When you think about it, adding Jeff Petry and Casey DeSmith to the Canadiens’ 2023-2024 roster wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Petry would immediately become a safe bet on the right flank of the defense. Although he no longer has the momentum of his 20s, he could take on big responsibilities in a still inexperienced squad. Spare Justin Barron from facing the best opposing lines at the start of the season? Give some oxygen to outnumbered David Savard? Yes and yes.
As for DeSmith, without being a star, he could represent an economic version of Jake Allen.
However, it should not be surprising if neither of them starts the season in the tricolor jersey.
Petry and DeSmith were acquired by the Canadiens on Sunday in the mega-deal that sent Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rem Pitlick thus became a Penguin and Mike Hoffman, a Shark. In the same breath, the CH also received the young Nathan Légaré from the Penguins as well as a second-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Within hours, if not minutes, of a trade, it is customary for the general manager and the players involved to speak to members of the media. That’s what happened in San Jose and Pittsburgh.
In a press briefing on Monday, Kyle Dubas, general manager of the Penguins, pointed out that the exchange allowed his counterpart Kent Hughes, of the Canadian, to “acquire elements that he can keep or exchange”. Without falling into textual overanalysis, we will conclude that if the possibility of exchange(s) was evoked so spontaneously by Dubas, it is not by chance.
In Petry’s case, the CH would have to work with the 15-team roster attached to his contract by his no-trade clause. Since we’re on the subject, Petry’s agreement provides that this list must be renewed each July 1st for the following season. We will conclude that Montreal was not on the most recent iteration. Kyle Dubas rightly claimed that the transaction with the Canadian did not require any specific intervention with the defender.
In addition, La Presse was able to confirm with DeSmith’s agent that he still had no formal communication with Kent Hughes. Which doesn’t sound like much the start of a blossoming relationship between an organization and its new assistant guardian.
At the time of the transaction on Sunday, all observers raised eyebrows when they saw the names of Jeff Petry and Casey DeSmith end up in Montreal, given the congestion that suddenly loomed in their respective positions. This at the exact moment when Kent Hughes was fixing his problem with a surplus of attackers.
Since the Penguins withheld 25% of his salary, the amount attached to the name of Jeff Petry on the payroll of his team is now 4.7 million, not more than 6.25 million. And his most recent signing bonus is already paid. Financially, he is more attractive than he was two days ago.
He’s still 35, with two more years left on his contract. Two arguments against him. Everywhere, we read that Kent Hughes could retain another portion of his salary. However, the return on investment will have to be worth it.
By trading Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals on July 1, the GM resolved to do what he had previously refused to do: pay one of his players for an entire season to play elsewhere. The scenario was different, however, as the Canadian was “caught” with his declining defender. And that the residual amount entered on his payroll would be erased in a year.
In Petry’s case, Hughes “chose” to acquire her. It is doubtful that he chose, by the very fact, to stupidly add an empty expense to his budget for two years without obtaining generous compensation. On that account, might as well play it.
In fact, while speculating on a trade with withholding, let’s keep an eye out for Casey DeSmith instead. With a seemingly saturated goalkeeping market and a majority of teams being squeezed, his $1.8 million salary might seem high. At 1 million, the discussion might be different.
Kyle Dubas said of Kent Hughes on Monday that he wanted to use his “flexibility” to improve his team. He did this by acquiring Petry and DeSmith. He will have to do it again if he wants to get rid of it. Even if keeping them wouldn’t be the worst idea.
