{"id":620410,"date":"2026-07-11T19:57:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T19:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/620410\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T19:57:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T19:57:18","slug":"nhl-trade-rumors-oilers-urged-to-target-2-time-stanley-cup-champion-with-proven-playoff-pedigree-nhl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/620410\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Trade Rumors: Oilers urged to target 2-time Stanley Cup champion with proven playoff pedigree | NHL News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NHLNHL Trade Rumors (Getty Images) The Edmonton Oilers have not spent the offseason standing still. After making major changes that included moving on from Darnell Nurse, appointing Mike Babcock as head coach, and adding experienced players such as Ryan Shea and Frederik Andersen, the organization has continued to reshape its roster with one goal in mind: winning the Stanley Cup. Yet one area still draws attention. Edmonton could use another proven top-six winger, and one NHL insider believes Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust checks nearly every box if the opportunity to make a deal eventually opens up.<\/p>\n

Why is Bryan Rust being linked with the Edmonton Oilers?<\/p>\n

Bryan Rust is not believed to be actively available, but Pittsburgh’s long-term direction has naturally fueled speculation. The Penguins are working through a roster transition, looking to get younger while remaining competitive. If they slip out of the playoff picture during the season, veterans with strong value could become attractive trade pieces.That is where Jason Gregor sees an opportunity for Edmonton.”If I could get Bryan Rust at the deadline, I would take him. Rust has been extremely consistent and I love how he plays. You know what? He\u2019s played in the playoffs. He knows how to compete, all those sorts of things. This guy can score goals, but I like how he scores,” Gregor said.Gregor also believes timing will decide whether talks become realistic.”I\u2019m not sold on the Penguins now. They surprised me last year. I didn\u2019t think they were gonna be a playoff team last year. So, I could be wrong again, but I would be willing to wager and say, okay, let\u2019s see if Pittsburgh\u2019s out of it. And if they are, then we can make a deal with them,” he added.His comments reflect a practical approach rather than immediate trade buzz. Edmonton may simply need to wait and see how Pittsburgh’s season develops before exploring any serious discussions.<\/p>\n

What would Bryan Rust add to Connor McDavid and the Oilers?<\/p>\n

Rust’s appeal goes beyond his scoring numbers. Over the years, he has earned a reputation as one of the NHL’s most dependable complementary forwards because of how he impacts games without dominating the puck. His skating, relentless forechecking and responsible defensive play allow skilled teammates to operate with more freedom.Those traits could fit naturally alongside either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Instead of needing offensive touches every shift, Rust has consistently created chances through smart positioning and pressure on opposing defenders.His playoff background only strengthens his case. Rust played an important role during Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017 and has appeared in 85 postseason games. That experience is especially valuable for an Edmonton team still chasing the final step after multiple deep playoff runs.His contract also works in the Oilers’ favor. Rust carries a manageable $5.125 million cap hit for two more seasons, meaning Edmonton would not be adding a short-term rental. If a trade became possible, the club would gain a proven playoff performer for multiple championship pushes while preserving flexibility after moving Nurse’s contract.For now, everything depends on Pittsburgh’s place in the standings. If the Penguins fall out of contention, Rust could quickly become one of the most closely watched names ahead of the trade deadline, with Edmonton expected to be among the teams showing serious interest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NHL Trade Rumors (Getty Images) The Edmonton Oilers have not spent the offseason standing still. After making major…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":620411,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[463,464],"tags":[15137,155,146,5,4,106,60,548,546,118,14,3823,104,718],"class_list":["post-620410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl-playoffs","category-stanley-cup-playoffs","tag-bryan-rust-trade-rumors","tag-connor-mcdavid","tag-edmonton-oilers","tag-hockey","tag-nhl","tag-nhl-news","tag-nhl-playoffs","tag-nhl-trade-deadline","tag-nhl-trade-rumors","tag-penguins","tag-stanley-cup","tag-stanley-cup-champion","tag-stanley-cup-playoffs","tag-stanley-cup-playoffs-nhl"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116903113366481825","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}