Jeff Petry transaction: Kyle Dubas was very impressed by Kent Hughes

Since yesterday, the huge transaction that brought Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh has been the talk of the NHL. We’re talking about a swap that involved no fewer than 12 elements and, when you look at the whole picture, seems to be truly beneficial for all three parties.

It’s a win-win situation, and all three fan bases seem satisfied. What more could you ask for?

In Montreal, fans are happy because Mike Hoffman, a forward who was not a crowd favorite, has left. And it startled a lot of people because Jeff Petry is back in town.

But clearly, when you look at what the CH accomplished yesterday, you have to salute Kent Hughes’ work once again. If he’s able to offload Petry to another club in the next few days or weeks(which is the most logical scenario) and get something substantial in return, it’ll be a real masterstroke.

A Jeff Petry for $2.3 million (with 50% of the salary withheld by the Habs) will interest teams, I have no doubt.

And it’s not just in Montreal that the Tricolore GM’s work is recognized: at his press briefing today, Kyle Dubas admitted that he was really impressed by Hughes during the recent negotiations.

He talks about this at around the eight-minute mark of the press briefing, which you can listen to in its entirety here :

Dubas particularly liked the fact that Hughes had a clear vision for his club and knew exactly what he wanted: to use the space available under the salary cap to acquire assets and push forward the rebuild begun in the city.

He did just that yesterday by acquiring a second-round pick to take on Petry’s contract, but he’ll also be able to trade Petry and Casey DeSmith in the near future to acquire even more picks and/or prospects. In every sense of the word, this is a solid transaction for the CH.

And clearly, Dubas agrees, saying earlier in his press briefing that he really thinks the Tricolore made a great move with this trade. He’s convinced it will help the club continue to look for assets for the future, and he likes the direction Kent Hughes is taking at the helm of the organization.

He already had a lot of respect for the Habs’ GM before the Petry deal, but he earned even more yesterday.

The CH may have come to the end of the process between the Penguins and the Sharks, as Dubas asserts, but that hasn’t stopped it from continuing to use its payroll as an asset to advance its rebuild.

And like Dubas, I can’t help but be impressed by the trade. We’ll have a clearer picture once Petry (and a goalie?) are traded, but yesterday, Montreal acquired an almost free second-round pick while getting rid of Mike Hoffman, a forward who was taking up space and blocking youngsters.

What more could you ask for?

En rafale

– Too bad.

– In a worst-case scenario, trading DeSmith isn’t a bad option.

Do you think the arrival of Casey DeSmith means the end of Jake Allen’s time with the Habs?🤔

To hear @GeorgesLaraque ‘s reaction to the three-team deal with @PatLaprade.⬇️https://t.co/TvT6aVnJjr pic.twitter.com/VZR1TtIyov

– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) August 7, 2023

– Logical.

– We now know the extent of the damage.

– It’s going well.