Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Mark Friedman
Dec. 27: As expected, the Penguins have recalled Friedman from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton today.
Dec. 23: While the roster freeze is in effect, limiting the number of transactions a team can make, it doesn’t apply to players recalled after December 11. That’s why the Pittsburgh Penguins can return Mark Friedman to the minor leagues over Christmas, now that they are off until next week.
Friedman, 26, was last recalled on December 14, but still hasn’t played an NHL game this season. The depth defenseman saw plenty of action a year ago, appearing in 26 games for the Penguins and recording a career-high five points.
With just six other defensemen on the roster, it’s likely that the Penguins bring Friedman right back up after the season resumes and keep him until Jeff Petry is able to return. Sending him down now doesn’t actually save any money, given he is on a one-way $775K deal, but will help prevent his waiver clock from expiring.
Remember, it is not just games played that resets that clock. If a player stays on an active roster for 30 days (cumulative), they will also need to pass through waivers again to be sent down.
Jason Zucker Out Week-To-Week
Not only will the Pittsburgh Penguins be without Jeff Petry for at least several weeks after placing him on long-term injured reserve yesterday, but now Jason Zucker is out too. Head coach Mike Sullivan explained today that Zucker is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury and will not travel with the club when they travel to Florida for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers.
Petry will be out “longer-term” according to Sullivan, though a clear timeline has not been given at this point. Neither player is expected to require surgery.
It is unfortunate news for Zucker, who was having a nice bounce-back season after two injury-riddled campaigns. He had just totaled just 18 and 17 points the last two years, numbers he had already surpassed this year with 20 points in his first 27 games. The versatile winger was playing regular minutes and had two assists in Monday’s game, including on the game-winning tally from Evgeni Malkin in the dying seconds.
For a player that has taken a lot of heat since he arrived in Pittsburgh, it looked like the 30-year-old was getting back to the player that scored 33 goals and 64 points for the Minnesota Wild in 2017-18. Unfortunately, the rebirth of that player will have to wait at least a few games as he deals with the lower-body injury.
Not only was this his best performance as a Penguin but Zucker is also a pending free agent, and a big year could set him up for a substantial payday. He’ll be 31 when the market opens next summer, coming off a five-year, $27.5MM deal he signed with Minnesota in 2018.
Penguins Place Jeff Petry On LTIR, Recall Two Players
The Penguins will be without one of their top defenders for at least a little while as the team announced that they have placed Jeff Petry on long-term injured reserve retroactive to December 11. The move frees up some short-term cap space and Pittsburgh used some of that right away as they recalled defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Drew O’Connor from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.
Petry was injured in Saturday’s victory over Buffalo with what appeared to be a hand or wrist injury. Following the game, he suggested it wouldn’t be a long-term issue but clearly, this placement suggests otherwise. The Penguins acquired the 35-year-old over the offseason from Montreal with the hopes of giving them a strong one-two punch on the right-hand side with Kris Letang. Petry has fit in well with a dozen points in 28 games while averaging over 22 minutes a night, a number that jumped to over 26 minutes per contest while Letang was recovering from his stroke. Now, Letang will be counted on to take on a heavier workload with Petry out for at least the next 10 games and 24 days. Chad Ruhwedel will likely slot in as a regular on the back end in Petry’s absence.
O’Connor is the top scorer for Pittsburgh’s farm team as he has eight goals and 14 assists in 20 games so far this season, a rate that’s a small improvement over the 32 points in 33 AHL contests he had last year. The 24-year-old played in 22 games with Pittsburgh last season where he had three goals and two assists but so far this year, he has been limited to just three contests, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 8:32 per night.
As for Friedman, he played in a career-high 26 NHL contests last season but Pittsburgh was able to get him through waivers back in October and assigned him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton upon clearing. He has played in 19 games in the minors so far, collecting a goal and four assists. For Pittsburgh to be able to activate Petry when he’s able to return, they will have to get cap-compliant which likely means that Friedman and O’Connor will have to go back to the minors at that time, barring other injuries.
