Canucks Leads Potential Landing Spots for Penguins Defender

The Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the top defensemen available for trade and the Vancouver Canucks make the most sense as a landing spot.

Oct 29, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson (28) shots the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins have begun the fire sale and it seems they are ready to clear house. The team sent veteran center Lars Eller sent to Washington Capitals, continuing a trend of sending out players for future assets.

If the Penguins continue down this road, there are multiple players that will draw interest around the league. The next domino to fall is defenseman Marcus Pettersson. The veteran blue liner has been with the Pens since the 2018-2019 season, and he's become one of the most dependable players in their lineup since.

Pettersson is entering the final season of his contract with the Penguins and it's highly unlikely the team extends him. With the rebuild activated in Pittsburgh, he makes sense as the next likeliest trade candidate.

With size and puck skills, he's a coveted asset for contending teams. The Pens will receive multiple calls, but the only one they should listen to is if the Vancouver Canucks are on the other line.

Why It Makes Sense

Pettersson would fit in well with many teams in the NHL, but the Canucks are the ideal fit. They could use an improvement on their second pairing and a reason to push Carson Soucy down to the third pairing. Adding Pettersson gives them the perfect reason and replacement for those minutes. He could join Tyler Myers as arguably the top shutdown pairing in the NHL.

The Canucks and Penguins are also frequent trade partners, making another move between the two organizations seems more likely. Since Patrik Allvin took over as the GM in Vancouver, he and Penguins GM Kyle Dubas have struck three deals. It stands to reason that a fourth could happen soon.

How It Makes Sense

The Canucks are in a precarious position when it comes to salary cap space, with less than a million in active cap space, according to PuckPedia. But they have flexibility with long-term injured reserve, as well as some expiring contracts that could be used to offset the addition of Petterson's $4.25 million cap hit.

They also have the thing the Penguins are seeking: draft picks. The Canucks have their first and second round choices in the 2025 and 2026 NHL Drafts, and their first and third round choice for 2027 still in their possession. If they are willing to part with any combination of these picks plus a contracted player, a deal can definitely be made.

The Penguins should descend further into seller mode if they continue their losing ways. It is an unfortunate turn of events for Pittsburgh, but their loss could be the Canucks gain if they are able to acquire Pettersson and sure up their blue line for a playoff run.

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