Par Lindholm traded to Jets for Nic Petan
By Jon Steitzer
5 years agoApparently the Leafs felt they had a lack of Nic’s on their roster, and added Nic Baptiste last night and now Nic Petan today.
So let’s break this down since this pretty much what we’ve got as far as trades for the day…
Lindholm leaving
So the Leafs gave up a 4th line winger, sometimes center, who was playing over 11 minutes night. He had 1 goal this season and is a 27 year old free agent who was unlikely to be returning to the Leafs next season. With the Leafs calling up Trevor Moore it seemed pretty likely that Lindholm wasn’t going to be in the lineup for the Leafs anymore no matter what.
Petan Arriving
Here’s the part we care about a lot more, and that’s the Leafs added a 23 year old center, a former second round pick and World Junior champion, and a guy who was a point per game player in the AHL last season.
This season Nic Petan has been getting the Josh Leivo/Justin Holl treatment from the Jets, being a fulltime roster player who has just managed to find his way into 13 games so far. He’s picked up two points in those games, and his career he’s had 23 points in 108 games. He’s far from a sure thing, but he’s a worthwhile risk, and an arbitration eligible restricted free agent this summer.
Here’s what our friends at Jets Nation have to say about Petan:
What does the future hold for Nic Petan? At this point, nobody seems to know. If the last two seasons are any indication, Petan could find himself in a very similar role. The Jets have so many prospects who are on the verge of NHL spots that nothing will be handed freely.The spots are limited on the Jets and some of the other youngsters are looking to overtake Petan on the organizational depth chart. Roslovic is making strides and will most likely be a full time Jet next season. Lemieux played in a few games and could be on the verge of making the team in the next season or two. Don’t forget about Vesalainen either, who could push for a spot in the next couple years as well. Lastly, Appleton surprised almost everyone and led the Moose in points this season. Although he might not be ready for the NHL next year, he will most likely try and push to make the team two years down the road.Petan is still an RFA so he doesn’t have much power in what happens. A trade might be in his best interest, but if the Jets choose not to deal him, there isn’t much Petan can do. The most likely scenario is that Petan will sign a one or two year deal and try to secure a spot on the Jets in September just like the last two seasons.
Final Thoughts
At least the Leafs did something, and what they did was swing for the fences without sacrificing much in the present. Petan is just as NHL capable as Lindholm, but is younger with more upside, and has the same versatility to line up at any forward position. I like Petan, but overall this isn’t something that requires a lot of excitement one way or the other. It’s just nice to have something to talk about.
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