Veteran Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust, a longtime linemate of star center Sidney Crosby, is expected to miss the season opener next week.
Rust will be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced Thursday. The Penguins open the regular season Tuesday on the road against the New York Rangers.
Rust, 33, is coming off a career-best campaign, posting 31 goals and 34 assists over 71 games in his 11th season since the Penguins selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft. The solid campaign came after he missed the first two games of the season with an undisclosed injury.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh, Rust has three seasons left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.125 million.
Rust has totaled 437 points (203 goals, 234 assists) in 638 regular-season games. Over 79 postseason games, he has contributed 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists).
