The Edmonton Oilers trade defensemen Chris Wideman to the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Defenseman Alexander Petrovic heads to Edmonton in exchange for fellow blueliner Chris Wideman and a conditional 2019 third round pick.
Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers Exchange Defensemen
FLA trades Alex Petrovic to EDM for Chris Wideman and a draft pick.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 30, 2018
Alex Petrovic
Drafted 36th overall in 2010, Petrovic spent all seven seasons with the Panthers. The Edmonton native has five goals and 44 assists across 254 career games. With 26 games under his belt this season, he boasts one lone assist. Interestingly enough, leading up to the 2017 Expansion Draft, the Panthers chose to protect Petrovic. This left Jon Marchessault exposed following his 51 point season as well as Reilly Smith one year removed from his own 50 point season. The former recorded 75 points and the latter with 60 last year with the Vegas Golden Knights. Petrovic was seen as the future of Florida’s franchise and it paid off miserably for them.
Despite being scratched for the majority of recent games, the Oilers hope Petrovic can ressurect his play. Edmonton is suffering a five game losing streak. While the 6’4 blueliner likely won’t be the answer to the team’s woes, it could potentially provide a small roster boost. After allowing 25 goals across the span of this losing skid, any slight improvement to the defense is a welcomed one. Currently, the Oilers hold a 2.92 goals against average and -11 goal differential. As a result, they rank 12th and 11th worst in the league respectively.
Chris Wideman
Wideman will hit the road again as he is traded for a second time within 38 days. The Ottawa Senators sent their former fourth round selection in 2009 to the Oilers on November 22nd. In four seasons with the Senators, he’s tacked on 16 goals and 27 assists in 175 games before being dealt. Following the trade, Wideman added two more assists throughout his five games with the Oilers.
While slightly more offensively gifted, Wideman is another minor depth addition. However, given Florida’s pitiful season defensively his impact could be greater. The Panthers average fourth worst in the league in goals against with 3.30. Their 38 points this year are a measely four more than than the last place Senators. The St. Louis native will likely slot in the bottom two pairs but provides a much needed depth boost.
Following Wideman to Florida is a conditional third round pick. The Oilers currently hold the New York Islanders‘ third rounder as well as their own. Whichever spot ends up being higher will go to the Panthers on Draft Day.
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