A statement from John Klingberg could have an impact on Jeff Petry's future in Montreal

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Jeff Drouin
May 19, 2022 (4:32 PM)

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Now that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are preparing for the next draft, there are still some hot issues with the Habs.

One of them is that of defenseman Jeff Petry. Even if he had a very good end of the season, many experts expect the Habs to trade him before the beginning of the next season.

However, Kent Hughes has already mentioned that he would not trade his defenseman on the cheap, and with the unrestricted free-agent market full of quality defensemen, one has to wonder if Petry has a good market value.

However, as David Armoni of Marker.com reports, it could very well be that the decision of an available defenseman on the market could be a game-changer for the Canadiens' No. 26.

In an article published on NHL.com, Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg mentioned that he has every intention of agreeing to terms on a new contract with the Stars.

"At the end of the day, I've always wanted to stay here. This is obviously the only team I've talked to. [General manager Jim Nill] and our clan are trying to figure out how to get along. The number of years, the salary, we want to make a deal that both sides are going to like."

The defenseman, who has 47 points in 74 games this season, will become free as a bird this summer and he confirmed that talks between him and the team's general manager, Jim Nill, were well underway and the latter confirmed his intention to retain the services of the Swedish defenseman.

Oh, I'd love to retain his services. John has an opportunity to test the free agent market and I don't blame him. He has to think about his family. He's going to see what the market looks like, and it will be the same for us. Then we'll see if there's a deal that can work for both parties. It's going to depend on the terms and the salary. He knows his value, I know his value. He's earned that right and I'll give him full credit for that."

Could this have an impact on what happens next regarding Jeff Petry?

It's quite possible, because if Klingberg stays with the Stars, then many teams that are interested in his services could look at other options on defense. That's when Petry could become very interesting for some teams looking for an experienced right-handed defenseman.

What do you think?

According to many experts, this statement from John Klingberg could really have an impact on Jeff Petry's future in Montreal and create an interesting market for the veteran CH defenseman.