Morning Notes: Robertson, Petry, CHL
Preseason is already well underway and there continues to be no real update in talks between Jason Robertson and the Dallas Stars, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The insider explains that the only thing coming out of either side is that daily discussions are being held.
Robertson, 23, is one of four remaining restricted free agents that needs a contract for this season, and by far the most important of the group. The young forward scored 41 goals and 79 points in 74 games last season. The Stars kick off their season on October 13 against the Nashville Predators.
- Jeff Petry has received a $5,000 fine for roughing in last night’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. The Pittsburgh newcomer played more than every Penguin except Kris Letang, including nearly seven minutes on the powerplay. Despite the nine man-advantage opportunities, the Penguins lost 6-2, with Petry taking a frustration penalty when he punched the back of Jonatan Berggren‘s head.
- The CHL is already off and running, with players all heading back from their NHL camps to compete at the junior level once again. To kick things off, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has released full previews of each league, with prospects to look out for and rookies that will be building their stock. His pick for Rookie of the Year? Michael Misa, the Saginaw Spirit forward who was granted exceptional status. Misa is eligible for the 2025 NHL draft.
Penguins Acquire Jeff Petry
The Penguins moved out a right-shot defender earlier today when they sent John Marino to New Jersey. It appears he’ll be replaced by Jeff Petry as Pittsburgh has acquired the veteran along with center Ryan Poehling from Montreal in exchange for blueliner Mike Matheson and a 2023 fourth-round pick. Both teams have confirmed the swap.
The 34-year-old is coming off a tough season with Montreal that saw him struggle as their top defender in the absence of Shea Weber. He struggled mightily offensively to start the year as over the first three months of the year, he had just two assists in 27 games. However, Petry’s performance improved following the coaching change that saw Martin St. Louis take over behind the bench and he was much better down the stretch, picking up 21 points in the final three months of the season. Overall, Petry finished up the year with six goals and 21 assists in 68 games, his lowest point total since the 2015-16 campaign, his first full season with the Canadiens.
Around the midway point of the year, he also requested a trade for family reasons. While he was widely expected to move at the trade deadline and again at the draft, it has taken a while for a move to materialize.
Petry has three years left on his contract with a $6.25MM AAV and Montreal GM Kent Hughes stated earlier this week that he wasn’t interested in retaining any salary to facilitate a trade. While the Marino move freed up roughly $3.5MM in cap flexibility, that wasn’t enough to absorb Petry’s full deal which is what prompted Matheson’s inclusion in the swap. Petry had been speculated as a possible replacement for Kris Letang if the veteran was to leave in free agency. Instead, Letang signed a six-year deal and Petry will now help form a quality one-two punch on the right side of their back end with Petry’s AAV checking in just above Letang’s to make him the highest-paid blueliner on the team.
Matheson was a top-four defender early in his career with Florida but his stock started to dip a few years ago, resulting in him being flipped for Patric Hornqvist. The move worked out well for the 28-year-old as he had a career year offensively in 2021-22, picking up 11 goals and 20 assists in 74 games while logging just under 19 minutes a night. He was also quite productive for the Penguins in the playoffs, notching a goal and five helpers in seven games to lead all Pittsburgh blueliners in scoring while averaging over 25 minutes per contest.
Matheson has four years remaining on his contract with a $4.875MM AAV on a deal that is somewhat heavily backloaded with his payout set to jump to $6.5MM per season in each of the final three seasons. He immediately becomes the blueliner with the longest contract on the Canadiens while also being their highest-paid. He’ll likely take the place of Alexander Romanov on Montreal’s depth chart as the youngster was traded back at the draft to the Islanders for the 13th-overall pick which was then flipped to Chicago to pick up center Kirby Dach.
