Injury Update on Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson Less Than Ideal

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without steady Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson for some time. Coach Mike Sullivan said Monday that Pettersson is out on a week-to-week basis because of a lower-body injury.

Pettersson was hurt Saturday when he got taken into the boards during the first period of an overtime loss at Ottawa.

“He’s a tough guy to replace on our group of ‘D’ back there,” Sullivan said after the team practiced at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. “He’s a stabilizing defenseman no matter what pair we put him with. He just has a real conscientious game on both sides of the puck.

“It’s going to provide opportunities for others to step in and fill the role. I do think we have capable guys to step in and help us.”

For practice Monday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, Matt Grzelcyk took Pettersson’s place on the second pairing with Erik Karlsson.

Petterson, who has two goals, 11 assists in 32 games, and is averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time, also has been the subject of widespread trade speculation. He is eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer. It’s not known how close his return might be to the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Pettersson has been mostly resilient for the Penguins. He played all 82 games last season.

“He plays a lot of minutes – important minutes, too, on the (penalty kill) and things like that,” Penguins team captain Sidney Crosby said. “Everyone will have to chip in for those minutes.”

Crosby said while going into the boards can be a frightening look, he has seen Pettersson skate away from hits like that before.

“(Pettersson), I feel like, always finds a way to come out of those OK,” he said. “He bends so many different ways, it’s crazy. But it’s always scary when you see that.”

New Penguins defense pairs at practice:

Owen Pickering-Kris Letang

Matt Grzelcyk-Erik Karlsson

Ryan Graves-Ryan Shea