Jeff Petry to Canadiens: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The Edmonton Oilers agreed on Monday to trade defenseman Jeff Petry to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a second-round pick and conditional fifth-round selection in the 2015 draft, according to an announcement from the team.

Petry, 27, will be a free agent this summer and carries a $3.075 million cap hit, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. The veteran has spent all five of his NHL seasons in Edmonton after being selected No. 45 overall in 2006. He has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 59 appearances so far in 2014-15 and has continued to develop into a solid all-around defender.

Edmonton largely chose to move on before Monday's trade deadline to avoid losing Petry for nothing over the summer. The Oilers are in last place in the Western Conference with 46 points and are in the midst of a full-scale rebuild, which turned Petry's departure into an inevitability.

Montreal, meanwhile, is emerging as a favorite to win the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens lead the Eastern Conference with 87 points, and adding Petry will allow them to fill one of the few gaps on the roster. Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com reported the conditional pick depends on how Montreal fares in May and June:

The Canadiens will likely continue looking for offensive talent up until the final minutes of the deadline, but with Carey Price playing lights out and Petry filling a gap defensively, the franchise's first Stanley Cup in more than two decades is within reach.

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