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Nic Petan reportedly negotiating contract outside North America

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TJ Tucker
May 30, 2022  (7:59)
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27-year-old forward Nic Petan has spent the better part of seven years bouncing between the AHL and NHL and never really carving out a regular spot in the big league. Now, it seems the former 2nd round draft pick (43rd overall, 2013) is looking to prove his worth elsewhere, at least for the time being.

According to Sport-express.ru, Petan is negotiating a contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL, with an announcement likely coming in the very near future.

Petan, a native of BC, was initially drafted by the Winnipeg Jets and made the team on opening night of the 2015-16 season after an impressive training camp. However, he would not stick in the lineup, and soon found himself back in the AHL. He would continue to bounce up and down in the Winnipeg system while putting up solid numbers in the minors until being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019. Petan's time in the Leafs' system went pretty much the same way, and he eventually signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent after Toronto let him walk. He played 18 games with Vancouver in 2021-22, recording two assists, while also playing another 37 games with Abbotsford of the AHL, netting 12 goals and 44 points.

It seems like a strange time for Canadians and Americans to be signing contracts in Russia given the current situation between that country and Ukraine. However, signing in the KHL in order to get an NHL contract in the near future is not an uncommon practice for hockey players who can't quite hang on to a spot with the main team. We'll have to wait and see if it works for Petan. The talent is definitely there.

Source: Sport-express.ru