Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin got his man late Tuesday afternoon, signing defenseman Jeff Petry to a 6 year contract reportedly worth $33 million ($5.5M AAV). Acquired by the Canadiens at the 2015 trade deadline from the Edmonton Oilers for a 2nd and (what would be) 4th round draft picks, Petry quickly became the Habs # 3 defenseman and a valuable contributor on both ends of the ice. Throughout the playoffs, Petry was arguably the Canadiens most consistent defenseman. Shortly after at the Habs end of season press conference, Bergevin made it clear that he was more than pleased with how Petry performed for the Canadiens and that signing him would be a top priority. Well done Monsieur Bergevin - mission accomplished!
In what is considered to be one of the weaker UFA classes, there is very little doubt that Petry could and would have commanded more in the free market.
Petry would have made more on open market, for sure, especially RHD on weak UFA class. Took less to stay but still making good coin
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) June 2, 2015For Bergevin and Petry to reach a contract agreement just a few weeks after the Canadiens season finished, showed great commitment and mutual admiration from both parties. What the signing also demonstrates is that Canadiens coach Michel Therrien has the respect from the dressing room as Petry choosing to stay with Habs is an actual vote of confidence in the coach and system. If Petry did not like playing for Therrien, did not like the role that he developed into, did not believe that the Canadiens are a team on the rise, then there is no question that he would have gone to open market. The truth is that Petry felt very comfortable and content in Montreal the city, in the Montreal Canadiens dressing room and most importantly on the ice as well. Petry’s comments reflected those exact sentiments:
"It's a quick puck-moving team with a quick transition. That's something I take pride in doing with my game." - Petry
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 2, 2015"The way the players are treated. The way the organization is run. It was a real eye-opener. Everything in Montreal is first-class." - Petry
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 2, 2015"I felt that the team isn't far off (from winning a Stanley Cup). The pieces are there. That played into the decision as well." - Petry
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 2, 2015Petry’s signing is also a stamp of approval for the Canadiens leadership core. Petry singled out Subban and Price as teammates who publicly and privately said that they wanted to see him return, saying how much it meant to him and helped influence his decision. Habs players all season long have said that the locker room in the 2014-2015 season was the tightest yet. Obviously they are a welcoming group as well. There is no question that with Petry on the blue line, it makes both Price’s and Subban’s jobs easier. Petry finally gives the Canadiens another right handed shot and threat on the power play. He is responsible and physical in his own end all while being a smooth skater and can effectively move the puck out of his zone.
Each deal in professional sports will have their fair share of critics. Some might say that Petry has never scored more than 25 points in a season. The most goals he has had in a season is only 7. That he is a career -68. One would do well to remember though that he was the Edmonton Oilers best defenseman on teams that barely played any defense at all. As a Montreal Canadiens, Petry showed the NHL his true worth. In 19 regular season games as a Hab, Petry’s shooting percentage shot up to 13% whereas with Oilers it was only 3.9%. It’s not that Petry took more shots as a Hab than an Oiler (AV 1.2 w/ MTL vs AV 1.7 w/ EDM). Most likely the greatest reason for the improvement is that Petry was finally playing his proper role as a # 3 defenseman. In Edmonton Petry was often forced into the acting as the team’s # 1. Simply too much was being asked of him. Without the pressure in Montreal (who would have thought that there would be less stress playing in Montreal!?) Petry was able to become the player that the Canadiens sorely lacked.
Marc Bergevin’s job is hardly done and is really just beginning. By all accounts this was an easy contract to negotiate. With Petry’s contract the Canadiens have spent $24.35 million dollars on their top 4 D. If the 2015-2016 salary cap rises to $71 million as expected by commissioner Gary Bettman, according to NHLNumbers.com the Habs will have approximately $7.2 million left to sign RFA’s such as Nathan Beaulieu (who will also benefit from Petry returning as a player to model his own game after), Alex Galchenyuk, Jarred Tinordi, Brian Flynn and Christian Thomas not to mention UFA Torrey Mitchell. The easy rumour target will be to trade Defenseman Alexei Emelin similarly to how Josh Gorges was dealt last Summer. I would be surprised though if he is moved, especially as he has a no trade clause. Emelin played his best hockey of the year playing next to Petry and Tinordi has not proven that he is ready to become a consistent, physical defenseman. Bergevin is also fond of saying you can never have too many defensemen. I would look for a forward such as P.A. Parenteau, Lars Eller or David Desharnais to get dealt instead, especially if Alex Galchenyuk is finally able to step up and become an everyday centreman.
Jeff Petry compliments the Montreal Canadiens perfectly. His role as a # 3 fits him like a glove. Bergevin has a clear vision for the Montreal Canadiens and it is one that is obviously shared by the players alike. A 2nd and 4th round pick were well worth the price in order to sign Petry long term. Had Bergevin never made the deal at the trade deadline, would Petry still have had the Canadiens on his list this Summer? Without the benefit of experiencing life and the playoffs in Montreal, Petry most likely would have signed elsewhere as an UFA. This contract truly speaks volumes in terms of the direction in which Petry and the Canadiens believe they are heading. Character is a favorite word of Bergevin and Therrien. With this signing and conference call comments, Petry has proven that he has plenty of IT. Follow me on Twitter Follow @Jenbcutler