Former Penguins Forward Has High Praise For New Canucks Defenseman
A former Pittsburgh Penguins forward and current NHL TV analyst had a lot of good things to say about a recently traded blue liner.
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson - traded from the Penguins to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday, along with forward Drew O'Connor, for a package involving a first-round pick - earned some high praise from former Penguins forward Mike Rupp in his appearance on NHL Network.
"Marcus Pettersson, for me, he's a Jaccob Slavin-like," Rupp said. "I think he is a top-five defensive defenseman in the league, and any team and all teams, I think, have been calling [Penguins GM and POHO] Kyle Dubas and talking to him over the last, probably, year-plus about Marcus Pettersson.
"I think you win with guys like that. He'll be missed in Pittsburgh, but they did what they had to do in this situation. They got a good one in Vancouver."
"I think [Marcus Pettersson] is a top five defensive defenseman in the league."@Rupper17 thinks Marcus Pettersson will be a big piece for the @Canucks moving forward.#Canucks | #NHLNow pic.twitter.com/L7aHgYfQwg
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) February 4, 2025
Pettersson, 28, was traded to Pittsburgh during the 2018-19 season from the Anaheim Ducks. It took him a few years to develop, but he soldified himself as a top-four defenseman in the Penguins lineup over the last three seasons.
He and O'Connor were traded to Vancouver on Friday for defenseman Vincent Desharnais, forward Danton Heinen, and the conditional first-round pick that the Canucks received from the New York Rangers when they dealt J.T. Miller earlier that same day.
The 6-foot-5, 175-lb. defenseman is known for his long reach and defensive acumen. However, he had been enduring a down year defensively in 2024-25 in a Penguins' system that struggles to prevent goals-against.
He has also shown some flashes of two-way upside in recent seasons, as he has largely been paired with Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, both offensive defensemen. Pettersson has 17 goals and 151 points in 492 NHL games.
Marcus Pettersson - Minnesota Wild (2) pic.twitter.com/1FoAoi0OYt
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) December 4, 2024
Do you agree with Rupp's assessment? Let us know in the comments.
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