Oilers Keep Petrell

The Edmonton General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with left-winger Lennart Petrell on a one-year contract extension.

While this isn't huge news and the Finn has some obvious deficiencies, I did like Petrell and felt he was a big factor to the improved success of the Oilers penalty kill last season. 5 x 5, Petrell was not good and with whatever choice the Oilers make on their coaching this season, one has to hope that the new bench boss has the smarts to keep Petrell in a situation where he can maximize his strengths and remove him from his areas of weakness.

Petrell makes sense on the PK and he's an energy guy when a team like the Oilers who lack physical play, need that boost on the forecheck.

He should be a 13th forward when all is said and done and while we don't know the details of the contract yet, I expect that it will be around the $900,000 or less than he made last season.