’ front office.

Sullivan and Guerin both know that Rust’s history shows that he would not only embrace whatever role he would be given, but would immerse himself in it.

Need someone to kill penalties and block shots? That’s him.

Work the boards and forecheck like a rabid badger? Yep.

Man the power play and make whatever sacrifice is needed to score goals? Uh-huh.

Versatility is one of Rust’s greatest assets, and a good reason to make room for him on the roster.

He can play up and down the lineup and, while he generally labors on the Penguins’ top line, would be more likely to fill a bottom-six role on a U.S. team loaded with gifted centers and wingers.

One factor that could work in his favor is that Rust is a right-handed shot, and most projections of the U.S. roster are dominated by lefties. With so many qualified candidates for so few spots, any minor edge matters.

Although Rust’s international experience is limited to winning a gold medal with Team USA at the under-18 world championships in 2010, that really isn’t a negative because this tournament will be contested on NHL-sized rinks at the Bell Centre in Montreal and Boston’s TD Garden, not the larger international ones. Not that anything about Rust’s game would be adversely affected by playing on bigger ice, anyway.

If Rust is selected, he should have at least one familiar teammate — Tampa Bay winger Jake Guentzel, Rust’s frequent linemate during their time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, is a virtual lock to make the U.S. team — and will be competing against some guys with whom he shares a locker room most of the time.

Sidney Crosby (Canada) and Erik Karlsson (Sweden) already have been chosen for their nations’ teams, and Rickard Rakell is a popular choice to land a berth in the Swedes’ lineup Wednesday.

The final rosters for the Finns and Swedes will be announced at 2 p.m. that day, while the rest of the U.S. and Canadian squads will be revealed at 6:30 p.m.

The U.S. won’t sabotage its prospects for winning the tournament if Rust isn’t put on the team then.

But having him in the lineup surely would not hurt its chances.