Marcus Pettersson

Marcus Pettersson Is The NHL’s Most Bodychecked Player

November 10, 2024 at 8:25 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski 4 Comments

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson has been the most bodychecked player in the NHL dating back to the beginning of the 2018-19 season (as per Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The 28-year-old was acquired by the Penguins in December of 2018 and since that time he has become a staple in their top four, averaging over 19 minutes of ice time per game. Pettersson’s stable play has been a necessity for the Penguins as he’s been paired regularly with offensive-minded defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson.

Pettersson has been hit over 150 times more than any other player in the NHL dating back to 2018 but has remained relatively healthy during his time in Pittsburgh, playing in all 82 games last year. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan believes that Pettersson’s courage and bravery are the reason for him topping the list, but Pettersson believes that the Pittsburgh statistics guy is generous with his hits counting.

Pettersson is a pending unrestricted free agent and should cash in next summer with a productive 2024-25 season. However, he hasn’t had a great start to the year and has been surprisingly careless with the puck, committing 22 turnovers in just 16 games. That number is shockingly high, given that he committed just 32 turnovers in 82 games last year.

Pettersson’s future in Pittsburgh is unclear at this point. In September it was reported that the Penguins would begin contract talks with Pettersson, but, with the team’s uneven start to the season, it’s fair to wonder if Pittsburgh will move him at the trade deadline. Pittsburgh is not far off from entering a rebuild, and if their competitive window is closed, the team may find more value in picks and prospects over an aging defenseman who takes more hits than any other player in the league.

As mentioned earlier, Pettersson has been consistently healthy during his NHL career, however, as he enters his 30s it is fair to wonder if the physical toll of being bodychecked that much will start to affect the amount he can play and the impact he can have.

Metropolitan Notes: Pettersson, Tortorella, Vesey

October 26, 2024 at 1:42 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

The Penguins intend to wait a while before deciding if they’ll proceed with any significant discussions about an extension for defenseman Marcus Pettersson, relays David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has become a key cog on Pittsburgh’s back end in recent years and is heading for a raise on his current price tag of just over $4.0.25MM. However, the Penguins need to determine if they’re going to be a team that’s vying for a playoff spot in the second half of the season or a possible seller if things aren’t going so well. If it’s the latter, they could decide the better move is to move him as a rental player at the trade deadline where there would be a strong market for his services. Accordingly, don’t expect a decision on that front for a while yet. Pettersson has four points in nine games so far this season while averaging over 21 minutes a night of playing time.

Penguins Expected To Begin Negotiations With Marcus Pettersson Soon

September 11, 2024 at 7:06 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 7 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to turn their attention to extending defenseman Marcus Pettersson once they have finalized a new contract for captain Sidney Crosby (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). Pettersson is entering the final year of a five-year $20.13MM contract that he originally signed in January 2020. The deal has been an absolute bargain for the Penguins as the 29-year-old has blossomed into Pittsburgh’s most reliable defender.

Pettersson was originally acquired by Pittsburgh from the Anaheim Ducks back in December 2018. The deal was a one-for-one with forward Daniel Sprong heading back to the Ducks. The deal turned out to be fairly one-sided as Sprong has become a journeyman depth scorer while Pettersson has developed into a legitimate top four defenseman.

There is no indication on what kind of a contract Pettersson will be seeking, but given his importance to the Penguins, it’s not hard to picture him getting an extension in the range of $5.5MM to $6MM per season on a long-term pact. The Penguins don’t have another defender like Pettersson and might not be a top destination as the team enters a period of transition where they are attempting to remain competitive while building for the future.

Pettersson is hardly a household name but could certainly command a lucrative long-term deal in free agency, particularly if he can match his production from last season when he posted career highs in goals with four and assists with 26 as well as a +28 rating.

West Notes: Oilers, Ceci, Binnington

August 24, 2024 at 8:37 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski 2 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to let Philip Broberg go and to trade Cody Ceci has opened up a hole in their top four that Josh Wegman of The Score believes should be filled via trade before the NHL trade deadline. This week, the Oilers have been checking in on multiple veteran defensemen who remain free agents, but Wegman believes they will seek a better solution before the playoffs.

