When the Montreal Canadiens and Penguins swapped defensemen, all that was known was Jeff Petry, who reportedly wanted to head to the USA with his wife and kids.
On the other end of the trade, Mike Matheson is Quebec born and raised and is very familiar with Kent Hughes, so it was a great fit. Like most Quebec-born players, pulling on the famous Canadiens sweater would be a dream come true, and that was the case for Matheson.
Both guys are mobile and big, and they can contribute to the offence when needed. Petry had been a support pillar for the Canadiens’ second pair, behind Shea Weber, and filled in for him when injuries occurred.