Penguins acquiring Jeff Petry tops list of worst offseason trades
Anthony Scultore
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NHL Training Camps are in full swing with preseason action to enjoy every night. Hockey season is here and we’re hyped.
Yesterday, we looked at the 5 best trades this past offseason. Well it’s time to flip the script and check out the worst moves made.
Oddly enough, there weren’t many candidates to chose from. However, two for me were obvious and one is more of my personal view of the player traded.
Let’s dive in.
1. Penguins get older with Jeff Petry
Only a few days after signing aging veterans Kris Letang (35) and Evgeni Malkin (36) to long term deals, the Pittsburgh Penguins added defenseman Jeff Petry to the team.
The Pens also acquired forward Ryan Poehling from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Mike Matheson and a 2023 fourth-round pick.
Petry, 34, struggled last season with just 27 points in 68 games. He comes with a big contract at $6.25 million AAV for three more seasons.
Poehling, 23, registred 17 points in 58 games for the Habs in 2021-22. The Pens are hoping this former first-round pick from the 2017 draft realizes his potential in a few seasons.
Matheson, 28, recorded 31 points in 74 games with the Pens last year. A few more points than Petry, but younger and at a better cost ($4.875M AAV).
2. Golden Knights forced to give away Max Pacioretty
The Carolina Hurricanes were the beneficiaries of the Vegas Golden Knights cap crunch acquiring forward Max Pacioretty and defenseman Dylan Coghlan in exchange for future considerations.
Pacioretty, 33, scored 37 points including 19 goals in an injury plagued season that limited him to 39 games last season. The scoring forward spent 10 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens before landing in Vegas via trade for the past four years. He has amassed 642 points in 850 games.
This is the final season of a four-year deal for Pacioretty that comes with an AAV of $7 million. He’s currently out six months after surgery to repair an Achilles injury.
Coghlan, 24, has played 88 NHL games for the Golden Knights over the past two seasons. He had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 59 games last season. He will be an RFA with arbitration rights next summer.
3. Devils trade Pavel Zacha for a veteran
On July 13, the Boston Bruins acquired Pavel Zacha from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Erik Haula. The restricted free agent wrapped up a deal for $2.25 million per season and was in line for an increase. The team avoided his arbitration hearing with a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.
Zacha, 25, recorded 36 points in 70 games last season with the Devils.
Haula, 31, recorded 44 points in 78 games in 2021-22.
While many may see no issue with this trade, I feel that in the long run Zacha has a chance to be a top six forward. And while the Devils got back some veteran leadership and grit to add this season in an attempt to make the playoffs, this is a move that will backfire in the end.
