NHL Insider Links 500-Game Veteran Penguins Defenseman To The Oilers In Potential Trade

According to 'The Athletic' insider Josh Yohe, it sounds like Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson is on his way out. With extension talks at a standstill, it sounds like Pittsburgh will move him with the 28-year-old hitting unrestricted free agency.

Despite being a rental, Marcus Pettersson's steady defensive play over the past couple of seasons has him as one of the most attractive players on the trade market.

Josh Yohe also mentioned his full lack of trade protection as an added factor in his attractiveness as a player who will most likely get traded before the deadline.

Teams that have been mentioned as being Pettersson front-runners include the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers. Here's the breakdown of their interest.

The interesting position of the Vancouver Canucks is that they may be trading away one of their centers with either J.T. Miller or Elias Petterson, and they will need a top-four defenseman, someone like Marcus Petterson.

He would be a huge upgrade for their blue line with Filip Hronek out, and then once Filip Hronek gets back, Vancouver would have a possibly great top four heading into the playoffs.

A good chance for general manager Patrik Allvin to get the Canucks in good shape for the playoffs, and dangling either JT Miller or Elias Pettersson would definitely get the Penguins to say yes to a deal.

The Edmonton Oilers, who lost Philip Broberg on an offer sheet last summer, have been starving all year for a player with some defensive mindsets.

The emergence of a healthy Darnell Nurse this season has steadied Edmonton's second pairing, but adding a player like Marcus Pettersson would go a long way toward solidifying their back end for the stretch drive and the playoffs.

His steady presence could be what gets this team over the hump for a deeper playoff run.