Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin won't technically share a line with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they will share a lot of ice. The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2023-24 season with new faces in their lineup and front office. Despite those changes, the usual cast of characters will again shoulder the bulk of the responsibilities for the Penguins this season. That is nothing new for the Penguins' incumbent leadership core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, who have carried those responsibilities since arriving in Pittsburgh. They did receive reinforcements in the form of three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson this offseason. While that "core four" will be leaned on to return this organization to the glory of the late 2010s, it's a slightly lesser-known face that could hold the key to this team's success. Marcus Pettersson is already entering his sixth season with the Penguins and has become their most reliable defensive defenseman. The 27-year-old Swede is coming off a season in 2022 that saw him set a career-high in expected goals [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20222023&thruseason=20222023&stype=2&sit=5v5&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=p&playerid=8477969] and fall one point shy (24) of breaking his career-high in points (25) despite playing in 16 fewer games. Pettersson will be relied heavily upon as the steadying defensive force for Karlsson to start the season. The Penguins need Pettersson to be at the top of his game defensively to allow Karlsson to comfortably take the risks that inherently come with his style of play. If Pettersson fails to perform, it could force Karlsson to either play a more tentative game, taking away what makes him a special player, to begin with, or leave the defensive zone in a vulnerable position, forcing the Penguins to shuffle pairings and stray from the their early gameplan. All signs have pointed to a good start for the all-Swedish defense pairing, leading all Penguins defensive pairs with 73% of the expected goals in their first preseason dress rehearsal last Thursday. But further success this season will depend on Pettersson's ability to perform at the top of his game. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkgRF9-VKR4[/embed] Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Insider Says Penguins Defenseman Lack Compete Level [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-ty-smith-lacks-compete-level] Penguins vs. Senators: Crosby Returns Home [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-ottawa-senators-sidney-crosby-returns-home] New Defender Still Fighting for Spot in Penguins Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/ryan-shea-fighting-spot-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Penguins Forward Continues To Receive Opportunities [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-radim-zohorna-recieve-opportunities] Penguins Announce Roster for Preseason Game in Halifax [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-roster-preseason-halifax] * undefined * undefined Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTkwMDEyNjI0OTM4MzYw/img_6014.jpg]
