After an embarrassing loss at home against the Sharks that took the losing streak to five games, the Edmonton Oilers are back making moves. The club has dealt D Chris Wideman, acquired last month, and a third round pick in 2019 to Florida for D Alex Petrovic.
Petrovic, an Edmonton native, returns home after playing with the Panthers since the 2012-13 season. He’s played in 26 games this season while registering a lone assist, falling out of favor on a struggling Panther team.
Petrovic isn’t an offensive defender and isn’t going to help with the transition game or with the powerplay. What he does bring to the table is toughness, physical ability and strong defensive play. Petrovic, a third-pairing D, is a right shot option that will no doubt be in the mix for second-pairing time with the banged up Oilers.
I liked the Wideman addition when it happened, but he never got the chance in Edmonton to make an impact. It was clear Ken Hitchcock did not trust him, and it was clear the Oilers were going to move him along when Kris Russell and Oscar Klefbom eventually return. The writing was on the wall.
Here’s a look at Petrovic’s scouting report via the Sports Forecaster.
Owns a very solid 6-4 frame, shutdown qualities and good mobility. Can play a physical game from behind the blueline as well as kill penalties. Still hasn’t put it all together, so he needs to continue to round out his overall game. Also, his offensive game is somewhat limited in the NHL.
I don’t believe the Oilers are done today. Many media members are reporting that right now, and it is my belief that the Oil are closing in on moving a goaltender. Things could change here, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Cam Talbot is on the move and a forward is the target.
Hitchcock has put the heat on, both publicly and privately, about the lack of depth up front with the Oilers. Expect the club to at least attempt to remedy that in the next 24 hours.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
