Not really
Pettersson is overpaid and on a long term contract, will complicate manners in the future
If anything we would trade for Dumo

Pens would never trade Dumo, and Pettersson is actually good

Lol, you aren't getting Dumo, especially for that.

Would you consider any amount of salary retention? The Panthers need all the money they can get to sign Barkov and Huby in the next two years. A 2/3-pair defenseman with over 4M salary would make that a lot harder

Hes a legit 2nd pair

If he bounces back, he's a 2nd pairing level dman, this year was a bit of a down year for him. Anyway, he would be playing the left side, which means he would be behind Forsling and Weegar if Weegs plays in the top line. So in the Panthers, he'd be a 2/3-pair player. And he makes more than both of those guys

He can play both sides so you can run either of Weegar Ekblad and Forsling Pettersson or Pettersson Ekblad and Forsling Weegar

I didn't specify what we would trade for Dumoulin, so I don't know what you're getting at

I think it was the "you aren't getting Dumo part"

He would still be the Panthers' 2nd most expensive dman (I'm not counting Strålman), which would be bad in case he does not bounce back. The Panthers need a safety net if they just acquired a bad deal, which forces them to sacrifice good players to fit under the cap.

Pettersson is not a bad deal though, I had the idea of a trade to upgrade Gudas, but not much is out there

honestly,
Odds are low they are trading for another smallish winger.
Which is why both the signing and the trade probably aren't happening.
They need to get bigger as a team at this point. What they have been doing clearly doesn't work. There is a known need for adding size with skill.
I think you'll see them go with their bigger youth over expensive players that are smallish.
It makes more sense for them.

He is a bad deal if he can't play at a 2nd-pairing level, which he has done for two seasons. Worst case scenario, he would become another Matheson for us (I know he's been playing well for you, but he did not with us.).

The Panthers don't have to make this trade. There are so many other defensemen they could get for 4+ million from Suter to Soucy to McCabe. Plus they'd get to keep one of their 20-goal scorers.

If there isn't anything else to this trade, the Panthers pass

You could keep Vatrano sure, but that just creates a logjam

That's a positive problem to have. Too many good players

I mean what, like 500K..?? So he’s making 3.5M for 3 more seasons after this season. It must be the 3.99 vs $4 thing.

He’s 25 years old. Stay at home D-man, that makes very few mistakes. And contributes offensively enough. Long stick, long reach, never a minus(-) for a season yet. Plus(+) 39 for his career. He blocks shots and hits.

He’s not flashy. But again, makes very few mistakes.

But at the same time, fans are screaming and clambering for their teams to take Ghoustisbhere, A.DeAngello and V.Mete. When literally no GM wants to touch them. And Pettersson is a very solid D-man, contributing on a contending, division winning team. Just 25 years old, with play-off experience.

Pens fan want to trade Pettersson not b/c he isn’t good and he isn’t valuable to the Pens success. It’s b/c of the salary cap and u can’t pay 3 LHD 4M plus. And Matheson has very little trade value. And the Pens have PO-J that is NHL ready, and can slide in for Pettersson. But most would rather Pettersson. Including me. Don’t get it twisted. Pens fans do ACGMs and have Petterson being traded in most, not b/c he isn’t a good, useful player. Again, most would keep him if he was feasible.

Matheson actually had a good season tbf

Oh, so you're trading him for the same reason I'm sceptical about getting him: his contract.

If the cap wasn't flat, the Panthers could consider this. But as you said, you can't pay a 3 LHD 4M+. I was thinking the Pens could retain ~1M so the contract would be more bearable, but even that amount seemed to be so big of a problem, you'd rather not make the trade.

Also, no team's fans want DeAngelo or Gostisbehere so bad they'd trade assets for them.