THE The Pittsburgh Penguins“The history of the organization is full of great players, and we decided to take a look back at the best Penguins players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best No. 28 in Penguins history.
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Twenty-six players have worn No. 28, including several defensemen. Gordie Roberts, Kjell Samuelsson and Michael Roszival come to mind.
But the best of them is someone who still wears a Penguins jersey. Marcus Pettersson.
© Charles LeClaire – USA TODAY Sports
Pettersson was drafted 38th overall by the The Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He spent parts of two seasons in Anaheim before being traded to the Penguins in 2018, which is when his game really began to blossom.
Known as a defensive defenseman, it took Pettersson a few years to really find his game and assert himself. While he was always capable of providing some offense — he recorded 19 and 22 points in his first two seasons in Pittsburgh — he established himself as an elite defensive defenseman in the 2022-23 season:
The Penguins’ 5-on-5 defense with Marcus Pettersson this season, and without him.
It’s pretty incredible that he’s been able to put up such good defensive numbers when every other PIT defender is at or below league average. pic.twitter.com/BnAqwjYJ61
-Danny Shirey (@DannyShireyPGH) November 2, 2022
And since then, he’s been one of the most underrated defensemen in the league’s top four. He excels in the defensive zone and on the defensive side of the puck in general, does a masterful job on the penalty kill and has set career highs in goals (four) and points (30) in 2023-24.
He even scored a thrilling goal in overtime against the Ottawa Senators last season:
Fans should expect his offensive production to continue to increase next season, especially if he continues to be deployed alongside top offensive defensemen. Erik KarlssonAnd there’s no reason to think his defensive work will suddenly fade away.
Pettersson, 28, is an unrestricted free agent awaiting free agency in 2025. So far in his career — and most of his seven years with Pittsburgh — he has recorded 14 goals and 133 points in 444 games, and he figures to continue his excellent work with the Penguins in 2024-25.
Honorable mentions: Gordie Roberts, Kjell Samuelsson, Michael Roszival
Related: Best Penguins by Jersey Number: #27
