The Montreal Canadiens didn't seem to have plans to keep the former Pittsburgh Penguins defender.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks, part of the deal involved sending Jeff Petry back to the Montreal Canadiens.

After the deal was wrapped up for the Penguins, however, it seemed like Petry wouldn’t be staying on Montreal for long.

The team never gave him a full welcome back, and Eric Engels suggested they would be looking to flip him before the season started.

Just over a week after Petry went from Pittsburgh to Montreal, the Canadiens have flipped him closer to home and sent him to the Detroit Red Wings.

In return the Canadiens received Gustav Lindstrom and will retain 50% of what they were already paying Petry.

When the Penguins traded away Petry, they agreed to retain $1,562,500 of his average annual value for the final two years of his deal.

With the Canadiens retaining 50%, Petry’s salary cap hit for the Red Wings will only be $2,343,750.

Petry’s name now appears on three different salary lists, but this is likely the perfect outcome for the Ann Arbor, Michigan native.

When the Penguins were looking to close the Karlsson deal with the Sharks, Petry likely blocked a move sending him out west.

Petry wanted to remain close to his family that are based in Michigan, and you can’t get much closer than that.

The Canadiens also received a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

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