As the calendar flips to the start of NHL training camp, a number of veteran guys are still waiting for a contract that will lock them up for the 2021-22 season. Instead of sitting at home and watching the latest episodes of "Ted Lasso," a number of wily vets have signed professional tryout (PTO) agreements to find a suitor.
Several players — e.g., James Neal and Bobby Ryan — are expected to find NHL jobs for the season. Other guys are bubble depth signings to push youngsters to up their games in camps. They could still get a deal if they up their game too, as the PTO allows players to practice and play in exhibition matches.
MORE: NHL free agency tracker 2021: Full list of signings, best available players
Players shifting from PTOs to deals happens. Alex Chiasson, who signed a PTO with the Canucks on Sept. 22, was on a PTO with the Oilers before signing a deal in 2018 with the club. He then posted a solid year before signing a two-year contract on July 1, 2019.
Below are all the players who have been announced or are reportedly attending teams' 2021 training camps on PTOs:
This story will be updated.
MORE: NHL free agency 2021: Complete list of all 31 teams' UFA, RFA players
NHL players signed to PTOs in 2021-22
| 2021-22 NHL team | Name | Position | 2020-21 NHL team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | Tobias Rieder | Forward | Sabres |
| Arizona Coyotes | Alex Galchenyuk | Forward | Senators/Canadiens |
| Colorado Avalanche | Artem Anisimov | Forward | Senators |
| Detroit Red Wings | Bobby Ryan | Forward | Red Wings |
| Edmonton Oilers | Colton Sceviour | Forward | Penguins |
| Montreal Canadiens | Cody Goloubef | Defense | Senators (AHL affiliate) |
| New Jersey Devils | Frederik Gauthier | Forward | Coyotes |
| New Jersey Devils | Mark Jankowski | Forward | Penguins |
| New Jersey Devils | Jimmy Vesey | Forward | Maple Leafs/Canucks |
| New Jersey Devils | Tyler Wotherspoon | Defense | — |
| New York Islanders | Erik Gustafsson | Defense | Canadiens/Flyers |
| Ottawa Senators | Tyler Ennis | Forward | Oilers |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Matt Bartowski | Defense | Wild |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Brian Boyle | Forward | — |
| Seattle Kraken | Scott Wilson | Forward | — |
| St. Louis Blues | Michael Frolik | Forward | Canadiens |
| St. Louis Blues | James Neal | Forward | Oilers |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Nikita Gusev | Forward | Panthers |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Josh Ho-Sang | Forward | Islanders (AHL affiliate) |
| Vancouver Canucks | Alex Chiasson | Forward | Oilers |