During a recent appearance on SN590, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared that the Pittsburgh Penguins have had discussions with the Buffalo Sabres about moving up to the ninth-overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft. 

In addition, Friedman noted that he thinks the Penguins and Sabres have also had talks about Pittsburgh star winger Bryan Rust. 

"I think Pittsburgh has discussed moving up to 9 with Buffalo," Friedman said. "I mentioned on the pod this morning, I think they have been talking about Bryan Rust. I could see them talking to Buffalo about the possibility of Rust going there, and Pittsburgh getting nine, and Buffalo getting one of those two Pittsburgh picks."

Rust has been a popular name in the rumor mill as of late, and it is easy to understand why. The Penguins are in the middle of retooling their roster, and the 33-year-old forward has improved his trade value due to his strong 2024-25 season. In 71 games this campaign, the Michigan native had 31 goals, 34 assists, and 65 points. 

It would certainly be significant if the Penguins acquired the ninth-overall pick from Buffalo, as it would increase their odds of landing a very good prospect this year. This would be big for the Penguins, especially when noting that their prospect pool could use some improvement.

Nevertheless, with draft day here, it will be interesting to see if these reported discussions lead to a possible trade between the Penguins and Sabres from here. 

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