As per TSN’s John Lu, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry told reporters this week that he hasn’t closed the door on staying in Montreal. While there was plenty of talk that the Canadiens were going to try and move the defenseman and that Petry was completely ok with that, a deal ultimately never took place. There is chatter the Canadiens the revisit the idea of a trade this offseason but the veteran blueliner seems less inclined to leave now.
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Despite a difficult season, Jeff Petry has only kind things to say about being a Hab and playing in Montreal. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/1kG2iMLiN3
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 30, 2022
Petry has said that former coach Dominique Ducharme’s unwillingness to adjust and change a flawed system was among the reasons he struggled. Petry grew quite frustrated and he noted that Phillip Danault being lost to the Los Angeles King was a huge factor in his unhappiness as well. He added that not having his defense partner in Joel Edmundson for a majority of the season didn’t help.
Once interim head coach Martin St. Louis took over, things started to turn around. Petry finished with 21 points in his final 28 games this season and noted, “The situation was definitely different than it is now. Since Marty took over, I’ve started to find my game. Going to take some time, get back to my family, and we’re going to have a conversation. I don’t want to close the door on this organization.”
But, will that matter now?
His production will make him more attractive to other teams and the Dallas Stars are rumored to have been among the clubs kicking tires. Petry has three years left on his contract with a $6.25 million AAV and that won’t be an easy move to make, but if he’s back to his old self, the deal might not be as hard to complete as some people think.
GM Kent Hughes will certainly look around and see what his options are.
Jeff Petry Brendan Gallagher Montreal CanadiensCanadiens Won’t Be Trading Brendan Gallagher
In other Canadiens news, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported that Hughes said he’ll evaluate all options to navigate his tricky salary-cap situation. The one thing he won’t be doing to save cap space is trade winger Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher had a down year and with five seasons remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $6.5 million, it wouldn’t be shocking to anyone if the Canadiens considered dealing him.
Instead, the Canadiens are counting on Gallagher to have a bounce-back season.
Next: Oilers’ McDavid vs. Maple Leafs’ Matthews: Who Will Win the Hart Trophy?
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