October 23, 2024 | 2:20pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
PETTERSSON CONTRACT TALKS ON HOLD IN PITTSBURGH
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Marcus Pettersson, defenceman
Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Marcus Pettersson is in the final year of his contract and there has been plenty of speculation over when the team will try to get him locked into an extension. It appears those discussions are being put on the backburner, for the time being.
At the start of training camp, it was believed the Penguins would begin formal talks with Pettersson’s camp after they got captain Sidney Crosby locked up to his two-year extension.
Pettersson, 28, is in the final year of a five-year, $20,125,875 contract and owns an eight-team no-trade list this season.
On Wednesday’s edition of “The Latest” on TFP, David Pagnotta reported that while the Penguins are interested in getting Pettersson locked up, talks are not expected to get going for the immediate future.
“There haven’t been any significant negotiations or talks, quite frankly, between the Penguins and Pettersson’s side,” Pagnotta said. “It sounds like the Penguins want to wait to see exactly who they are this season. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to sign him, it means they’re doing their due diligence to understand exactly what direction this team is going to do, and then make decisions with respect to the immediate and future of this club.”
With the Penguins in flux this season, despite the mandate to remain competitive and push for the playoffs, GM Kyle Dubas is not willing to rush into any major decisions.
As Pagnotta noted, barring a change in the team’s current position, contract negotiations may not begin until “closer to the new year, if not into the new year” at the earliest.
If the Penguins are far from the playoff picture come late-February, Dubas could entertain the trade market and dangle Pettersson has bait.
In eight games with the Penguins so far to start this season, Pettersson has registered one goal, three assists and 10 penalty minutes.