The bad news for Marcus Pettersson, the Penguins' lone remaining restricted free agent, is that he's no closer to getting a new contract than he was a week ago.
The good news for the Penguins is that, according to his agent, Pettersson is going to be present when training-camp drills begin Sept. 13 at their practice facility in Cranberry.
In a brief email exchange today, agent Peter Wallen said there has been "no movement" in negotiations with the Penguins during the past week.
Nonetheless, Wallen added, Pettersson "will be on time to camp."
That's both interesting and significant, because Pettersson, who has been in Sweden, needs to secure a visa before coming to North America, a process that is expected to take about a week. What's more, Wallen has made it clear that Pettersson would like to return to Pittsburgh early enough that he could get acclimated to the time change here before camp opens.
With drills beginning in 10 days, that doesn't leave much time to deal with those matters.
It is not clear if Wallen is adamant that Pettersson will be present when camp starts because he will have a new contract in place, or because Pettersson will be willing to report after taking out an insurance policy to guard against any injuries he might sustain during the preseason.
NHL regulations allow players to participate in camp without a contract. Most, if not all, who do so secure an insurance policy beforehand.
Pettersson, who was acquired from Anaheim for Daniel Sprong last December, impressed the coaching staff and management with his play, and is expected to contend for a place opposite Justin Schultz on the No. 2 defense pairing this fall.
Although there are indications that Wallen and Jim Rutherford have agreed to the parameters, if not the particulars, of a contract, nothing has been finalized because the Penguins have yet to clear the salary-cap space needed to accommodate a new deal for him.
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