Wegman lists Marcus Pettersson, Jakob Chychrun, and Ivan Provorov as potential targets as all three men are pending unrestricted free agents. He also believes that the Oilers could look for a longer-term solution and seek a player with some years left on their contract such as Mike Matheson, Connor Murphy, or Radko Gudas. The Oilers have been linked to former Oilers Tyson Barrie and Justin Schultz this week, as well as former Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. While all of those defensemen have had solid NHL careers, they are not great options for a Stanley Cup-contending team looking to round out their second defensive pairing.

In other Western Conference notes:

Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal doesn’t believe that defenseman Cody Ceci will remain in a San Jose Sharks uniform for very long. The recently traded defenseman has one year left on his current contract with a cap hit of $3.25MM and will likely be dealt to a contending team before next year’s NHL trade deadline. Ceci has never been an analytics darling and probably shouldn’t be a top-four defenseman on a contending team, but as a bottom-pairing defender, he could bring a lot of value to a team looking to add some experience to the backend of their lineup.
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was reportedly very happy with the recent moves made by Blues general manager Doug Armstrong (as per Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com). Binnington told Zeisberger that the successful offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg showed current Blues players that Armstrong had faith in the group, which will motivate the club as they head into training camp. Binnington added that the additions to the Blues should help make the team more competitive next season as they will be a faster group that is harder for opponents to play against.

Penguins Delaying Marcus Pettersson Extension

August 10, 2024 at 7:29 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

The biggest storyline from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization over the last couple of weeks has been the ongoing extension negotiations with captain Sidney Crosby. However, the Penguins have another extension candidate in defenseman Marcus Pettersson who has been a consistently steady defenseman since they acquired him in 2018.

In an article from Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now, he asserts that the organization has delayed extension negotiations with Pettersson until Crosby has signed his new contract. There has been no indication that Pittsburgh is uninterested in extending Pettersson but the delayed negotiations could cause some unfortunate consequences for the team moving forward.

Pettersson is far and away the best left-shot defenseman on the Penguins’ roster entering the 2024-25 NHL season as Ryan Graves and newcomer Matt Grzelcyk will handle the other left-side positions in the defensive core. If Pittsburgh is out of playoff contention by next year’s deadline, they could look to move Pettersson for a quality haul but it would create a massive vacancy in their lineup.

The Penguins’ current roster construction does not allow wiggle room on the left side of the defense. The team could move Erik Karlsson or Kris Letang to the left side on the top pairing but that would significantly weaken the other two defensive lines. Pettersson has never been a top point producer from the blue line but his possession and defensive metrics show him to be a valuable presence in their lineup.

Pittsburgh did not significantly improve this offseason to the point of being considered a surefire playoff contender. Although the team would like to have Pettersson around for the long haul; the situation could become complicated if a defensive needy team is looking to pay a big price at next year’s deadline. Much like the Jake Guentzel situation from last year, the Penguins may be better served by letting Pettersson’s extension candidacy play out and ascertaining his trade market next spring.

Penguins Notes: Pettersson, Jarry, Smith

June 28, 2024 at 8:13 am CDT | by Josh Cybulski 10 Comments

Rob Rossi of The Athletic is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins and defensemen Marcus Pettersson have a mutual interest in signing a contract extension this summer. The 28-year-old Pettersson has one year left on his five-year contract at a cap hit of $4.025MM and was arguably the Penguins’ most steady defender last year, playing big minutes with both Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson and elevating both players.

The Penguins acquired Pettersson back in December 2018 for forward Daniel Sprong and the Skelleftea, Sweden native quickly became a regular on the Penguins’ back end. Pettersson has never been much of an offensive contributor but did post four goals and 26 assists in 82 games last season while playing 22:40 a game and providing terrific work on the penalty kill.

Pettersson’s next contract is tough to project, but given his contributions of late, it’s not unrealistic to expect his AAV to fall in the range of $5.5MM to $6MM per season on a long-term deal.

