The Edmonton Oilers made their first cuts of the 2024 NHL preseason on Tuesday (Sept. 24). Goalie Nathaniel Day, along with forwards Connor Clattenburg, William Nicholl and Dalyn Wakely, were returned to their respective clubs, all in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Then, on Wednesday (Sept. 25), the Oilers reduced their training camp by another nine players, who were sent to Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
The #Oilers reduced their training camp roster today, sending nine players to the @Condors. https://t.co/00yFHDaIMF
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 25, 2024
Five players on AHL contracts — goaltender Brett Brochu, defencemen Connor Corcoran and Alex Kannok-Leipert, and forwards Jasper Weatherby and Cameron Wright — were released from their professional tryouts (PTO) and will report to Bakersfield. Four players on entry-level contracts (ELC) — netminder Connor Ungar along with forwards Jayden Grubbe, Matvey Petrov and James Stefan — were loaned to the Condors.
Edmonton started training camp last week with around 60 players, so several cuts were expected by this point. The Oilers hit the midpoint of their preseason schedule, playing their fourth of eight exhibition games, when they visited the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
For the most part, none of the players sent down to the AHL came as any great surprise. They had no chance of pushing for a roster spot on the Oilers and weren’t expected to last beyond the initial rounds of cuts. But there was one name that stood out from the rest. A player who was expected to perform a lot better than he did this preseason – 6-foot-2 winger Petrov.
Petrov Played Just 1 Preseason Game
Wednesday’s news that Petrov was being loaned to Bakersfield caps off a terrible couple of weeks for the 21-year-old Russian, whose disappointing showing at rookie camp carried into training camp. After going pointless in three games at the Young Stars Classic, which took place Sept. 13-16 in Penticton, B.C., Petrov suited up for just one preseason game before the Oilers decided they had seen enough of the 2021 sixth-round draft pick.
Related: 5 Oilers Prospects Who Made Impression at 2024 Young Stars Classic
The right-shot forward logged 9:55, the least of any player, during Edmonton’s 6-3 loss to the Flames in a split-squad game at Rogers Place on Monday (Sept. 23). He failed to record a point and registered a rating of minus-1.
Petrov played two games in his first preseason in 2022 and suited up for one exhibition contest last year. Coming off his first pro campaign last season with the Condors, Petrov should have struck around longer in camp. Instead, he’s spinning his wheels in reverse.
High Expectations for Petrov
Expectations were high for Petrov after he had a couple of terrific seasons with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. In his first season in North America in 2021-22, he racked up 40 goals and 50 assists. The following season, 2022-23, Petrov scored 27 goals for the Battalion and finished third in the OHL with 66 assists. But he had difficulties making the jump to the pros last season. The Moscow native didn’t notch his first goal until after American Thanksgiving and didn’t score again until after New Year’s. He finished 2023-24 with just nine goals and five assists in 53 games.
In rookie camp earlier this month, the Oilers gave Petrov an opportunity to demonstrate growth by naming him one of their three alternate captains for the Young Stars Classic, an annual exhibition tournament featuring prospects from the Oilers, Jets, Flames and Vancouver Canucks. But instead of exhibiting leadership, he was visibly frustrated with his individual struggles in what was an overall poor tournament for the Oilers, who went 0-3-0 and were shut out twice.
Considering Petrov already had two Young Stars Classics under his belt and was going against a lot of unsigned players participating in their first, it should have been his best performance at the exhibition tournament for prospects. It was his worst.
Petrov Has Chance to Hit Reset Button
Any chance Petrov had at redemption in training camp ended on Wednesday. Should the Oilers have kept him around longer? Based on factors such as age and experience, potential and expectations, one could certainly make that argument. That Petrov was jettisoned after playing just 15 shifts this preseason tells how thoroughly unimpressed the Oilers must have been by his efforts this month.
Petrov turns 22 next March, so he’s still very young. Maybe he just needs more time before he can excel at this level, or maybe he doesn’t have what it takes to make it in the NHL. After going through a really difficult stretch, Petrov now has the chance to hit the reset button in Bakersfield. As he’s under no pressure to push for a promotion to the Oilers this season, he can concern himself with doing all that’s necessary to become a better player. Where he goes from here will be up to him, but it can’t go much worse than the last 12 months.
