Penguins A to Z: Marcus Pettersson rewards management's faith
While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 54 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Player: Marcus Pettersson
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Age: 24
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 177 pounds
2019-20 NHL statistics: 69 games, 22 points (two goals, 20 assists)
Contract: One-year contract with a salary cap hit of $874,125.
(Note: On Jan. 28, Pettersson signed a five-year contract with a salary of $4,025,175 that begins in the 2020-21 season)
Acquired: Trade, Dec. 3, 2018
This season: In September, Marcus Pettersson had a decision to make.
He could threaten a holdout as a restricted free agent — the way others such as Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine or Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner did — in the name of gaining a lucrative contract. Or he could sign the one-year tender he received and trust a satisfactory long-term deal eventually would be extended.
That faith in management was rewarded in January when he agreed to a contract extension that could keep him in a Penguins jersey for the next half-decade.
Of course, that conviction was reciprocal as Pettersson validated the hopes the team’s scouts had when they lobbied to acquire the lanky defenseman from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for intriguing but disappointing forward prospect Daniel Sprong.
Since that point, Pettersson has done nothing but develop and take on more important assignments with the Penguins.
Initially used in a third pairing with Jack Johnson or Erik Gudbranson, Pettersson graduated to the second duo this season.
One of two players to appear in all 69 of the Penguins’ games in 2019-20, Pettersson opened as a partner with veteran puckmover Justin Schultz, but Schultz’s injuries throughout the season forced a marriage between Pettersson and rookie John Marino. Even when Schultz was healthy enough to play, that union remained intact by mid-March as the NHL halted play.
Pettersson’s defensive acumen — with a long reach, sound gap control and a good stick capable of disrupting puck handlers — will remain his calling card. But he also has begun to tap a subtle offensive element to his game.
And while no one will confuse him with Deryk Engelland or Francois Leroux, Pettersson has in some ways served as a de facto “enforcer” for a team adverse to using a lineup spot on a player with greater pugilistic prowess.
The future: Long-term, general manager Jim Rutherford has been nothing short of giddy over the Marino-Pettersson duo and has suggested it could become the team’s top pairing over the course of a decade.
Assuming the NHL can commence with its plan to stage the postseason this summer, Pettersson and Marino figure to configure the team’s second defensive pairing once again. The pairing of the two young blue-liners has been a surprising development this season.
Pettersson has all the tools to be a modern defensive defenseman. He has size, but he’s not slow. He uses his stick to hassle skilled forwards but not to hook or hold them. And while he won’t go on end-to-end rushes, he’s competent with the puck.
Above all else, he has management’s trust. He’s more than earned it.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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