Finnish Perspective on Petrell and Tyrväinen

Copper and Blue reader and Finnish hockey observer Eetu Huisman passed along the following comment to me yesterday, which provides some context for Edmonton's two most recent signings:

First of all Petrell. A center is he not, so I'm not sure why the Oilers would claim that he is. He's always played left wing as far as I know, so he won't be the new 4C. That said, I love this signing. "Lennu" (or "Corky", as some people call him because of his alleged resemblance to the main character in the "Life Goes On" tv-series) has been an effective checker in the SM-liiga for years; the only question mark is whether he brings enough offense to warrant even a third line role. The positives are obvious: he has size, attitude and character. He's one of the best and most eager hitters in Finland, and as his skating has improved, he's become a great penalty killer.

He had a monster post-season this year and would've been a strong candidate to receive the playoff MVP award had he not injured his leg just before the finals. He returned to the lineup for the last game, but had to skip the World Championships because of the injury (he would've been a lock to make the team).

Tyrväinen is a very similar type of player, but quicker and a lot smaller. His career progression has been really fast, but I'm not sure whether his ceiling is high enough to be an NHLer. His shooting percentage has been around ten for the past three years, so he can score. And boy can he hit.

I really appreciate Eetu filling out the picture here, especially in the case of Petrell who sounds like he has a shot at a third line role if the Oilers decide to run with a checking line. If they don't, he sounds like a great candidate for the Oilers' fourth line, and might keep a young developing player like Teemu Hartikainen in the AHL to start the year.