NHL Rumors: Penguins Trying To Trade Defenseman



It appears as though the Pittsburgh Penguins are attempting to clear cap space in order to bring back some key free agents. Frank Seravalli reported that the Penguins prefer to move Marcus Pettersson, but no team seems willing to take on his contract.

Teams were calling on John Marino at the trade deadline, but they elected to keep him on for their playoffs push. He is their only top-4 right defenseman that is currently signed. The Penguins still have three other left defensemen making $4 million+, including Pettersson at $4.025 for three more seasons.

The Penguins seem key on keeping Marino as a part of their future, even if they do have to go through a rebuild in a few years, but moving Pettersson can help extend the time the team is relevant and competitive by a few seasons. A buyout will cost too much, so the Penguins may have to resort to sending a pick/prospect away with Pettersson to a non-contender in order to move on. A problem with that though is the team's prospect cabinet is pretty bare after using picks after picks to stay at the top of the league.

Pettersson played just under 16 minutes a night as a defenseman earning as much money as he does. He scored two goals and recorded 19 points while logging very few minutes on either the power play or the penalty kill. He is physical and blocks shots, but isn't worth the money and it is understandable the Penguins are trying to move him over their other options.

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