Penguins Defenseman Primed for Career Year
Marcus Pettersson is in the perfect position to standout with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
There is plenty to be excited about as the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare for the 2023-24 season.
Erik Karlsson has joined the fold, the core should be hungrier than ever, and the Penguins have a new face in charge who should push them in a more successful direction.
Beyond the obvious excitement surrounding the team, there is a certain player who is primed to put together the best season of his career.
Assuming he plays alongside Karlsson for a majority of the season, 27-year-old defenseman Marcus Pettersson should excel to new levels.
Pettersson showed flashes of his skill and potential during the 2022-23 season while sharing a blue line with Jeff Petry or a handful of games on the top unit with Kris Letang.
Pettersson said himself that he feels more aware of his surroundings when he plays with a guy like Letang who has a tendency to pinch and contribute offensively.
Those sorts of maneuvers from Letang forced Pettersson to remain vigilante and focus on playing wise defensively.
It seems likely that Pettersson will start the season with Karlsson as his linemate; if Letang got great defense out of Pettersson, there’s no telling what kind of level he’ll reach with Karlsson.
Not only will Pettersson have an increased role defensively playing alongside Karlsson, his offensive output should see a jump just by playing on the same ice.
Pettersson tied his career-high number in assists during the 2022-23 season with 23, and that number should only go up by sharing a line with Karlsson.
The 2023-24 season will be a vital one for the Penguins and it aligns perfectly with Pettersson hitting the prime years of his career.
At 27-years-old, playing with a future Hall of Famer and fellow Sweden native in Karlsson, Pettersson should be able to put together the best year of his career.
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