After what can only be described as a rough start, it seems Nic Petan has gotten used to the pro game and is ready to take the next step in his development. Making the team out of camp seemed to give high hopes, but after drifting between the press box and Chris Thorburn’s fourth line for a few weeks, Nic was sent down to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
There was still an obvious and expected adjustment period going from juniors to the pro game, but the 21-year-old did well in the minors. Petan produced offensively despite the abysmal play of the Moose this season, posting 32 points in 47 games. Put another way, he equalled Patrice Cormier‘s points total in 18 fewer games.
Per Corsica Hockey, Petan finished 11th on the team in CF60 (between Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford) with 55.95. Not bad for his first pro season.
Moving On(?) and the Future
On a more grim note, I’m not exactly sure of Petan’s future in the Jets organization. The acquisition of Marko Dano possibly spelled the end of Petan’s tenure as a Winnipeg Jet. Petan, Dano, Chase De Leo and arguably Brendan Lemieux all fill the same niche of a small, scoring winger who can play bigger than their size. While this obviously doesn’t make a trade inevitable, it might be in Winnipeg’s best interests to deal one of the aforementioned to fill the void at LHD.
Next season, Petan is expected to be competing for a spot on the Jets, but starting the year on the Moose would not be out of the question depending on potential trades and the draft.
Ending Thoughts
Nic Petan will be a solid middle-six NHL player; the biggest question is if he remains with the Winnipeg Jets.
What do you think about our pocket-rocket Nic Petan? Should he be a lock for the Jets next year? Would you support a trade? Let us know your thoughts, feelings and opinions down in the comments below!
| Option | Votes |
|---|---|
| Yes. | 104 |
| No way! | 145 |
