The Minnesota Wild have acquired defenseman Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The pick could upgrade to a fifth-round selection based on playoff performance. Petry, a 38-year-old veteran, brings extensive NHL experience to the Wild.
On Thursday, Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced the acquisition of defenseman Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers. In return, Florida receives Minnesota's seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. This selection becomes a fifth-round pick if the Wild advance past two playoff rounds and Petry participates in at least 50 percent of their playoff games during those rounds.
Petry, born December 9, 1987, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 207 pounds. In 58 games with the Panthers this season, he recorded eight assists, 22 penalty minutes, and 45 shots on goal. He signed with Florida as a free agent on July 1, 2025, and reached his 1,000th NHL game on November 17 against the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the 14th player to achieve this milestone while with the Panthers.
Over 16 NHL seasons, Petry has amassed 393 points (96 goals, 297 assists), 103 power-play points, 1,745 shots on goal, and 1,616 blocked shots in 1,039 regular-season games with the Edmonton Oilers (2010-15), Montreal Canadiens (2015-22), Pittsburgh Penguins (2022-23), Detroit Red Wings (2023-25), and Florida Panthers (2025-26). In the playoffs, he has 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) and 90 shots on goal in 48 games across four Stanley Cup appearances with Montreal in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2021.
Originally selected by Edmonton in the second round (No. 45 overall) of the 2006 NHL Draft, Petry served as an alternate captain for Montreal from 2019 to 2022. His career-high marks came in the 2018-19 season with 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists). He also played 51 AHL games, totaling 28 points, and represented the United States at the IIHF World Championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2024, earning a bronze medal in 2013.
Petry will wear number 2 for the Wild. Minnesota, with a record of 36-16-10, sits third in the Central Division. The Panthers, at 30-28-3, are last in the Atlantic Division after winning the Stanley Cup the past two seasons.
