Kyle Dubas and the Penguins Holding Off on Extending Marcus Pettersson per Insider
Photo credit: Bob Fried-USA Today sports
After signing captain and franchise icon Sidney Crosby before the season started, GM Kyle Dubas has decided to postpone any further extension negotiations with Marcus Pettersson.
It seems as though he is uncertain if the team will be genuine playoff contenders this year or in the future. In his last year of a five-year deal worth $20.1 million with the Penguins, Pettersson is expected to become an unrestricted free agent, and everyone involved has been quiet about his future with the team.
The belief was that after Sidney Crosby got locked in, that the Penguins would reach out to Pettersson's camp about an extension and at least get the ball rolling there. (But) My understanding is that hasn't happened.
There haven't been any significant negotiations, or talks, quite frankly, between the Penguins and Pettersson's side. It sounds like the Penguins want to see exactly who they are this season. It doesn't mean they don't want to sign him, it means they're doing their due diligence to see exactly what direction this team is going to go, and then make decisions with respect to the immediate and the future of this club.
There haven't been any significant negotiations, or talks, quite frankly, between the Penguins and Pettersson's side. It sounds like the Penguins want to see exactly who they are this season. It doesn't mean they don't want to sign him, it means they're doing their due diligence to see exactly what direction this team is going to go, and then make decisions with respect to the immediate and the future of this club.
Pagnotta predicts that no talks will happen until the new year at the latest. After joining Pittsburgh through a trade with the Anaheim Ducks in December 2018, the 28-year-old has the sixth-longest tenure with the Penguins.
Pettersson, who is widely regarded as the team's best defensive defenseman, is a little amazed by how long he has been a Penguin and how much he has grown both on and off the ice.
«First, as a hockey player, my career took a step in a right direction coming here,» Pettersson said. «It was a boost coming here. As a human, I mean my kid - first-born - he was born here. I'll always have that with me. He'll always have that with him. His hometown, Pittsburgh. That's always special. A lot of guys have their kids being born here and you form a special bond whenever you have that. I've become a father and a husband, everything I've done is here.
«It holds a special place in my heart.»
«It holds a special place in my heart.»
During his season-opening media availability in Cranberry on October 7, Kyle Dubas praised Pettersson despite his policy of not publicly discussing possible contract negotiations.
«It's ended up being an excellent trade (in 2018) for the Penguins because Marcus is really about what the Penguins are always about,» Dubas said. «He's extraordinarily competitive. He's gotten the absolute most out of himself here and developed into an extraordinary steady defenseman. He's zero maintenance. He works his butt off every day. Great teammate that people love to be around. You never hear anything about him from my end other than you watch him on the ice. He makes stops, continues to evolve with his puck play.»
As the Penguins struggled to remain competitive last season, Dubas gave All-Star forward Jake Guentzel, another well-liked figure in the team's locker room, similar praise throughout the season before ultimately trading him.
Last year, Pettersson had what may have been his best season to date. With four goals, he set a career high and finished with thirty points overall. With the Penguins, he played almost 23 minutes per game and recorded some crucial minutes.
| POLL | ||
25 OCTOBRE | 59 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas and the Penguins Holding Off on Extending Marcus Pettersson per Insider Will the Pittsburgh Penguins sign Marcus Pettersson to an extension? | ||
| Yes | 32 | 54.2 % |
| No | 27 | 45.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
Latest 10 stories
