Insider Reveals Which Penguins Defenseman Is Most Likely to Be Traded
The Pittsburgh Penguins are preparing to make some big moves, and now insider David Pagnotta has linked a top blue liner to the Winnipeg Jets.
For years now, things have been trending downwards in Pittsburgh, and after the team fell 7-1 against the Dallas Stars, they quickly began their sale, moving Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals.
Since that point, there's been plenty of speculation about their top stars and who will be going and staying, but one name that consistently pops up in the former category is defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
The 28-year old has been with the Penguins since the start of the 2018/19 season, becoming one of their most consistent players, but now with his deal set to expire at the end of this season, it makes sense for the team to move him.
Now, insider David Pagnotta has zeroed in on the veteran of 462 NHL games, naming the 15-1-0 Winnipeg Jets as a fantastic landing spot for Pettersson, who would anchor the second line behind the top pairing of Josh Morrissey and Dylan Demelo.
«Marcus Pettersson is probably going to be on a lot of teams radars out of Pittsburgh,» Pagnotta stated. «I've got to imagine that Chevy and the crew in Winnipeg are going to look at him, but man, if they add somebody else to that top four D-core, they're going to be that much more potent.»
On top of that, Pettersson has also been identified as a good fit for the Vancouver Canucks by The Athletic, as he was acquired by Jim Rutherford, current President of Hockey Operations and GM Patrik Allvin while they were working at the top of the Penguins organization.
As we've been reporting for weeks now, if there were a straightforward, affordable way for Vancouver to add a bona fide top-four defender on the trade market, the club likely would have already made that deal. Pettersson stands out as a familiar face for Canucks management who could help address their most pressing need.
While Pettersson certainly won't be as cheap as he was when Rutherford and Allvin acquired him from the Ducks, he would be a perfect fit for the Canucks on the left side behind Quin Hughes.
Ultimately, it's a matter of when, not if Pettersson will be traded by the Penguins, with Winnipeg and Vancouver likely to be just two of many teams interested in acquiring him.
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