BLOG: Hitchcock and Nugent-Hopkins on Petrovic acquisition

During practice on Sunday, the Oilers announced that they have acquired defenceman Alex Petrovic from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Chris Wideman and a conditional third-round pick.
Following practice, head coach Ken Hitchcock was asked what he knows about the 26-year-old blueliner who hails from Edmonton.
"I don't know much about him," said Hitchcock. "I know he's a local guy and has a lot of friends on the team. He's a defending defenceman that makes a good first pass. For us, size matters in this conference."
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is perhaps the Oilers player most familiar with Petrovic. The two played together for a pair of seasons with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL from 2009 through 2011.
"In junior he was one of our best, if not our best defenceman. Big body, can really shoot the puck. Smart player who knows how to jump up into the play," said Nugent-Hopkins, adding he was sad to see Wideman go on a personal level. "It's a tough part of the business to lose a guy. You become friends with guys and create good relationships but really excited to have Petro come.
"He plays with a bit of an edge. We don't play them too much here but even from my time playing with him in the NHL he still has that edge to his game. He can be a little mean sometimes which is a good attribute to have, especially as a big d-man. He can add a good dynamic to the team."