Red Wings acquire oft-traded defenseman Petry

Jeff Petry is on the move — again.

The veteran defenseman was traded from Montreal to Detroit on Tuesday, in exchange for defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025. The Canadiens also retained 50% of the salary remaining on Petry’s contract — working out to approximately $2.4 million — which runs through 2024-25.

It was the third trade involving Petry over the past 13 months. This move came just 10 days after Montreal acquired Petry from Pittsburgh as part of the blockbuster three-team trade that sent reigning Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson from San Jose to the Penguins. The Canadiens took on 75% of Petry’s salary (Pittsburgh retained the other 25%), goaltender Casey DeSmith and prospect Nathan Legare in the deal.

That situation alone was a full-circle moment of sorts for Petry, who spent the bulk of his NHL career — over the course of eight seasons — patrolling Montreal’s blue line before the Canadiens traded him to Pittsburgh in July 2022. Petry recorded five goals and 31 points in 61 games for the Penguins last season.

While Petry is past his prime as a top-four blueliner, he still wields a solid defensive upside and projects to be a strong locker room presence for the Red Wings. And it’s a homecoming for Petry, too; a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Petry went on to spend three seasons suiting up for Michigan State before graduating to the pros.

Going the other way to Montreal is Lindstrom. A second-round draft choice by Detroit in 2017, Lindstrom, 24, has two goals and 25 points in 128 NHL games to date. He’ll add depth to the Red Wings’ back end heading into training camp.

The conditional fourth-round draft choice also going to Detroit will be the later of Montreal’s two selections that season; the Canadiens currently have their own pick and one acquired in a previous deal with Boston.