The Penguins have been busy with Sidney Crosby’s contract talks lately.
But there’s another player, Marcus Pettersson, who also needs a new deal. Dan Kingerski from Pittsburgh Hockey Now says the team is waiting to finish Crosby’s contract before they start talking to Pettersson. This delay might cause some problems for the Penguins later on.
Pettersson is the best left-shot defenseman on the team for the 2024-25 season. Ryan Graves and Matt Grzelcyk will take care of other spots on the left side. If the Penguins aren’t doing well by next year’s deadline, they might trade Pettersson for good value, but that would leave a big hole in their lineup . Moving Erik Karlsson or Kris Letang to cover this gap would weaken other defensive lines. While Pettersson doesn’t score much, his defensive skills are crucial.
Contract Talks and Team Strategy:
The Penguins didn’t make huge improvements this offseason, so they’re not guaranteed a playoff spot. They want to keep Pettersson long-term, but if another team offers a lot for him at next year’s deadline, things could get tricky. Fans might think trading him could be smart if it helps the team in other ways.
Just like last year’s situation with Jake Guentzel, it might be better for the Penguins to wait and see how things go before deciding on Pettersson’s future.
What do you think about all these changes?
