FUTURE WATCH: Chiasson, Petrov through to OHL and WHL Conference Finals

EDMONTON, AB - A pair of prospects for the Edmonton Oilers are one step closer to cracking the Championship series in their respective OHL & WHL playoff campaigns.
North Bay Battalion left-winger Matvey Petrov and Saskatoon Blades right-winger Jake Chiasson each needed seven games to escape the second round of the CHL Playoffs, but both 2021 Oilers draft picks were able to have major impacts on their series to help push their junior sides to the precipice of competing for championships and a berth in the Memorial Cup in late May and early June in Kamloops.
Chiasson, drafted in the fourth-round, 116th overall by the Oilers at the 2021 NHL Draft, completed the reverse sweep with the Saskatoon Blades over the Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday, becoming part of the third team in Western Hockey League history and the first Blades team in their 57 years as a franchise to come back from a 3-0 deficit and win the series.

The Blades are back in the Eastern Conference Championship for only the first time since 1994, and are 5-0 when facing elimination in these WHL Playoffs after they were able to bounce rivals the Regina Pats and the consensus first-overall pick in this upcoming NHL Draft in Connor Bedard in seven games in the first round.
Chiasson produced two goals and four assists in the series against Red Deer and now has nine points in 14 games across the WHL Playoffs after posting 30 points in 33 regular-season games for Saskatoon following his trade from the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The 19-year-old got on the scoresheet in Game 7 against Regina with the game-winner before coming up with another winning goal in Game 6 of their second-round series with Red Deer for Saskatoon, who now shifts their focus to a stern test against the Eastern Conference regular-season leaders in the Winnipeg ICE, who finished 14 points ahead of the Blades with a 57-10-1-0 this campaign.

Over in the Ontario Hockey League, Petrov has become a pivotal piece of North Bay's push for an OHL Championship after producing two goals and six assists in their seven-game defeat of the Barrie Colts. The Russian forward who was selected 180th overall in the sixth round by Edmontin in 2021 is tied for second in OHL playoff scoring (18) with two of his teammates in Kyle McDonald and Ty Nelson, along with 2021 eighth-overall pick and Los Angeles Kings prospect Brandt Clarke.
Petrov has four goals and 24 assists for 28 points in 26 career OHL playoff games, which ties him for ninth place in North Bay playoff history for points behind Nashville Predators forward Matt Duchene.
The 20-year-old leads the OHL in playoff assists (16) after concluding his OHL regular season with 27 goals and 66 assists for 93 points -- 13 goals off his 40-goal season in 2021-22, but 16 more assists and three points higher than his rookie season where he produced 90 points in 65 games.
Petrov might be trading a handful of goals for a few more helpers this season, but he still possesses his incredible release that was exemplified in his first-period power-play goal in Game 5 against Barrie.