Habs Hang On to Petry

The Montreal Canadiens were talking about trying to get it done and on Tuesday, they did it.  Defenseman Jeff Petry signed on the dotted line, inking a 6-year, $33 million deal, turning his trade deadline rental deal into a long-term contract, as the team deemed he was a great fit for the organization.

Petry was highlighted in the top potential UFA defensemen for the off-season, before the Canadiens stuck their talons in for the next six years.

In the 2015 season, between Edmonton and Montreal, Petry finished 74th among all defensemen in scoring with 7 goals and 22 points in 78 games played.

At 27 years old, Petry is arguably now coming into the prime of his career and the Canadiens have acknowledged that with the long-term deal and they are planning to pay him according to what they think he can bring to the organization.  He didn't quite hit his personal best numbers last season, but it appears that between himself and the team around him, the sky appears to be the limit.

This deal has been met with some scrutiny, especially since the 2016 salary cap numbers haven't been officially released and speculated at only $71 million.  Even at the projection of $71.7 million, which was speculated well before the playoffs, the Habs have, by my count, 18 players ready for their roster next season, coming in at $64.25 million, leaving $7.45 million for five roster spots, with Alex Galchenyuk looking for a new deal.  This deal for Petry quickly takes away some of the team's flexibility, so it will be interesting to see how they play this going towards the frenzy.

Petry's numbers in Montreal after the deal have some real upside for the hockey pool and I think that's what Montreal is looking at, when they slid the number across the table to him. 7 points in 19 games was nearly twice the production he was seeing with the young group in Edmonton. I think when it comes to his projections next season, that they will move in the upward direction and he will be a better pick this season. It might not be the full jump up, but it will be a nice increase.