The Pittsburgh Penguins’ decision to weld Kris Letang with Marcus Pettersson on a defensive pairing in recent weeks wasn’t necessarily rooted in a sense of familiarity between the two long-time teammates.

The pros to trading Pettersson outweigh the cons, so don't be surprised if it happens soon. Teams such as the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild seem to be good fits for the top-four defenseman, and they're also teams that may be able to provide the assets Pittsburgh would be looking for.

Marcus Pettersson landing on injured reserve forced the Pittsburgh Penguins to do some tinkering on the blue line. Pettersson had been Erik Karlsson’s defensive partner since Karlsson debuted with the Penguins last season.