The Winnipeg Jets are a team that will be expected to remain a top contender in the west as this 25-26 campaign swiftly approaches. The defending Presidents trophy winners will hope to return to the playoffs and go on a deeper run than last years 2nd round exit.
One area of the Jets lineup that is substantially weakened heading into this season is their strength of wingers. The reason being is the loss of one of their top forwards Nikolaj Ehlers to Carolina during this past free agent window.
The Jets have not yet addressed this problem during the summer with their biggest addition being legendary center Jonathan Toews who has been out of the game since 2023. Michael DeRosa of Heavy Sports has cooked up a mock trade that fills this need.
Winnipeg acquires: Bryan Rust
Pittsburgh acquires: 2026 1st rounder, Nikita Chibrikov, Morgan Barron
Why would the Jets make this trade?
Bryan Rust is one of the more sought after forwards on the trade block. It is known the Pens are shopping the veteran forward as the club enters a change of identity in the midst of a rebuild. For Pittsburgh, the move makes sense as they shed a 33 year old who would likely hurt their chances in the Gavin McKenna race to the bottom this season. And they get younger in the process by adding a couple youth pieces and valuable draft capital.
For Winnipeg, Rust would effectively replace the production lost with Nikolai Ehlers’s 63 points in 69 games last season. Rust amassed 65 points in 71 games on a struggling Pittsburgh squad last year. Imagine what he could do on a much better Jets team playing with the likes of Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele up front. That could give Winnipeg one of the more dangerous top lines in the league.
Overall, it is a trade that appears to make sense for both teams in vastly different situations with one increasing their Stanley Cup chances and the other increasing their draft lottery chances in the tank bowl.