As for Poehling, the 23-year-old was a first-round pick of Montreal back in 2017 (25th overall) and spent most of last season with the Canadiens, notching nine goals and eight assists in 57 games while averaging just over 12 minutes per game. He’s likely to have a similar role in Pittsburgh’s bottom six in 2022-23. Poehling is signed for the league minimum for next season and will be a restricted free agent next summer.
With the move, Pittsburgh now has just under $2MM in cap space with RFA winger Kasperi Kapanen still to sign. That’s not enough for the 25-year-old so it would appear that GM Ron Hextall has another move to try to make. Meanwhile, Montreal frees up a little over $2MM with this swap, giving them a little over $2.3MM in cap room with Dach as their most notable RFA in need of a new deal.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract and cap info courtesy of CapFriendly.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that Petry was heading to Pittsburgh. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the trade details.
Latest On Jeff Petry
The Montreal Canadiens have made some serious changes to the roster this summer but some of the high-priced talent is still in town. Jeff Petry in particular is an odd fit for the rebuilding club, given his age (34) and struggles last season. With his public desire for a different fit closer to home, pressure has continued to build in Montreal for general manager Kent Hughes to find a trade.
Well, perceived pressure at least.
Hughes met with the media today and explained that while it is a priority he will not rush into a decision on Petry that weakens the Canadiens’ moving forward. He reiterated that if a trade is to be made, Montreal will not be retaining any of the money left on the veteran defenseman’s contract. Petry carries a $6.25MM cap hit for the next three seasons.
At the end of the day it’s about finding that trade that makes sense for the Montreal Canadiens. If we’re able to find it, we’ll do it. If not, Jeff will have to return to Montreal and play here. We love him as a player, I think he loves everything about Montreal other than the complications from a family perspective.
The key here is that the Canadiens aren’t considering a Petry trade a salary dump and are maintaining that they will keep him through the end of his contract if necessary. While some of that is likely just a negotiating tactic, if the Canadiens are truly unwilling to retain any salary, Petry’s market will likely shrivel considerably.
It’s hard for any team to absorb a $6.25MM cap hit and even more difficult to do it for a defenseman who is signed through his 37th birthday. Petry’s offensive production fell last season to just 27 points in 68 games as he appeared disinterested (or perhaps just distracted) at times, and there is no sure bet that it will return if he goes elsewhere.
Still, for teams that miss out on other right-shot puck-movers in free agency and other trades, Petry remains an option that is available for the right price. Hughes was asked directly whether John Klingberg‘s availability was holding things up, he replied “not necessarily.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Offseason Notes: Flyers, Canadiens, Canucks, Coyotes
When Johnny Gaudreau signed his six-year, $40.5MM contract with the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2016-17 season, talks immediately began swirling that when the contract expired in 2022, he’d return to his roots and sign with his hometown Philadelphia Flyers. Nearly six years later, those rumors are as prevalent as ever. However, in his latest 32 Thoughts article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wonders if the most prudent path for the Flyers, given the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Ellis‘ health, is to pursue several medium-sized pieces as opposed to one big one, believing those conversations have at least happened. Friedman adds that the Flyers are a team who generally tries to go big in their moves, noting that they have tested the market on many of their players and have made a real pitch for Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Alex DeBrincat, more than simply kicking the tires.
The comments and speculation from Friedman provide some new perspective on how the Flyers may choose to pursue this offseason given how their previous few seasons have played out. Philadelphia has made the postseason just once in the previous four seasons and has only made it out of the first round once since 2011-12, which featured a first round win over the Montreal Canadiens and a second-round loss to the New York Islanders in the bubble. Coming off the heels of a 61 point season that included trading franchise icon Claude Giroux, it would seem that the team might look to take a step back and rebuild, but whether the rumor is a big splash or several smaller pieces, it does not appear a rebuild is in the cards. With several quality players signed long-term, including Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Cam Atkinson, Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, and promising young goaltender Carter Hart, as well as Ellis, it would make sense why the organization may try to simply push forward.
