Pittsburgh Penguins: Jeff Petry traded to Pittsburgh for Mike Matheson

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired veteran defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Ryan Poehling from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Mike Matheson and a 2023 fourth-round draft pick, per a team press release.

Petry, 34, is signed through the end of the 2024-25 season and carries an average annual value of $6.25 million. Poehling, 23, is signed through the end of the 2022-23 season and carries an average annual value of $750,000.

Petry is a veteran of 12 NHL seasons and 803 career games, split between Montreal and Edmonton. The defenseman has spent the last seven-plus seasons with the Canadiens and has served as an alternate captain over the past three years.

"When you're trading for good players, you're going to have to give up good players. Mike [Matheson] is a good player. We just feel like Jeff [Petry], at this point, is a little better fit for us. He can play all situations, he can log big minutes," GM Ron Hextall said after the trade.  

Meanwhile, Poehling has played parts of three NHL seasons, all with Montreal, from 2018-22. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound forward logged nine goals, eight assists, and 17 points in 57 NHL games. He also spent time with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League last season, recording six points (3G-3A) in seven games.

Poehling was originally drafted by Montreal in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft.

"When Ryan was drafted, we really liked him. He's a big body that's going to get better. We're hoping he can be a good two-way player for us," Hextall added.

This transaction comes after the Penguins traded defenseman John Marino earlier in the day.

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