In other Penguins notes:

Rob Rossi of The Athletic is reporting that Tristan Jarry can submit a new 12-team no-trade list to the Penguins on July 1st, which could complicate a potential trade if they don’t move him before that day. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas would reportedly like to make a hockey trade for Jarry if he chooses to move him and wants to receive back a top-six winger or a top-four defenseman. According to Rossi, the Penguins aren’t in a rush to deal Jarry and are comfortable starting next season with him and recently re-signed Alex Nedeljkovic, as there is some debate about whether top goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist is ready to take a role in the NHL next season.
The Penguins are hesitant to bring forward Reilly Smith back for the final season of his contract (as per Rossi). Pittsburgh management doesn’t believe that Smith was unhappy to be a Penguin, but reportedly hoped he would have an easier transition to the team after he came over in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights. Smith recently changed agents and is now represented by Pat Brisson, who also represents teammate Sidney Crosby. Rossi believes that the Penguins will work with Brisson to determine the best situation for Smith and the team and act accordingly. If that course of action is a trade, then the Penguins will look to move Smith to a destination that suits him. The Penguins offered Smith up at the trade deadline but couldn’t find a dance partner at that time. Smith has one year left on his contract at a $5MM cap hit.

Penguins Notes: Pettersson, Guentzel Trade Return, Harkins

May 17, 2024 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 6 Comments

Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson is one of their notable extension candidates this summer as he’ll officially enter the final year of his contract in July. Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examined some of the possible comparable players for the blueliner, concluding that a long-term agreement for him could approach $6MM per season, a fair-sized raise for someone making just over $4MM per year now. The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, one that saw him collect 28 points in 82 games while logging over 22 minutes a night which certainly will help his case in negotiations. Considering the long-term deals Pittsburgh has on the books already, it’s quite possible that the team could look to move him if they feel he’ll be too expensive to keep around.

Elsewhere in Pittsburgh:

As a result of Carolina being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday, the Jake Guentzel trade from March is now finalized. CapFriendly points out (Twitter link) that because the Hurricanes lost (failing to reach the Stanley Cup Final), the conditional 2024 second-round pick (44th overall from Philadelphia) they gave up will not be upgraded to their 2024 first-round selection. Meanwhile, the conditional fifth-round pick will no longer transfer to Pittsburgh since Carolina isn’t going to win the Stanley Cup this year.
Forward Jansen Harkins is slated to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer. Although he eventually earned the trust of the coaching staff as the season went on, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests that it’s not a guarantee that the Penguins try to bring him back. Harkins was claimed off waivers in training camp to add more depth up front but GM Kyle Dubas could conceivably try to bring in other players to battle for those last couple of roster spots while moving on from the ones who has those spots this season. The 26-year-old had four assists in 45 games while averaging just over eight minutes a night of ice time.

Penguins Notes: Pettersson, Nedeljkovic, Smith, Rakell, Bemstrom

April 24, 2024 at 6:53 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

While Sidney Crosby’s potential for a contract extension will certainly dominate the offseason speculation in Pittsburgh, he’s not the only Penguins player of note who is eligible for a new deal. Blueliner Marcus Pettersson will be entering the final year of his contract next season, making him eligible to sign an extension as of July 1st.

While many expect Crosby will sign quickly, Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the team is optimistic that Pettersson will also put pen to paper on a new deal quickly this summer. The 27-year-old is coming off his best season, one that saw him post career-highs offensively with four goals and 26 assists while also logging 22:40 per night, another benchmark that also put him third on the team in that regard. Producing like and playing the minutes of a second-pairing defender should have Pettersson in line for a fairly sizable raise on his current $4.025MM price tag.

East Notes: Reinhart, Vatrano, Pettersson, Salminen

February 3, 2024 at 2:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 7 Comments

Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is the top-scoring forward that’s eligible to hit the open market this summer. With a career-best 37 goals already along with 62 points, he’s well on his way to commanding a significant raise on his current $6.5MM AAV while securing a long-term pact for the first time. Speaking with reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, he acknowledged that talks continue but the fact a deal isn’t done isn’t serving as a distraction:

We both know where each other stands. We both know we want to get something done. And we’re both comfortable with how it’s going, so it’s not distracting me by any means at all. I think when you’re trying to build something we’re trying to in Florida, some things take time. We’re both comfortable, we’re both trying to ultimately win a Stanley Cup this year. And that’s where our focus mainly is.

