Marcus Pettersson put together a solid year for the Pittsburgh Penguins as a second pairing defenseman in 2022-23.
As training camp opens for a new season, Pettersson believes he has more strides to take in the Penguins lineup.
Pettersson played 68 games last season, mostly as a second pairing blue liner, but showed his abilities as an option for the first line.
The 2022-23 season was a huge step forward for Pettersson as an NHLer, but he believes he has more work to do and can continue growing.
“I feel like I took a step last year,” Pettersson said. “I think I got more steps to take.”
Pettersson noted that he is ready to play whenever called upon in any situation.
“Get involved more and be more reliable.” Pettersson said. “I want to be a guy that you can be put in any situation and coaches can rely on.”
Pettersson isn’t normally known for his offensive ability, but he found himself with a few chances to score during the first scrimmage of training camp.
A breakaway try and a few extra shots on goal were all taken in the matter of about 15 seconds; meanwhile his new linemate is none other than Erik Karlsson who is coming off of a 101-point season.
Pettersson and Karlsson are likely going to be the Penguins’ second defensive pairing heading into the 2023-24 season, and Pettersson is ready for any more offensive chances he may get.
“I’m for sure going to get a few looks like that,” Pettersson said. “He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever played with.”
Over his career, Pettersson has only record 103 total points with 24 of them coming last year.
Playing alongside Karlsson should surely inflate some offensive numbers for Pettersson.
Regardless of the offensive ability, however, Pettersson is ready for another huge step forward as a solid NHL defender.
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