Penguins Rumors: Marcus Pettersson staying in Pittsburgh?

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Marcus Pettersson will soon start to work on a contract extension to keep the blueliner in Pittsburgh long term.

Sidney Crosby is the obvious priority for Pittsburgh, but after his new contract is finalized, the Penguins are expected to begin formal talks with Marcus Pettersson on an extension, as well.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) September 11, 2024

Pettersson, 28, is entering the final season of his contract, set to make $4.02 million. The Skelleftea, Sweden native appeared in all 82 games for the Penguins last season, scoring four times, collecting 30 points. It was a career best season for Pettersson who averaged 22:40 of ice-time a night, good for third in Pittsburgh behind Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson.

Pettersson is set for an even bigger role with the Penguins this season, as he'll get a look to play top-pair minutes, while potentially getting a look on the team's second power-play unit. After the three mentioned d-men, the blueline is thin in Pittsburgh, leaving a golden opportunity ahead for Pettersson entering a contract year.

GM Kyle Dubas also has Sidney Crosby's contract extension on his plate right now, however things are progressing well according to Crosby and he's optimistic an agreement will eventually be signed. There's been reports that Crosby isn't worried too much about how much he'll make and is more concerned about leaving Dubas some money to upgrade the roster.

As for Pettersson, he's in for a slight raise to his AAV and could see his salary climb closer to $5-million per season.