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Minnesota Wild acquire Jeff Petry from Florida Panthers for conditional 2026 pick
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
PuckReportNHL says Jeff Petry is heading to the Minnesota Wild, and the conditional pick screams "deadline dice roll" for a team chasing rounds.
The report: Minnesota acquires Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers for a conditional 2026 seventh that jumps to a 2026 fifth if the Wild win two rounds and Petry plays half those games.
Petry is 38, a 2006 second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers, and he's on a one-year, $775,000 deal that expires after 2025-26, so he's a pending UFA.
That cap hit is basically clean, and PuckPedia also lists reachable bonuses up to $250,000, which matters if Minnesota is threading the in-season cushion.
On the ice, this is simple: a right-shot veteran who can take third-pair minutes, survive defensive-zone starts, and steady a playoff bench when the forecheck gets mean.
The price of this trade tells you the Wild are buying insulation, not a top-four fix.
Petry's 2025-26 line in Florida sits at 58 games and 0-8-8, with sheltered minutes, which fits the "depth plug-in" label perfectly.
Jeff Petry could settle the Minnesota Wild bench
Wild fans are going to feel this one as underwhelming, unless it's paired with a bigger swing that actually changes the top of the lineup.
But the conditional upgrade is smart for Minnesota, because it only bites if the team is winning and Petry is trusted enough to dress.
For Florida, moving a minimum-salary defender is a tidy bit of roster breathing room if they're prioritizing other spots.
For Minnesota, it's also about next game flexibility, because you can dress him immediately without cap gymnastics.
Once Petry arrives, watch the pairings closely, because his best value is making someone else's minutes easier, not driving play by himself.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 5|95 ANSWERS Minnesota Wild acquire Jeff Petry from Florida Panthers for conditional 2026 pick Should the Minnesota Wild have paid this price for Jeff Petry? | ||
| Yes | 37 | 38.9 % |
| No | 58 | 61.1 % |
| List of polls | ||