I know what you're all thinking: "Oh boy, the Jeff Petry guy is back to tell us how good Petry is." Yes. Yes, I am.
I'm well aware that Petry isn't the player he was in Montreal or even in Pittsburgh, but when Yzerman traded Gustav Lindstrom and a 4th-round pick to bring in Petry, he was expected to add some additional offensive depth to the Red Wings' blueline. While he was not able to produce as much as many fans would have liked, the hope was that he would be able to figure it out and come out this season swinging. Unfortunately, he had fewer points than his first season with the team.
While many fans look at Petry and immediately write him off, he played a more crucial role than many realized. However, he was stifled in the first half of the season with Ben Chiarot as his primary partner, and he was often left on his own. If there is one thing everybody knows about Jeff Petry, it's that he's not particularly known for his defensive prowess. While he's fairly competent at defending, he's not meant to be relied upon to cover up his partner's defensive woes.
The importance of his role was proven when he was injured two games into the coaching change, forcing him to miss over 30 games. While Petry's absence allowed Albert Johansson to get his shot, it also forced the team to play guys like Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson every night. When he came back from his injury, he seemed to be able to adapt to McLellan's systems pretty well, and it allowed him to show that he's still a useful player. While he was still placed on the 2nd pair, his defensive game improved a good amount, especially his ability to clear the front of the net, and he was given a more competent partner in Simon Edvinsson and was able to let loose offensively, allowing him to help generate more opportunities and sustain puck possession.
Overall Grade: C-
At the risk of repeating myself, Petry really does bring more to the team than many tend to realize. While he was seriously over-deployed, his presence allowed the team to keep a rotation in the bottom pair instead of what we got when he was injured.
I touched on this in my Defense and Goalies grades, but Petry did have a very solid ending to the season once McLellan took over, and he was separated from Chiarot. He wasn't afraid to take the shot anymore; he made smart pinches in the o-zone, and his-net front coverage greatly improved.
I know this may sound like the ramblings of a "Petry stan" (and it may be), but I strongly feel that the team should bring him back for at least one more season. He makes a fantastic bottom pair or 7th defenseman who's still capable of running a powerplay when needed. Not to mention, he's only 19 games away from hitting 1000 games, and it only feels right that he hits that mark with his childhood and hometown team.
He also scored two goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. I will never forgive the NHL for taking that away from him.