PETRY & POEHLING TRADED TO PENGUINS FOR MATHESON!

WOW. It finally happened! What do you guys think about this trade? Comment below!

Defenceman Jeff Petry got his wish on Saturday afternoon when Canadiens GM Kent Hughes traded him to the PIttsburgh Penguins along with forward Ryan Poehling.

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In exchange, the Canadiens get defenceman Mike Matheson, a Montreal native, and a fourth-round pick at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Petry asked to be traded last season for family reasons. His wife, Julie, was upset with the COVID-19 restrictions in Quebec and returned to the family home in Michigan with their three sons while pregnant with a fourth boy, who was born last Monday. That left Petry alone in Montreal, missing his family.

Hughes had maintained he would try to trade Petry, but would only do it if it was a deal that worked for the Canadiens and would improve them moving forward.

The 28-year-old Matheson, who grew up in Pointe-Claire on Montreal’s West Island, is six years younger than Petry and also earns less money, which will give Hughes some wiggle room with the salary cap.

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Matheson has four seasons remaining on his eight-year, US$39-million contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $4.875 million. Petry has three seasons remaining on his four-year, US$25-million contract with a salary-cap hit of $6.25 million.

Matheson had 11-20-31 totals in 74 games with the Penguins last season and was plus-12, posting career highs in goals and points. The 6-foot-2, 188-pounder was selected by the Florida Panthers in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. In 417 career regular-season games, Matheson has 49-89-138 totals.

Petry struggled last season, posting 6-21-27 totals in 68 games and was minus-11. It was his lowest point production in the last five seasons.

The Canadiens selected Poehling in the first round (25th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, but he struggled to earn a regular spot with the team. Last season, the 23-year-old played a career-high 57 games with the Canadiens, posting 9-8-17 totals. The previous season, Poehling spent the entire year with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Poehling has one season remaining on his contract with a $750,000 salary-cap hit.

Hughes used some of the money he saved in the Petry deal to sign forward Rem Pitlick to a two-year contract worth US$2.2 million, according to CapFriendly.com.

The Canadiens claimed Pitlick off waivers last season from the Minnesota Wild. In 46 games with the Canadiens, Pitlick had 9-17-26 totals.

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