Canadiens Trade Jeff Petry to Red Wings for Gustav Lindström, Conditional Draft Pick

Veteran defenseman Jeff Petry is on the move for the third time in a little over a year.

The Detroit Red Wings announced that they’ve acquired Petry from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Gustav Lindström and a conditional 2025 fourth-round draft pick.

A 13-year veteran, Petry had spent seven-plus seasons with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in 2015. Last summer, Montreal traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unfortunately, he struggled in his new surroundings.

While Petry was able to produce 31 points, he was limited to 61 games on the season due to various injuries. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, and Kyle Dubas was tabbed to replace general manager Ron Hextail. Upon Dubas’ hiring, reports surfaced that the new regime was looking to trade Petry.

The Penguins got their wish earlier this month when they shipped the 35-year-old back to the Canadiens as part of a three-team deal that also involved the San Jose Sharks and sent seven-time All-Star and three-time Norris Memorial Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh. However, it was immediately reported that Montreal GM Kent Hughes would look to flip Petry in a trade once again.

Petry will now be tasked with helping turn around a Red Wings team that ranked seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 35-37-10 record. Detroit has not made the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons, so the team surely will be motivated to end that streak in 2023-24.