"It's been great," the 29-year-old said about his first week in red. "We've had some tough practices, but we've been working hard. I'm looking forward to getting a game in here and see how it goes."
Pitlick, who was originally drafted by the Oilers way back in 2010, spent three years with Edmonton's AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City, before getting a chance with the big club over parts of three seasons.
Since then, he's had stints with the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers and, most recently, Arizona Coyotes.
He brings a unique skill-set that makes him a thorn to play against. He's fast, has a great shot with superb hockey sense and - yes - he hits.
Hard.
Tonight, he'll skate on the top line with Mikael Backlund in the middle and Dillon Dube on the opposite flank.
"I think the three of us are going to gel really well together," Pitlick said. "We're going to work hard, we're going to track and be a real pain to play against."
The trio has looked good in practice, with each member of the troupe bringing something a bit different. Pitlick is more of a meat-and-potatoes-type guy, but has excellent speed and can easily keep up and even drive the pace in transition.
The big body creates all kinds of space for his linemates and his finishing ability?
Top notch.
Last year, the Minneapolis, Minn., native had 11 points (6G, 5A) in 38 games with the Coyotes. He has 84 points (47G, 37A) in 286 career games, with his high-water mark coming in the 2017-18 campaign when he scored 14 goals and added 13 helpers as a member of the Stars.
On paper, it's a great fit.
In practice?
Nothing but praise.
"We're doing a lot of re-groups, a lot of transitions, and we're getting up the ice quick," Dube said of the daily sessions under Darryl Sutter. "We all bring a different element of the game, but we all have great hockey sense and speed, so I think it's a good fit. It will be good to get some chemistry between us three.
"It's going to be exciting and we'll see how it starts tonight."
Certainly, there's a buzz about this one.
In addition to kicking off the all-important exhibition schedule - and the promise of a new season inching closer by the day - the players have another reason to be excited.
For the first time in 567 days, fans will be back inside the Scotiabank Saddledome.
And it promises to be special.
"We've got the whole crew coming out tonight with my family," Dube said. "They've been itching. Everyone vaccinated, wearing masks, it's going to be a good environment to have everyone back.
"I know everyone's missed it and for a lot of the guys tonight, there's a lot more excitement for an exhibition game than normal. It's going to be a lot of fun for our group tonight to play, especially to start at home with our fans."
Everyone could use the boost of energy.
Like Pitlick, Dube feels he has something to prove this year, and is treating these games like a mid-season tilt - leaving nothing to chance for when the roster decisions are made and the season starts on Oct. 16.
"It was an up-and-down year for me last year," Dube said. "There was some inconsistency.
"I think maturity has played a factor in that, too, and getting older, more experienced in the league will help. But more so, the bitterness of not making the playoffs last year, every guy needs to elevate [their game] and I take it on myself to elevate.
"It starts tonight, like regular season, to get to where we need to be for the first game of the year."
