Transaction Executed Between The Montreal Canadiens And The Pittsburgh Penguins: Another Piece Of Evidence Surfaces And Shows Why Kent Hughes Made A Big Move
Although some observers were pessimistic when Kent Hughes struck a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, acquiring Mike Matheson in exchange for Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling, it's now accepted that it was a real steal by the Canadiens' general manager.
Indeed, upon his arrival in Montreal, the 29-year-old defenseman established himself as a stalwart on the Canadiens' blue line. Extremely agile and with an extraordinary game vision, Matheson greatly aided the CH in transition phases. Furthermore, his offensive contribution was simply remarkable, collecting an impressive total of 34 points in just 48 games, all at a modest salary of $4.875 million.
As for Jeff Petry, though he accumulated 31 points in 61 games, his defensive shortcomings quickly became a costly problem for the Penguins. Moreover, his $6.25 million contract, valid for the next two years, is now a significant burden on the team's payroll, especially considering his no-movement clause.
Meanwhile, Ryan Poehling only played a single season with the Pennsylvanian team before leaving for Philadelphia in the free agent market on July 1st.
If the performance of the two defensemen on the ice is already irrefutable proof that Kent Hughes hit a home run with such a transaction, their contract is another example of why the Canadiens won this trade hands down. At 35 years old, Petry's best years are clearly behind him, and it would be surprising if a team was ready to accommodate his lucrative salary.
To this end, it's no secret to anyone, but the former Leafs general manager, Kyle Dubas, would be very interested in acquiring star defenseman Erik Karlsson, in order to allow the Penguins to reconnect with the playoffs. The problem? Pittsburgh is currently exceeding the salary cap by over $3 million, and Jeff Petry flatly refuses to be traded to San Jose.
In the event the Penguins would want to welcome the Swedish defenseman and his colossal $11.5 million contract, Kyle Dubas will undeniably have to find a way to free up money under the payroll. Just a year after the transaction involving Jeff Petry, the new general manager might already have to buy out his contract in order to be able to acquire Erik Karlsson.
Wow! As Mike Matheson established himself as potentially the best defenseman in the Montreal lineup, imagine if, a year later, the Penguins decided to buy out Jeff Petry's contract. Once again, Kent Hughes has demonstrated that he is an excellent negotiator and that he can make major transactions for the CH.
In your opinion, does the trade involving Mike Matheson and Jeff Petry rank in the top-3 transactions made by the Canadiens' GM?
| POLL | ||
Do you believe the trade involving Mike Matheson and Jeff Petry ranks in the top 3 transactions made by Kent Hughes? | ||
| Yes | 88 | 85.4 % |
| No | 15 | 14.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
