Making The Grade – Jeff Petry

The Edmonton Oilers biggest weak spot all season has been their defense. Few people will argue that point. Edmonton still lacks a true number one option on the blue-line, and still lacks a legit NHL top-four unit. The group is inconsistent and leaks far too many scoring chances against.

That said, everything has a silver lining, and the Oilers silver lining on defense is Jeff Petry. Like him or not, and I know a lot of you are going to blast me for this, Petry is the Oilers best option by a mile, and represents the closest thing this organization has to a complete defender.

How does the silver lining check in on the report card? Let’s have a look shall we?

Offensive:

Many people look at Jeff Petry and view him as exclusively a puck-moving defender. Against the popular belief, this isn’t the case. Petry is much more than that. That being said, Petry does have the ability to move the puck, and has the ability to put up points for a team. He’s got decent offensive instincts and knows when to pinch and when it’s the right time to jump into the rush.

Petry has two goals on the season and four assists for six points in 28 games. He’s never been a guy that will pot 40 points a season, but he’s on pace to hit twenty this year, putting him in the 20-30 point range that is realistic to expect. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it is decent production for a number two/three defender at the NHL level.

Petry also chips in on his fair amount of chances. It certainly isn’t above average or mind blowing, but he does a decent job of helping create offense with his ability to keep the puck in the zone and his ability to join the rush from time to time. He’s got a decent shot too, and while it isn’t his strength, it’s something he has in his back pocket.

Overall offensive grade for Petry? 78, C+.

Defensive:

I’ll take a lot of heat for what I’m about to write, because people have been very hard on Petry so far this season. That said, I feel Petry has been pretty good for the Oilers. He’s a good number two/three defender that is being thrust into the top-dog spot on this blue-line. That’s not the defender that he is. It reminds me a lot of when Oilers fans ran Tom Gilbert unfairly out of town, and I hope this isn’t that situation times two.

Petry has been good for the Oilers this season. No doubt he has made his fair share of mistakes, but that comes with handling a job that you are not meant for. Petry is a good NHL defender, a legit top-four on just about any team, but he simply is not a number one guy. He’s having to play those minutes right now, and as a result he is committing more mistakes than usual.

He has a high hockey IQ and is a very smart player overall. He knows when to pinch and when to stay back. Sure, he has missed his assignment from time to time, but overall he has been pretty good in his own zone.

He handles PK time as well and has been decent there this season. Overall, Jeff Petry is a good defender playing further up in the rotation than ideal. He’s struggling from time to time because of it, but overall Petry has been good again. If the Oilers had six Jeff Petry’s, the blue-line would not be an issue.

Overall defensive grade for Petry? 83, B.

Team Play:

I’ve said it before, I’m not a big fan of grading players on team play because we don’t know enough about them in the locker room, but Petry is a bit different. We know Petry is a well liked player, and we also know he will do what it takes to win. He handles a role that puts him in over his head without complaining and does his best. He is willing to be all three areas of the game, and is willing to better himself when asked.

Petry seems like a good team guy, and I’ll give him a little above average credit for handling the role and giving it everything he has without complaint every night. He is always calm, always cool and even in his worst moments is willing to lend a supporting hand.

Overall team grade for Petry? 83, B.

Overall Grade For Petry: 81, B-

Pretty fair grade for Petry here. He certainly hasn’t been bad like many Oilers fans believe, and I truly think that he has been an above average player for Edmonton when considering everything. That said, I agree that there is room for improvement and that Petry does have another gear to give.

This is a player that needs to be in the B+ range, and will have to keep improving. That said, this is a good hockey player. Don’t let circumstances like a bad spot cloud your judgement. We already did that with Tom Gilbert. Let’s not repeat history. This is a good hockey player here.