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 | Signed Oct. 9 (1-year, $840,630 contract) |
| Mark Bartkowski | Rangers | F | Penguins (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 10 |
| Nathan Beaulieu | Ducks | D | Jets | Signed Oct. 1 (1-year, $850,000 contract) |
| Jean-Francois Berube | Panthers | G | Blue Jackets (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 30 |
| Derick Brassard | Senators | F | Oilers | Signed Oct. 10 (1-year, $750,000 contract) |
| Nikolas Brouillard | Ducks | D | Ducks (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 30 |
| Alex Chiasson | Coyotes | F | Canucks | Released from PTO Oct. 9 |
| Michael Dal Colle | Senators | F | Islanders (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 1 |
| Calvin de Haan | Hurricanes | D | Blackhawks | Signed Oct. 1 (1-year, $850,000 contract) |
| Danny DeKeyser | Canucks | D | Red Wings | Released from PTO Oct. 4 |
| Jason Demers | Oilers | F | Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 10 |
| Grigori Dronov | Hurricanes | D | Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 5 |
| Cody Eakin | Flames | F | Sabres | Released from PTO Oct. 6 |
| Dylan Ferguson | Maple Leafs | G | Golden Knights (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 8 |
| Alex Galchenyuk | Avalanche | F | Coyotes | Released from PTO Sept. 28 |
| Brent Gates | Ducks | F | Ducks (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 30 |
| Christopher Gibson | Coyotes | G | Panthers (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 29 |
| 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 | Released from PTO Oct. 9 |
| Scott Harrington | Sharks | D | Blue Jackets | Signed Sept. 30 (1-year, $750,000 contract) |
| Liam Hawel | Blue Jackets | F | St. Francis Xavier University | Released from PTO Sept. 29 |
| Josh Healey | Ducks | D | Predators (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 30 |
| Thomas Hickey | Devils | D | Islanders (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 3 |
| Keltie Jeri-Leon | Bruins | F | Bruins (ECHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 4 |
| Sonny Milano | Flames | F | Ducks | Released from PTO Oct. 6 |
| James Neal | Blue Jackets | F | Blues (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 3 |
| Dmitri Osipov | Ducks | F | Blackhawks (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 2 |
| Tyler Pitlick | Blues | F | Canadiens | Released from PTO Oct. 6 |
| Victor Rask | Blue Jackets | F | Kraken | Released from PTO Oct. 5 |
| Will Riedell | Golden Knights | D | Flyers (AHL) | Released from PTO Sept. 27 |
| Antoine Roussel | Flyers | F | Coyotes | Released from PTO Sept. 29 |
| Zach Senyshyn | Devils | F | Senators (AHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 2 |
| Daniel Sprong | Kraken | F | Kraken | Signed Oct. 3 (1-year, $750,000 contract) |
| Eric Staal | Panthers | F | Wild (AHL) | — |
| Derek Stepan | Hurricanes | F | Hurricanes | Signed Oct. 11 (1-year, $750,000 contract) |
| Michael Stone | Flames | D | Flames | Signed Oct. 11 (1-year, $750,000 contract) |
| Anton Stralman | Bruins | D | Coyotes | Signed Oct. 11 (1-year, $1 million contract) |
| Nate Thompson | Kings | F | Flyers | Released from PTO Oct. 4 |
| Jimmy Vesey | Rangers | F | Devils | Signed Oct. 9 (1-year, $750,000) |
| Jake Virtanen | Oilers | F | Spartak Moscow (KHL) | Released from PTO Oct. 6 |