The NHL preseason and training camps are getting closer by the day. They present not only an opportunity for young prospects to try and make a roster but older players as well, who look for opportunities via a professional tryout.
Professional tryouts, or PTOs as they are commonly referred to, are handed out to those that a club deems have not earned a standard NHL contract yet, but could potentially get one with a strong training camp. It’s an opportunity for a player to earn their next deal by showcasing their talents in the preseason.
In some cases, a PTO may be handed out as a way to navigate the cap. Teams may have a mutually agreed to contract in place, but have to move some money and contracts around to the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) before signing the deals. A PTO allows a team to navigate their cap space, while still allowing the player to participate at camp.
Mike Hoffman and the Blues did this two years, and with many teams trying to crunch the numbers to make their cap space work, it could be a commonality this preseason. A few names have already agreed to PTOs in the hopes of making an NHL roster for the 2022-23 season.
MORE: NHL training camp 2022 dates, schedules, locations
This story will be updated.
What is a professional tryout (PTO)?
A professional tryout is exactly what it sounds like — a tryout for a player to make an NHL team.
These are handed out usually to veterans who have not earned a standard contract. Instead, they will report to training camp for an NHL club and try to earn their contract during the preseason.
Players who are not signed to a professional contract are released and become free agents.
NHL players signed to PTOs in 2022-23
As training camps approach, there are a number of players who have been signed to PTOs.
The players with the highest chance of making their respective teams out of camp are Calvin de Haan, Sonny Milano and Zach Aston-Reese. De Haan is a shot-blocking defenseman and would be a steady presence on the Hurricanes’ third-pairing. Milano is a promising young forward who surprisingly was not given a qualifying offer from the Ducks after his 34-point season. Aston-Reese is a defensive-minded forward who would be a solid option on the fourth line for the Maple Leafs.
Below are the players who have been announced or are reportedly attending teams’ 2022 training camps on PTOs:
| Player | Team | Position | Last Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artem Anisimov | Flyers | F | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) | — |
| Zach Aston-Reese | Maple Leafs | F | Ducks | — |
| Mark Bartkowski | Rangers | F | Penguins (AHL) | — |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Ducks | D | Jets | — |
| Jean-Francois Berube | Panthers | G | Blue Jackets (AHL) | — |
| Derick Brassard | Senators | F | Oilers | — |
| Nikolas Brouillard | Ducks | D | Ducks (AHL) | — |
| Alex Chiasson | Coyotes | F | Canucks | — |
| Michael Dal Colle | Senators | F | Islanders (AHL) | — |
| Calvin de Haan | Hurricanes | D | Blackhawks | — |
| Danny DeKeyser | Canucks | D | Red Wings | — |
| Jason Demers | Oilers | F | Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) | — |
| Grigori Dronov | Hurricanes | D | Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) | — |
| Cody Eakin | Flames | F | Sabres | — |
| Dylan Ferguson | Maple Leafs | G | Golden Knights (AHL) | |
| Alex Galchenyuk | Avalanche | F | Coyotes | Released from PTO Sept. 28 |
| Brent Gates | Ducks | F | Ducks (AHL) | — |
| Christopher Gibson | Coyotes | G | Panthers (AHL) | — |
| Rocco Grimaldi | Ducks | F | Predators | — |
| Andrew Hammond | Panthers | G | Devils | Did not report (Signed with KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk) |
| Ben Harpur | Blue Jackets | D | Predators | — |
| Scott Harrington | Sharks | D | Blue Jackets | — |
| Liam Hawel | Blue Jackets | F | St. Francis Xavier University | — |
| Josh Healey | Ducks | D | Predators (AHL) | — |
| Keltie Jeri-Leon | Bruins | F | Bruins (ECHL) | — |
| Thomas Hickey | Devils | D | Islanders (AHL) | — |
| Sonny Milano | Flames | F | Ducks | — |
| James Neal | Blue Jackets | F | Blues (AHL) | — |
| Dmitri Osipov | Ducks | F | Blackhawks (AHL) | — |
| Tyler Pitlick | Blues | F | Canadiens | — |
| Victor Rask | Blue Jackets | F | Kraken | — |
| Will Riedell | Golden Knights | D | Flyers (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 27 |
| Antoine Roussel | Flyers | F | Coyotes | — |
| Zach Senyshyn | Devils | F | Senators (AHL) | — |
| Daniel Sprong | Kraken | F | Kraken | — |
| Eric Staal | Panthers | F | Wild (AHL) | — |
| Derek Stepan | Hurricanes | F | Hurricanes | — |
| Michael Stone | Flames | D | Flames | — |
| Anton Stralman | Bruins | D | Coyotes | — |
| Nate Thompson | Kings | F | Flyers | — |
| Jimmy Vesey | Rangers | F | Devils | — |
| Jake Virtanen | Oilers | F | Spartak Moscow (KHL) | — |
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