Since he was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, Jeff Petry has filled a major role for the Montreal Canadiens. For too long the team lacked defenders who could shoulder the load defensively if the top pairing struggled. With Andrei Markov and Shea Weber getting older, and Alexei Emelin performing inconsistently since signing his most recent contract extension, Petry has been a stable force on the back end, giving the team a solid top three.
Despite an injury-shortened 2015-16, Petry came into this season in top form, and overcame a rotating cast of defence partners to be in the conversation for the Habs’ best defenceman.