More from Friedman’s 32 Thoughts:
- One team who may move on from some of its core veterans is the Montreal Canadiens, who Friedman says have been testing the market on Christian Dvorak, Jeff Petry and perhaps Josh Anderson. He adds that some teams believe they are not looking to trade Jake Allen as they do want to try to be more competitive, so it’s unlikely they will strip away all of their assets. In fact, the team was interested in Ottawa Senators forward Colin White prior to the trade deadline, with Friedman believing those talks may materialize again, adding that Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes was White’s agent prior to Hughes joining Montreal’s front office. Once one of the game’s top prospects, White had a strong breakout campaign in 2018-19, putting up 41 points in 71 games, enough to earn him a six-year, $28.5MM contract. Unfortunately, the contract hasn’t worked out as hoped by either side, with White tallying just 51 points in 130 game since the start of the deal, now with three more years at $4.75MM per season left.
- Moving out west, Friedman looks at the Vancouver Canucks in light of the Brock Boeser extension, believing the two sides having a deadline played a role in the deal. He adds that there should be a path to a Bo Horvat extension as well, but a J.T. Miller trade is still likely. Though an extension with Miller isn’t impossible, Friedman believes it’s too difficult and Vancouver will try to get more than what the Minnesota Wild received in exchange for Kevin Fiala: the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft and prospect Brock Faber. That package may not be hard to eclipse for a player like Miller, who has taken off since arriving in Vancouver, recording 217 points in 202 games. However, it’s worth noting that Fiala was an impending RFA while Miller has one more year at $5.25MM before becoming a UFA and is a little over three years older than Fiala.
- Lastly, the Arizona Coyotes, who own picks 3, 27, and 32 in the first-round of this year’s draft are prepared to use “all available options” to try to acquire another high pick in the draft, says Friedman. By selecting third overall, Arizona is guaranteed one of Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, or Logan Cooley, though it’s unlikely they will get to choose which. It’s unclear exactly how far up the organization would like to find an available pick, but with news that the Montreal Canadiens are seeking an additional top-10 pick, there could be some competition for one of the coveted draft picks. The Coyotes do have in addition to the 27th and 32nd overall selections, four second-round picks and a third, fifth, and seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, on top of plenty of prospect capital.
Canadiens Notes: Anderson, Petry, Richardson
After dealing his team’s captain to the Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes met with the media to discuss the trade and answer questions. As part of the press conference, Hughes was asked about winger Josh Anderson, who has recently become the subject of trade rumors. Hughes was transparent about the situation, saying that they have had “many” teams call about Anderson, both around the trade deadline and more recently. Hughes said that while he wouldn’t be actively seeking to trade Anderson, he would be listening to any deal that could help the Canadiens.
While Anderson didn’t have a season to remember in 2021-22, it’s not hard to see why he would be of interest to contending clubs. The former 27-goal scorer has the rare combination of speed and power in his game that many GM’s covet, and he’s under contract through 2026-27. While the way Anderson’s contract will age as he accumulates more wear-and-tear on his body and gets deeper into his late twenties is an open question, it’s clear that GM’s are willing to look past those potential issues in order to acquire the unique player that Anderson is today. Whether a trade will actually happen, though, is unknown. But what we did learn from Hughes today is that the possibility of an Anderson trade is very much real.
Now, for some other notes regarding the Montreal Canadiens:
- One of the other Canadiens players often mentioned in trade rumors is defenseman Jeff Petry. Hughes has previously attempted to accommodate Petry’s desire for a trade, but has been unable to find a deal so far. Today, Hughes was asked about Petry’s situation and clarified that it’s unlikely to be a deal that gets consummated at this stage of the offseason. Hughes noted that teams are still “evaluating their needs,” and as a result, it could be harder to move the defenseman, especially given that he is 34 years old and carries a $6.25MM cap hit. While Petry undoubtedly had a down season in 2021-22, he did play better after the Canadiens hired Martin St. Louis. Under St. Louis, Petry had 21 points in 30 games and flashed the high-end form he displayed in 2020-21, when he had 42 points in 55 games. So while he’s certainly not an untradeable asset, Hughes’ comments indicate that the contract situations of fellow right-shot offensive defensemen such as Dallas’ John Klingberg may need to reach their conclusions before Petry’s can be solved.
