Montreal Canadiens Still Have To Answer These Three Enormous Questions This Offseason

What is going on with Jeff Petry?

The Montreal Canadiens received a trade request from Jeff Petry way back in November. Here we are about eight months later and he is still on the roster. Part of that was because he played awful for two-thirds of last season, and no one was interested in acquiring him.

Petry was in the first year of a four year contract with a $6.25 million cap hit. It looked like a bargain when he was helping the Canadiens make a run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, but it looked like an albatross when he couldn’t complete a partner pass in October.

Finally, the trade deadline passed and Petry was still in Montreal. With a new, offensive oriented head coach in Martin St. Louis, Petry’s game came alive late in the season. He finished the year with 21 points in 28 games and we found out the bad start was in part due to the fact his family was staying in Michigan while he was playing in Montreal.

So, a draft trade seemed likely. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes hasn’t been shy to say he would move Petry if the right offer came along. Apparently it hasn’t, because Petry remains in Montreal, though it seems like the player and team are headed for separation.

But when? If not on draft day, perhaps teams who strike out on John Kilingberg in free agency will circle back? If not, are the Habs going to be able to move him at all this offseason?

When Ryan McDonagh was traded, essentially for cap space, after playing a big role on three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals teams in Tampa Bay, it couldn’t have helped Petry’s value.

Will the Canadiens get anything of value for Petry this offseason? That is a question we should find an answer to by July 13th. Even if he isn’t traded then, he likely remains here to start next season.