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It's officially the season for college hockey players to make the jump to the NHL, and Bryan Rust of Notre Dame became the latest such player to do so, as the Penguins inked him to a two-year entry level contract. Rust was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke the news.
The Penguins have signed forward Bryan Rust, late of Notre Dame, to a two-year entry level contract. It kicks in next season.
— Dave Molinari (@MolinariPG) April 1, 2014
While Rust was not one of our top 100 prospects, he's a steady offensive player with a nose for the net. While he's a bit small at 5-foot-11, Rust is a good skater, with good finishing skills. A former member of the United Stated National Development Team, Rust's numbers improved with each of his seasons at Notre Dame, culminating with a season-high 17 goals this season.
A durable player (Rust played at least 40 games in all four of his seasons for the Fighting Irish) he posted a line or 43-54=97 in 161 career games. His Notre Dame career ended when the Fighting Irish were bounced in the first round of the West Regional by St. Cloud State.