Of the Penguins' big three unrestricted free agents entering this offseason -- Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust -- there was a time when it seemed like Rust would be the most likely of the bunch to be lost to free agency.
Rust, 30, was coming off of a career season, having scored 24 goals and 34 assists in 60 games. He was due for a substantial raise on his expiring $3.5 million salary, with projections for a new deal including a salary north of $7 million. There was thought that Rust's hometown Red Wings would be a likely destination, given Detroit's ample cap space.