Several players sign professional tryout contracts with NHL clubs

PUBLICATION

Mike Armenti
August 29, 2023 (10:09)

SHARE THIS STORY

NHL training camps are scheduled to commence in just a few short weeks and teams are beginning to round out their rosters by signing players to professional try-out contracts.

Monday was the busiest day on the PTO market, with six players signing tryouts with a number of NHL clubs in hopes of finding a home for next season. Brandon Sutter and Sam Gagner have landed PTOs with the Edmonton Oilers, Cory Conacher and Brendan Perlini signed PTOs in Carolina with the Hurricanes, the Colorado Avalanche offered a PTO to former Dallas Stars forward Joel Kiviranta and the Detroit Red Wings have added former Canadiens prospect Cameron Hillis on a PTO as well.

Conacher spent the 2022-23 season in the AHL with Belleville and Charlotte, putting up ten points in 17 regular season games and following that up with three points in seven playoff games with the Checkers.

As for Perlini, he also spent last year in the American Hockey League, appearing in 26 games with the Chicago Wolves where recorded 15 points (ten goals, five assists), 12 penalty minutes and was a minus-ten.

Kiviranta had nine points in 70 regular season games last year with the Stars. In 2020, Kiviranta played a huge role in eliminating the Colorado Avalanche from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In Game 7 of the second round, Kiviranta had a hat-trick, including the overtime game-winning-goal to send the Stars to the Western Conference Final.

Hillis, a native of Oshawa, Ontario, started the year in the ECHL with the Trois-Rivieres Lions before the Montreal Canadiens traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks. The 23-year-old would then join the Blackhawks' ECHL affiliate, Indy Fuel, but also skated in 17 games for the AHL's Rockford Ice Hogs.

In 48 ECHL games, Hillis tallied 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists), 34 penalty minutes and was a plus-18.

As we approach September, we're likely about to witness a flood of PTOs being signed as players look for opportunities to play their way into a contract in North America, rather than having to seek out deals in Europe, waiting for injuries to open up a new opportunity or simply sitting out a year.