Jeff Petry
Jeff Petry is the one we’re going to start with. A right-shot defenseman, he’s normally very capable in all three zones. He’s got a heavy shot and is a physical defenseman. At 6’3, 210 lbs, Petry is a big man and is more than capable of throwing his weight around and laying the body on people. He’s capable in the offensive zone, and traditionally okay in the defensive zone too.
You’ll notice I didn’t say with any certainty he’s solid defensively. Petry is undergoing one of his worst professional seasons. Montreal as a whole has been through the wringer this season, and I for one have enjoyed every second. Getting back to Jeff Petry, he’s had a real tough time this season. It’s looking like he’s starting to regress due to his age. At 34 years old, his best days in this league are long behind him.
He’s signed for three years after this one to a contract carrying a $6.25 million cap hit annually. His contract is only going to drop value, and already, there are questions surrounding Petry and asking if he is even an NHL-caliber player at this point in his career. He’s not likely to ever get back to the defenseman he was once upon a time, and that contract has the ability to turn into a complete anchor capable of hemorrhaging a team.
I don’t know how much sense Petry makes to become a Hurricane, but there are reports that the Hurricanes have had a long-standing interest in the Ann Arbor, Michigan native but I think that originated before his legs fell out from under him in a season like the one he is currently undergoing with the rest of the Montreal squad. Injuries and perhaps fatigue build-up has really thrown his ability down the drain.