To Trade Or Not To Trade: Defenseman Marcus Pettersson

Should the Penguins deal defenseman Marcus Pettersson before the Mar. 7 NHL trade deadline?

It's that time of year again, folks! The NHL trade floodgates have officially opened, and with that, rumors and movement will be abound. 

And the case is no different for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Since the team is looking to compete and rebuild its prospect pool simultaneously, it's probably safe to assume that they will be looking to move out some of their pending unrestricted free agent contracts.

So, The Hockey News - Pittsburgh Penguins site will take a look at each Penguins' unrestricted free agent, the pros and cons to trading them, and the likelihood that they're moved prior to the Mar. 7 trade deadline - as well as some potential landing spots.

First up: defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

Of all the Penguins' players reportedly on the trade block, Pettersson makes the most sense. And he just might be the most coveted defenseman at the trade deadline. 

With the Columbus Blue Jackets currently in wild card contention, it is no certain thing that defenseman Ivan Provorov will be available. Rasmus Ristolainen may also be available, but he has a higher cap hit and two more seasons beyond 2024-25 left on his contract.

Pettersson, 28, is a pending unrestricted free agent who makes just $4.025 million for the remainder of the season. He is a top-four defenseman who is reliable in his own zone and can help chip in on breakouts as well as in the attacking zone. He also skates fairly well for a defenseman of his size at 6-foot-5, and he uses his frame and his reach advantageously, particularly when defending the rush.

He can also score the occasional "goal-scorer's goal":

Of the Penguins' trade candidates, he is both the most tradeable and the most valuable. A realistic expectation in terms of a return is a second-round pick and a mid-tier prospect or "reclamation project-type" young NHL player. 

However, if he is the most coveted defenseman on the market, that could drive up the price just a little bit. In any case, he's valuable enough to get a pretty good return, but expecting a first-round pick is an overvaluation.

The left-side Pettersson is a large part of the reason why defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson - two offensively gifted and high-risk right defensemen - have been able to generate offense they way they do.

Pettersson's reliability and steadiness in his own zone is unmatched by any other Penguins blueliner, and - aside from, maybe, Owen Pickering - the Penguins do not currently have anyone else in their system capable of eating minutes and playing as well as he does alongside their top-two defensemen.

Without Pettersson in the mix, the left side on defense will be pretty severely hampered, and - unless there is another defenseman coming back in the deal - this is a risky move for a team trying to make the playoffs.

Given the Penguins placement in the standings - and the fact that Pettersson, despite being a reliable defenseman, is having a down year in the defensive department - getting as much value as possible for him seems to be the best play.

The Penguins do not currently have a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, either. Recouping that asset could be a pretty big get for the Penguins in the grand scheme of things, especially if they want to leverage some higher-value assets to acquire more young talent for their roster. In addition, getting another Philip Tomasino or Cody Glass - or another near-NHL-ready prospect - has some upside potential.

They also have four other left defensemen on their roster already in Matt Grzelcyk, P.O Joseph, Ryan Graves, and Ryan Shea. In addition, defensive prospects such as Owen Pickering - who has spent a large chunk of the season on the NHL roster - and Emil Pieniniemi are in position to see time at the NHL level next season. They also have defensemen Filip Kral and Mac Hollowell as options in the AHL.

The pros to trading Pettersson outweigh the cons, so don't be surprised if it happens soon. Teams such as the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild seem to be good fits for the top-four defenseman, and they're also teams that may be able to provide the assets Pittsburgh would be looking for.