Petrov’s arrival in Bakersfield was a welcome sight, but as the second season of his Pro career came to a close, the performance has been underwhelming. His lines have been extremely similar to what they were in 2024-2025, nine goals, seven assists for 16 points in 50 games. He put up just over a shot per game, and saw nearly no powerplay time. He has one year left on his contract, and if he doesn’t take a step forward this upcoming season, one could see him elect to return to Europe where he could get more opportunity.

There is a lot of hype surrounding Petrov as he enters his first pro season with the Condors. The talented Russian is a proven finisher with a deadly shot. There is fear that he will follow the path of Kirill Maksimov but at this point he should be seen as one of Edmonton’s top forward prospects. The Oilers really need offensive minded prospects drafted after the first round like Petrov to start planning out.

The Oilers 2021 sixth-round pick had a strong first season with the Brampton Battalion of the OHL. His 40 goals placed him 15th in the league and his 90 points in ninth, and his goals and assists totals were both second on his team. Petrov came into the season with some hype as a goal scorer with some sandpaper to his game and he lived up to it. While his first season in North America was undoubtedly impressive, if Petrov returns to North Bay next season he will be tasked with being the offensive leader for the Battalion as both his linemates will have moved on. As for what to expect in the future, the Oilers do not exactly develop Russian players well and they struggle to keep them in North America (Kirill Maksimov and Ilya Konovalov as recent examples) so expectations need to be kept in check. If he continues to improve and shows a willingness to stay in North America, the Oilers could have a steal on their hands.

At this point, Petrov appears to be Edmonton’s only 2021 draft pick that did not receive mixed reviews. The Russian goal scorer has strong finishing abilities as evidenced by the 22 goals that he scored in 58 MHL games last season. The young winger was actually the first overall pick in the CHL import draft by the North Bay Battalion back in 2020 but due to Covid-19, the OHL did not operate last year. Petrov had made a statement in his early OHL career this season with a hat trick in his debut followed up with a goal and an assist in his second game. The early results are positive and time will tell if he can keep it up. Edmonton desperately needs to start developing NHL players past the first round.