For a player who is mostly soft-spoken and pensive, the choices for a signature quote or soundbite from Marcus Pettersson are limited.
But there is one inference that might always follow him no matter what he accomplishes in whatever time he has left as an NHL defenseman.
After the Pittsburgh Penguins were dispatched from the 2021 playoffs in the first round, Pettersson offered a frank self-audit of where he was in his career at that juncture.
“I didn’t really take that step that I wanted to this year from last year,” Pettersson said during exit interviews in the late stages of May that year. “That’s something that I’ve got to do a better job of.”
In the three years since then, Pettersson has taken several steps forward in his development as a steady top-four defenseman. And this past season, he might have taken his biggest step, if only because he was partnered with Erik Karlsson, a defenseman who is seemingly several steps ahead of most blue liners in the NHL.
Appearing in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season, Pettersson set career highs in goals (four), assists (26), points (30) and average ice time per contest (22:40).
“I took on a little bit of a bigger role and I think I handled it well,” Pettersson said during the Penguins’ most recent exit interviews April 18. “It’s always tough to take positives if the team is not doing well. But I’ll try to do that and keep growing. I took good steps this year to become the player that I want to be. I’ve still got a long way to go. But I’m happy with my season but disappointed as a team.”
Pettersson will presumably get an extended assignment as Karlsson’s partner this spring as both players were selected for Sweden’s roster in the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament in May.
Being Karlsson’s primary partner in Pittsburgh suited Pettersson well.
“He really pushed me into developing my game,” Pettersson said. “I still think I can do a lot better job of getting pucks through and being more of a threat out there when I get the chance to have the puck in the (offensive) zone. He and I, we think the game kind of similar. Right off the bat, we hit a stride where we knew where each other was on the ice. It was a really fun year for me personally to play with a player like that. Everybody in Sweden, everybody growing up watching him, everybody wants to model their game after him. Pretty special for me personally to be able to play with him.”
Upcoming Local Events
Considering Pettersson was a healthy scratch as recently as the late stages of the 2021-22 regular season in lieu of journeyman Mark Friedman, winding up as Karlsson’s running mate represents quite a development.
“Marcus brings a real solid two-way game,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said in October. “He’s an incredible teammate, he loves to play, he loves to compete. The passion that he brings to the rink every day, he can’t help but get better with the energy and the effort and the attitude that he brings every day to the rink. His overall game just continues to grow and develop. He’s a much better player than he was a couple of years ago.
“He’s a complementary defenseman for a lot of reasons. He’s got a pretty stable game, he’s very predictable for his partner and he’s got a decent overall, two-way game.”
It’s curious how much longer the Penguins might allow Pettersson to remain with Karlsson. Or the Penguins.
The 27-year-old is entering the final year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $4,025,175. Negotiations on a contract extension can formally begin July 1 but with the team also facing a similar dilemma with franchise pillar Sidney Crosby, Pettersson’s status is a secondary concern.
Regardless, Pettersson is eager to see the Penguins take a step in the right direction after missing the postseason for the second consecutive year.
“Right now, it’s a really empty feeling because we really feel like we found something at the end (of the regular season),” Pettersson said. “It’s frustrating right now that we couldn’t keep that going, that feeling that we had in here. But I think it brings a hunger, and I think it brings a belief — we always have belief — knowing that we could bring it out in a tough situation. … Just knowing that we have that in here, I think it gives a little pep in our step going into next season.
“As of right now, it’s a pretty empty feeling we couldn’t squeak in.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.