The Florida Panthers announced that they have signed veteran defenseman Jeff Petry to a one-year contract worth $775,000 that also includes performance bonuses.
Petry was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, he has played parts of 15 seasons in the NHL. He spent his first five seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before joining the Montreal Canadiens mid-season in 2014-15, where he remained for the following seven seasons. Petry was then traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 2022-23 season, before being traded back to the Canadiens in a three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins. Before playing another game for the Canadiens, Petry was traded again, this time to the Detroit Red Wings, where he has spent his last two seasons.
Related: 2025 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Petry will turn 38 years old in December 2025 and currently sits at 981 games played and 96 career goals. If Petry plays 19 games for the Panthers next season, he will become one of 135 defensemen to reach the 1000 career game mark in NHL history, and if he can score four goals, he will become one of 111 defensemen in NHL history to reach the 100 goal mark.
Petry’s Drop in Production Not a Concern to the Panthers
Last season with the Red Wings, Petry managed only one goal and seven assists for eight points in 44 games, a 15-point pace per 82 games. This pace is well below his career average of 32 points per 82-game pace. However, this should not be a significant concern to the Panthers, considering Petry only played 11 minutes on the power play all season, and the Red Wings averaged the third-fewest five-on-five goals per 60 minutes during the previous season.
Even if Petry’s offensive production does not come back with a much better offensive group in the Panthers, he will still be extremely valuable to the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. In 2024-25 with the Red Wings, he led their defensemen in takeaways, with 1.28 per 60 minutes, and in blocked shots per 60 minutes with 5.35. Petry also has one of the fastest shots in the NHL, and his new team, the Panthers, saw that on full display last season when he ripped a slap shot that was clocked at 100.65 mph back in April. This shot ranked among the top three percent of fastest shots recorded last season.
Despite being on the back end of his career, Petry remains a phenomenal skater and was ranked among the top 12% of players in top skating speed last season, with his fastest burst recorded at 22.79 mph.
Petry a Perfect Fit for the Panthers
In addition to his defensive impact and potential offensive production, world-class shot and superb skating. Petry is a physical force on the ice, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 208 pounds. The Panthers are known for being a tough, physical team that gets under opponents’ skin. He’s a player who excels at playing a similar style of hockey; he has always been an agitator on the ice and will fit right in with all the pests the Panthers have. This is a great depth signing for the Panthers’ attempt at a three-peat.