- It was previously reported that Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson had interviewed with the Chicago Blackhawks for their head coaching vacancy, and Hughes confirmed as much in his media availability, stating that Richardson and the Blackhawks had met within the last 48 hours. Hughes also noted that Richardson was “in line” for a second interview with the Blackhawks and that he would not leave the Canadiens for anything other than a head coaching job. While the Canadiens’ coaching staff looks set for next season, the departure of Richardson, the most experienced coach on the staff, would create a hole that would need to be filled. With little NHL experience shared between head coach Martin St. Louis and assistants Alexandre Burrows and Trevor Letowski, the departure of Richardson would likely mean that the Canadiens would enter the market for an experienced assistant to help their young coaches handle the challenges that come with NHL life.
Atlantic Notes: Murray, Worlds, Petry, Gallagher, Senyshyn
Senators goaltender Matt Murray was hoping to return down the stretch to give him an opportunity to play for Canada at the upcoming World Championships but had to shut it down last week due to post-concussion symptoms, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). It was a tough season for the 27-year-old as he was limited to just 20 games where he had a GAA of 3.05 and a SV% of .906, numbers that aren’t worth his $6.25MM AAV. That resulted in Murray clearing waivers back in November. With Anton Forsberg signing an extension back at the trade deadline and prospect Filip Gustavsson being waiver-eligible in 2022-23, Murray’s spot on Ottawa’s roster to start next season is far from a guarantee.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Still with Ottawa, Ian Mendes of The Athletic mentions (Twitter links) that winger Drake Batherson and forward Tim Stutzle will represent Canada and Germany respectively at next month’s World Championships. However, forward Brady Tkachuk is unlikely to play for the United States in the tournament due to some nagging injuries.
- Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry told reporters, including TSN’s John Lu (Twitter link), that he hasn’t closed the door on staying in Montreal. The veteran blueliner requested a trade midseason but played much better in the second half under interim head coach Martin St. Louis, finishing up with 21 points in his final 28 games this season after having just six points through his first 40 contests. Petry has three years left on his contract with a $6.25MM AAV.
- Still with Montreal, Lu notes in a separate tweet that winger Brendan Gallagher declined an invite to play at the Worlds due to lingering injury issues while noting his hip issue from the playoffs last year was still acting up this season. Gallagher had the toughest offensive campaign of his 10-year career, notching just seven goals and 17 assists in 56 games.
- With the regular season now done (at least for 30 of 32 teams), several trades that have conditions in them have now been finalized. One of those was the move that sent Zach Senyshyn to Ottawa in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Had the winger played in five games with the Senators, the Bruins would have received Ottawa’s 2022 sixth-round pick. He only played in two so Boston will instead get their 2022 seventh-rounder.
Montreal Canadiens Activate Jeff Petry
Jeff Petry is expected to return to the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup Saturday night when the team faces the Toronto Maple Leafs, writes Sportsnet’s Eric Engels (link). Petry has been out of the lineup since suffering a lower-body injury against the Florida Panthers back on March 24th. The defenseman took warmups this evening in Toronto alongside Joel Edmundson.
Petry’s injury is yet another one in a historic season of man-games-missed due to injury for the Canadiens, however the veteran has managed to play a majority of games this season for Montreal. Despite his comparatively healthy season, Petry has struggled to an extent for Montreal, with four goals and 12 assists in 57 games and a -10 rating for the Canadiens.
Getting Petry back into the lineup is still good news for the Canadiens, as a strong finish for him could help to boost his trade value going into the offseason. Montreal had considered moving the defenseman at the trade deadline, but did not find a deal to their liking. The team could still move Petry in the offseason, but finding a return worth the 34-year-old’s talent may be difficult, as he still has three more seasons at a $6.25MM average annual value remaining on his contract.