Jeff Petry traded to the Penguins

We suspected it was coming. We just didn’t know when. And then, just like that, the case is settled: Jeff Petry is no longer a member of the Canadiens.

Katherine Harvey Pinard
The Press

The 34-year-old defenseman, along with forward Ryan Poehling, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon. The CH obtains in return the Quebec defender Mike Matheson and a choice of 4^e round in the 2023 draft.

It has been several months since Habs general manager Kent Hughes said he was open to parting with Petry. The latter has also expressed his intention to leave for family reasons a long time ago.

But Hughes has always been very clear: Petry would not quit at any cost. And no portion of his heavy salary of 6.25 million per year, which has three seasons left, would be assumed by Montreal in the event of a transaction. Again on Thursday, the day after the opening of the free agent market, the DG claimed to have received offers for the veteran defender. Nothing worth taking action on, however.

“Jeff is an important defender for us,” he said. […] If we are going to trade it, it is to gain space under the salary cap, or to obtain a hope that could help us in the future. »

We have to believe that the DG has finally found what he was looking for.

Russian mountains

Jeff Petry’s time in Montreal has been filled with ups and downs. Of joy and frustration. Especially the last two seasons.

The defenseman acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 has had four consecutive seasons of 40 points or more, from 2017 to 2021. He also had six assists in 20 playoff games in 2020-2021, when the CH reached the Stanley Cup final.

But when he returned from the offseason, Petry was suddenly no longer the shadow of the player he had been the previous season. As of January 12, after 28 games, his record was as follows: no goals, two assists, a differential of -7 and time in freefall.

After a loss to Pittsburgh in mid-December, the defender even said that the team had “no structure”. A comment perceived by many as an arrow towards the then head coach, Dominique Ducharme.

After the holiday break, the defender and his wife also agreed that it was better for the player to be the only one in the family to return to Quebec. His wife therefore remained in Michigan with their three children, citing in particular in an Instagram publication the heaviness of health measures in Quebec and the shortcomings of the Quebec health network.

Still, the arrival of Martin St-Louis as the new head coach in early February seemed to put a smile on Jeff Petry’s face. The defender’s performance remained choppy, but seemed to improve in March when partner Joel Edmundson returned. He finished the campaign with 6 goals and 27 points in 68 games.

During the Canadian’s end-of-season review, at the end of April, Petry seemed to have changed his tune, indicating that he was not closing the door to a return to Montreal. He had also been the player with the most praise for Martin St-Louis, affirming that “what he implemented [l’avait] helped him get his game back.

“I will take a step back to reflect, go back to my loved ones and have a discussion with them,” he added.

Petry will finally have played his last game with CH on April 29, against the Florida Panthers.

With the collaboration of Guillaume Lefrançois, The Press