would love to bring in Tippett, I'd do the Oilers deal as well even though Koskinen stinks. Petry should not be a target

Well, your information is wrong they aren't lookikg to move him, he wants out of canada and they said if someone offers a package that will meet the habs satisfaction and his they'll do it, so no they're not retaining salary and they sure won't buy him out (a literal LOL). So unless you have a good package in mind for a top 3 RHD who just came off his best ever season and a cup final run NJ aren't the dancing partners

Petry was more a curiosity. Doesn’t fit for us.

But considering the demand for RD, will be interesting to see what he gets in return.

Petry won't (or at least shouldn't) be retained. If that's something you want, I'd say he's not an option. Teams only have 3 retention slots at a time and should not use them for contracts with term beyond the following season.

What is an option, is sending back a player under contract who is not needed, in order to reduce the cap impact of the player acquired (Petry in this case).

If that player has value to the other team, it can count towards the acquisition cost as well.

Petry is in the range of a decent pick and prospect for a return. A player coming back to offset a portion of his cap is expected but not required.
Anywhere from a 1st and 2nd to a 2nd and a 3rd (or equivalent) is in range, depending on the quality of the picks/prospects offered and how it compares to other offers.

Top 4 RHD are a hot commodity. You can pay more for an arguably better one, or you can go to UFA for a lesser one with a high likelihood of getting bad value due to demand (if you get one at all). Depends if you think you're better off with a $6M Subban, $4M Savard, or $2M Pysyk, than a $6M (or less with cap offset) Petry.

NJ wouldn’t be the dance partners if they got him for free. Wouldn’t fit our timeline and we have Dougie and Severson occupying the RDs now.

I was just curious what the honest take on him would be.

RD is a hot commodity, which makes his value so tricky. I have only seen bits and pieces of him this year, so my opinion is not the most informed on this. But I look at the decline in numbers, the age, the salary, and the trade request…and it doesn’t look good. But I am trying to resist a snap judgement.

For Devils, if anything, it probably impacts the market for Subban. But I don’t think we would be a buyer considering our timeline.

I don't believe they're willing to retain on Petry at all. If a team offers what Montreal wants and takes his whole contract, then they'll move him. If not, they'll just keep him

I don't really mind the Florida trade. I've been beating the "trade Zacha drum" for close to year now, though Tippett wouldn't be my first target for a Zacha based deal.
Edmonton trade is perfect. Love it.

I fail to see the point in trading for Petry, just seems crazy to me to entertain that. Given his recent individual success Habs front office will overvalue him in a trade, and are unlikely to retain on him. At the same time his on ice impacts are in a free fall. I wouldn't touch Petry and his contract with a ten foot pole, 50% retained he might have value for a miniscule return (like Future Considerations miniscule).
If PK is moved I think we can finish the season with contributions from White, Walsh or Bahl. If you're looking for 3RD cover for next season I'd rather just try and sign one of Schultz, Miller, Braun or Lyubushikin on shorter term deals.

I am guessing the minute Subban is out, Walsh arrives. Whether it’s deadline or off-season.

I wouldn’t trade for Petry for us…but it presents a good question. Who could get bigger return at deadline, Petry or Subban (at 50%)?

It is tricky, I'm only aiming to give a realistic expectation, as contrary to what some would have you believe, Petry is not a cap dump.
Age is a risk factor. All I can say is that there is no indication in his play that his physical ability has declined to this point.
His performance this year is not indicative of age-related decline, but a symptom of roster construction and management leading to a team-wide drop in production.

His value is indeed impacted by his situation however. I would describe Montreal as a "motivated seller". They don't want a player if they don't want to be here, and they are rebuilding, so Petry's current use to them could be less than his value in a trade.
Therefore they will not be selling high, as top RHD normally demand. They will consider any reasonable offer, which I've already alluded to the range of.

You obviously don't want him as a 3rd pairing D. He'd only make sense if you were moving Severson separately to address other areas.

Petry's value is on the lower side of the last Ellis and Ristolainen trades.

( something between 1st/A prospect to high 2nd/ B prospect) + a NHL level RHD.

After that, it's a matter of creating a bidding war. Im not sure there would be one, but DET, PHI and DAL would be interested allegedly.

There won't be any retained salary. Trading a player you like because he wants to go live back in the US is one thing, paying for his salary while he's not playing fo you anymore is another.

Oh dear. Seems my reading comprehension isn't nearly as good as I thought.
As for your question I honestly don't know.