Decisions Wait for Crosby; Latest on Marcus Pettersson

Last March, the Pittsburgh Penguins cast aside sentiment and locker room wishes when president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas dealt Jake Guentzel for four assets, including winger Michael Bunting. Guentzel was 29, and his contract was expiring, which is nearly the same situation facing defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

In this case, PHN has learned the Penguins have discussed a new contract, or at least broached the subject of a new deal, with Pettersson, but further talks are on hold until the most significant issue is resolved.

Until after Sidney Crosby signs.

The Crosby negotiations are probably the biggest negotiations surrounding the Penguins since Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle stormed out of a meeting to discuss a new arena with then-Governor Ed Rendell.

Indirectly, the news indicates to PHN that the Crosby deal is not the preordained slam dunk many have assumed.

On the surface, the Pettersson situation mirrors Guentzel’s, but there are notable differences.

The first is the likely contract ask. Pettersson won’t command $8 million or more. The second is potential replacements in the short and long term.

Difficulty Losing Marcus Petterson

Despite our new PHN Penguins prospect rankings that included two defensemen in the top 10, only Owen Pickering is a left defenseman, and it would seem to be an unreasonable ask for Pickering to be ready for top-four duty next season.

So, there’s no one in the pipeline to fill the important role.

Actually, the team has only one LHD under contract beyond this season: Ryan Graves. Given Graves’s struggle and eventual trip to the press box as a healthy scratch, a reliable veteran would seem to be a necessity unless Dubas is prepared to fill all three left-side spots.

Of course, we’ve learned with the benefit of hindsight that Guentzel’s price tag was not for the faint of heart. The difference between his price for the Penguins vs. what he demanded on the open market is unknown, but there was no talk of a significant hometown discount to stay–in fact, it was quite the opposite.

And so, while everyone awaits Crosby’s new contract, Pettersson fittingly waits in the shadows. The Penguins don’t have a more thoughtful, quiet, but direct player in the locker room, and his game follows suit.

The team doesn’t have a more reliable defenseman, and those are the primary reasons he could be a proper part of the Penguins’ transition. Yet we’re left to speculate what Pettersson could command in Pittsburgh, on the open market, or on the NHL trade market.

However, given Dubas’s edict to get younger, which was part of the explanation of the Guentzel trade, could they, would they, let Pettersson walk?

It would seem to be a significant risk, at least if Dubas hopes to keep a competitive team around Crosby, after he signs a new contract, of course.

However, it seems the lines will be more open than last summer, and both sides are interested in future conversations.