Jim Rutherford readily admits that Marcus Pettersson doesn't have as much potential as Daniel Sprong. In the perfect situation, the GM believes that Sprong could still someday develop into an elite goal-scorer, though it won't be in Pittsburgh.
Neither does Pettersson possess a right-handed shot. He's not a defenseman who will somehow make up for the production of Justin Schultz, who will be out until mid-February with his broken leg.
But Pettersson, acquired Monday from the Ducks in exchange for Sprong, does have a few things going for him.
For one, he has youth on his side. The 38th overall pick in the 2014 draft is still just 22 with plenty of room to grow, both physically and professionally.
For another, the Penguins' cupboard is bare at the AHL level, particularly along the blue line. On the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton roster, only the seldom-used Jeff Taylor, 24, is younger than 25. If all goes well, Pettersson won't have to worry about the AHL, though he can be sent down without having to clearing waivers. He's in the last year of his entry-level contract and can become a restricted free agent at season's end.
Rutherford said that Pettersson will report immediately to Pittsburgh where he is expected to push for playing time right away.
With Schultz out, the Penguins will now have eight healthy defensemen with Pettersson, Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Jack Johnson, Jamie Oleksiak, Olli Maatta, Juuso Riikola and Chad Ruhwedel. The latter two, Riikola and Ruhwedel have been healthy scratches a combined 16 games so far this season.
Pettersson had been playing on Anaheim's third pairing, recording six assists in 27 (out of 29) games. After being recalled last February, he appeared in 22 games, putting up four points, including this goal:
“I think the strength of my game is I think the game very well,” Pettersson told the Orange County Register earlier this year. “Maybe not the strongest or biggest guy, but I’m good with positioning and the first pass. I hope I can bring some energy and some good first passes. The simplicity of it all. I never try to throw a puck away or put my teammates in a bad position.”
Most interesting, he appeared in all four of the Ducks' playoff games last spring, pushing Kevin Bieksa out of the lineup. Pettersson averaged 12:36 in ice time, as Anaheim was swept by the Sharks.
"He's been playing in the league, he's played well this year, played well last year," Rutherford told DKPittsburghSports.com Monday. "He's still a rookie. He's still developing and learning the league. But he won't have the upside of a Sprong if Sprong takes off and scores in this league. But he has an upside of being a very, very good defensive defenseman that can move the puck really well, and even, in some situations, play some power play time with the way he moves the puck."
The advanced stats on Pettersson are a bit of a mixed bag as he has a 46.31 Corsi For percentage (in all situations) while he's been on the ice for 12 goals for and nine against. He has also drawn four penalties to go along with 32 blocks and 16 hits. This season, he's shown more willingness to jump into the rush, which should bode well in Mike Sullivan’s uptempo system.
Though he stands 6’-3”, he's a lanky 177 pounds, which makes him the lightest player on the Penguins' roster. Matt Murray is listed at 178. At the time of his draft, Pettersson -- the seventh-ranked European skater in 2014 -- checked in at 160 pounds and was at 175 last season. With his size, Pettersson has a long skating stride and uses his reach well to protect the puck.
Like many Europeans, Pettersson had to make some adjustments to his game to play on the smaller North American ice surfaces. In October, he even had his first fight vs. the Stars' Radek Faksa. It did not go particularly well:
According to Hampus Lindholm, his former Ducks teammate, Pettersson often goes by the nickname "Dragon."
Before coming to the NHL, Dragon, the son of a 14-year SHL veteran Daniel Pettersson, played four years pro for his hometown Skelleftea in the Swedish Elite League.