Jack Todd: Canadiens GM Hughes carried out magic with newest Petry deal

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It was a transfer so deft that at the beginning I believed it needed to be a mistake.

Jeff Petry returning to the Canadiens? Certainly not. Somebody had confused the commerce when he was despatched to the Penguins for one thing that occurred on a sleepy August Sunday.

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However no, Petry is again. (Or was — I’ve the sense that that is Half One and that by the point you learn this, Petry might have already got been dealt elsewhere. Such is the curse of deadlines.)

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However in the meanwhile, not less than, Petry and his legendary eyes are again on the Habs roster, which is welcome information regardless of how this unfolds.

Higher nonetheless, famous rocket scientist and salary-cap drawback Mike Hoffman has discovered the way in which to San Jose, as GM Kent Hughes cleans away extra of the troublesome underbrush left behind by his predecessor. (We’re sorry to see Rem Pitlick go however at 26, he’s eminently replaceable.)

Should you observe the bouncing ball, you’ll observe that within the span of barely greater than a 12 months, Hughes has managed to:

Grant Petry’s want by buying and selling him to an American staff whereas receiving equal worth in Mike Matheson, a youthful participant with comparable abilities and a decrease cap hit.

Get Petry again, with the Penguins choosing up 25 per cent of his wage, in return for Hoffman, who was basically a roster drawback.

Decide up a second-round choose in 2025 together with the fourth-rounder he acquired when Petry was dealt to the Penguins within the first place.

Sure, sure. Ryan Poehling was part of the primary deal, Casey DeSmith and AHL winger Nathan Légaré come to Montreal on this one, however let’s persist with the half that issues: Hughes dealt Petry to pry Matheson out of Pittsburgh, then structured one other Petry deal to get the veteran again with a decrease cap hit whereas dumping Hoffman.

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All in all, it’s attainable that no different participant within the lengthy and superb historical past of the Canadiens has been concerned in three trades that labored out so effectively for the CH. The 2015 deal to amass Petry from Edmonton for a 2015 second-rounder and a conditional fifth-rounder was probably the greatest of Marc Bergevin’s profession.

This can be a tantalizing transfer on the a part of the Canadiens. Has Julie Petry reconciled herself to this metropolis now that COVID restrictions are usually not in place? Does Hughes elect to maintain Petry and go for a playoff spot this coming season? Does the second shoe drop as early as this week, with Petry shifting on? Or does the infinitely affected person Hughes wait till the commerce deadline to maneuver the veteran defenceman to a contender?

No matter, Hughes has as soon as once more confirmed adept at navigating the minefield of NHL trades. To eliminate Hoffman would have been sufficient. To get Petry in return is solely astounding.

A True World Cup: Learn ‘em and weep: Of the ultimate 16 groups to make the knockout spherical on the World Cup, 5 had been distinct outsiders — Colombia, Jamaica, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Gone had been Germany, Brazil, China, Italy and (sure) Canada. The mighty U.S. survived solely as a result of its MVP in opposition to Portugal was the woodwork, solely to fall to Sweden within the spherical of 16.

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Germany, ranked second on the planet behind the U.S., misplaced to Colombia within the group stage, then bowed out when it may handle no higher than a 1-1 draw in opposition to South Korea with out making the spherical of 16.

Two of the African sides are already gone — South Africa held its personal in a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands and Nigeria took powerhouse England to the restrict Monday earlier than bowing 4-2 on penalties. Colombia, Jamaica and Morocco are nonetheless in it and not less than one will advance to the quarterfinal as a result of Colombia and Jamaica play one another Tuesday.

With the sector expanded to 32 groups, girls’s soccer has confirmed that there is no such thing as a scarcity of high quality sides. The matches, for probably the most half, have been quick and thrilling just like the gamers.

This has been a contest for younger stars like Colombia’s 18-year-old Linda Caicedo, Australia’s Mary Fowler, England’s Lauren James (despatched off with a purple card in opposition to Nigeria) and 23-year-old Hinata Miyazawa (main the Golden Boot competitors with 5 objectives for a Japanese staff that seems more likely to win the championship) whereas Canada’s Christine Sinclair, Brazil’s Marta and Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. both weren’t efficient or grew to become (in Rapinoe’s case) unfair targets after their groups bowed out.

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Backside line? The world recreation now belongs to the world on the ladies’s facet as effectively. Those that love girls’s hockey can solely watch and need. 1 / 4-century after the ladies’s recreation debuted on the Nagano Olympics, the U.S. and Canada stay the one two viable contenders to win any main competitors — and there’s no remedy in sight.

Heroes: Jeff Petry, Shawn Lemon, Austin Mack, William Stanback, Hinata Miyazawa, Linda Caicedo, Megan Rapinoe, &&&& final however not least, Kent Hughes.

Zeros: The USWNT, Jake Paul, Logan Paul, Noah Gragson, Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& final however not least, Jeffrey Loria.

Now and eternally.

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