If Reinhart pushes past the 100-point mark plateau this season, there’s a case to be made that his next contract should be past the $10MM mark. However, that’d be tough to fit on the books for the Panthers who would likely want to see him slot in at or closer to Matthew Tkachuk’s $9.5MM price tag.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

Ducks winger Frank Vatrano is having his best season, notching 36 points in 50 games already to secure an All-Star spot. With one year left on his contract at $3.65MM and Anaheim in a firm rebuild, some have wondered if the 29-year-old could be a trade candidate. Speaking to reporters on All-Star Media Day including Forever Blueshirts’ Jim Cerny, Vatrano acknowledged the situation is out of his hands but that he’d prefer to remain with the Ducks. That said, teams looking for some scoring help on the wing and don’t want to pay a high price tag for a rental will likely be calling about Vatrano over the next few weeks.
If the Penguins opt to sell at the trade deadline, Jake Guentzel would obviously receive the most interest. Beyond him, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that defenseman Marcus Pettersson might be their next-best trade chip. The 27-year-old has had one of his more productive years with 19 points in 46 games while averaging a career-high 22:37 per night, third among Pittsburgh’s rearguards. With one year left on his deal after this one with a cap hit of just over $4.025MM, he could certainly be an intriguing acquisition for a playoff-bound team looking for more than a one-year rental.
Devils prospect Samu Salminen received a one-game suspension from Hockey East for a hit on Friday night, notes Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a third-round pick by New Jersey back in 2021 but has seen his production this season with Connecticut slow down, notching just five goals and five assists in 26 games (after putting up 17 points in 27 games in his freshman year).

Update On Erik Karlsson To Pittsburgh Rumblings

July 20, 2023 at 12:47 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 30 Comments

Rob Rossi of The Athletic wrote a column today with regard to the Erik Karlsson trade saga. While many of the updates offered were hardly surprising, there were a few pieces of information that gave some insights into how the Pittsburgh Penguins became involved in the trade talks. Pittsburgh always seemed like a team that couldn’t squeeze a player with Karlsson’s cap number into their lineup, but based on the recent reporting it appears that they are the front-runner.

Rossi begins the article by dropping the news that Kyle Dubas reportedly identified Erik Karlsson as a trade target while he was in the interview process with Penguins ownership. Now, aside from the Tristan Jarry extension to this point much of Dubas’ work has been to tinker around the edges of the Penguins lineup. But it does appear that he’s built up the club’s depth in the bottom six and their defense core for the possibility that some players could be shipped out very soon.

Another newer piece of information that Rossi mentions is that Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have reportedly endorsed the potential Karlsson acquisition and in Letang’s case, he’s even agreed to make changes to his own role within the Penguins lineup. If a potential trade were to go through, Letang would remain as Pittsburgh’s number one defenseman, however, Letang would change his powerplay role to allow Karlsson to quarterback the Penguin’s powerplay.

San Jose was also reportedly interested in defenseman Marcus Pettersson being part of a potential blockbuster, however, Dubas has squashed that notion thus far as head coach Mike Sullivan sees Pettersson and newly acquired defender Ryan Graves as the top two options for the left side of Pittsburgh’s defensive group. Pettersson was terrific for Pittsburgh last season after seeing his name all over trade rumors boards for much of the summer of 2022.

Lastly, Dubas apparently wants to put top-5 protection on any first-round pick he trades in a Karlsson deal and has reportedly floated the idea of putting other conditions such as home-ice advantage on lower-round draft picks that could be involved in the deal.

While it appears that the Penguins are still the front-runner to land the reigning Norris Trophy winner, it doesn’t appear that a trade is imminent anytime soon. Pittsburgh would have to navigate an awful lot of moving parts to push the trade through, however, as we’ve seen in the past these trades can come together quickly when teams are motivated to make the move happen. Regardless of the outcome, it does look like Dubas has plans to continue his makeover of the Penguins roster before the start of the 2023-24 season.

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