Report: Oilers will 'entertain possibility' of trading Jeff Petry

It's becoming increasingly clear that Edmonton Oilers defenseman and pending unrestricted free agent Jeff Petry, who was a healthy scratch on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, is on his way out of Edmonton. 

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman explained the Petry situation Tuesday:

If the Oilers think Jeff Petry is not good enough to dress in Los Angeles, it is time. He’s unrestricted at the end of the year. He’s not going to stay; there is no point in keeping him. Get what you can, end the distraction and move on. Detroit is the obvious candidate, but I can see Anaheim wanting a shot at him, too. Both are looking for right-shot defencemen.

Petry, as mentioned, has “Detroit” written all over him. From Michigan, father pitched for the Tigers. 

While Petry has proven a reasonably capable tough-minutes defender and the Oilers' defense is something of a bad joke for the eighth year running, the club appears convinced that younger players like Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse are the future, which explains why Petry was scratched this week and why he could be on his way out of Edmonton.

"I wouldn't say anything is imminent," opined TSN's Darren Dreger about the possibility of a Petry trade during an Insider Trading segment Tuesday. "But I think within a month or two (Oilers GM) Craig MacTavish absolutely will entertain that possibility. 

"Could he be packaged for something bigger - that center the Oilers covert? Perhaps, but he might be traded for something as little as a draft pick because MacTavish and company believe in Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse."