$30 Million Stanley Cup Champion Now Available to the Maple Leafs Via Trade

Last season, Pittsburgh Penguins winger scored a career-high in goals with 31, while also notching another 34 assists. His 65 points in 71 games were impressive, and there is no doubt he is living up to his contract.

Right now, Rust is in the midst of a six-year deal worth $5.125 million per season. That amounts to $30.75 million over the course of all six years.

He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028, but with the Penguins looking to continue their retool, there is a chance the team might want to move on from Rust.

According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, there have been numerous trade calls on Rust, with teams practically jumping out the window to make a deal.

Rust's trade value has never been higher, and the Toronto Maple Leafs could certainly consider him as a viable option to replace Mitch Marner, at least in a small capacity.

31 goals and 65 points are nothing to scoff at. The winger is clearly still very capable of producing at a high level, and the Maple Leafs should be taking this into consideration.

General manager Brad Treliving has a tough job in front of him, and we hope to see him make some big moves soon.

The Stanley Cup Finals will be done in about a week from now, so we imagine the Leafs will be more active once the focus is off the current series at hand.

However, once we enter draft week, things could get a little bit nutty. No matter what, the future of the Leafs starts now.