The Canadiens have netted Edmonton Oilers defenceman Jeff Petry, centre.Jason Franson/The Canadian Press
This is the time of year when the NHL morphs from a sports league into a frenzied arms race, and in Cold War terms the Montreal Canadiens had to maintain their deterrent.
For the second straight season, Habs general manager Marc Bergevin managed to swing a trade deadline deal for one of the most coveted rental players on the market – Edmonton defenceman Jeff Petry.
Once again, one of the league's craftiest executives paid less than the going rate.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, who will be on the Habs' path through the Eastern Conference playoffs, both had to part with good prospects and first-round draft picks in the course of their blueline shopping.
Bergevin was able to get Petry, a 27-year-old who can be an unrestricted free agent this summer, for a 2015 second-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder (it could eventually rise as high as the third round), a lower price than what he paid at the 2014 deadline for Thomas Vanek.
Then he added useful, speedy role players Brian Flynn and Torrey Mitchell from the dead-last Buffalo Sabres for a combined price of a fifth-round pick, a seventh-round pick and a minor-leaguer named Jack Nevins, who earns his living with his fists.
No roster players, no gilt-edged prospects, no high draft picks, no having to eat contract term – typical Bergevin. The Sabres will even kick in half of Mitchell's remaining salary (he's to make $2.5-million U.S. this season and becomes a free agent in July).
"Internally we set our price, and that's what we went with … we stayed within our parameters," Bergevin told reporters in San Jose, where his team played the Sharks on Monday.
Though he wasn't able to add another potent winger, it's not because the Habs didn't try. "You look at all the options, but I don't believe any first-line players were traded today," Bergevin said.
Ultimately, the Montreal brain trust decided it didn't want to mess with a good thing by swinging for the fences in a blockbuster deal – "I'm very proud of our group and what we've accomplished … it's very important not to disturb the chemistry of this team."
The sentiment resonated with the players.
"We're getting rewarded for our good play by the GM taking some chances and making some moves. I think it sends a message to our group that this is our time, and we've got to go for it," winger Max Pacioretty said.
If Montreal's central flaw is the absence of a 50-goal/100-point scoring threat, its other obvious vulnerability is on the right side of defence when P.K. Subban isn't on the ice. With the aging Sergei Gonchar (a natural lefty), Tom Gilbert and seventh defenceman Mike Weaver, the Habs didn't have the same quality as other Eastern Conference powers.
Enter Petry from the Oilers. Right-handed shot, agile skater, good passer, able to contribute to the power-play, Petry is a healthy dose of what the Habs needed.
The 6-foot-3 Michigan native will likely line up alongside Nathan Beaulieu; his arrival gives Montreal the luxury of deploying Gilbert for third-pairing minutes, presumably with Gonchar or the injured Alexei Emelin. "He's an incredible skater, big body, shoots the puck well. He's got, overall, a lot of skills that are good on the back end," said Gilbert, who played with Petry in Edmonton.
Though Bergevin said he hasn't spoken to Petry's agent about a contract extension, the Habs have substantial cap room next year and will be in a good position to sign him should the experiment succeed.
Flynn, 26, and Mitchell, 30, are also righty shooters, and both can play centre – before they arrived, the Habs had no right-handed faceoff takers on their NHL roster. The new arrivals also provide an upgrade in terms of speed, which is the fundamental condition for the vaunted Montreal transition game.
Fear for Mitchell, who will get to suit up for his hometown Canadiens. The forward was plainly exultant at the move – "I'm so pumped," he told TSN – but when he pulls on the sweater of his childhood heroes, it will bear 17 on the back. It's not an auspicious number.
Most recently worn by minor-league call-up Eric Tangradi, it started the season belonging to Rene Bourque and was previously owned by one-season wonders Dustin Boyd and Chris Campoli and by enforcer Georges Laraque, who was essentially fired from the club in 2010.
And the less said about Benoît Brunet's injury-plagued seasons wearing 17, the better.