Coaching camps are achingly shut on the horizon, which implies that groups throughout the league are making some last-minute additions to their rosters to maybe uncover a diamond within the tough.
In different phrases: It is PTO season, child!
This previous weekend was crammed with a flurry {of professional} tryout affords prolonged to a number of gamers nonetheless on the open market. So, let’s take a look at essentially the most notable ones and decide what every crew may get of their camp invitee.
However earlier than that, check out Half 1.
Daniel Sprong – Seattle Kraken
2021-22 Stat Line: 63 GP, 14 objectives, 6 assists, 20 factors, 12:59 TOI
There was a time when Daniel Sprong regarded like a future middle-six contributor on the NHL degree.
That point has lengthy since handed.
Sprong has bounced round for the previous few years after starting his profession within the Pittsburgh Penguins group, spending stints with the Anaheim Geese, Washington Capitals, and, most lately, the Seattle Kraken. Neither cease noticed the previous second-round decide set up himself because the participant he was pegged to be, however Sprong at all times discovered a technique to chip in 10-15 objectives every time he managed to play over 45 video games.
For a low value, that is not horrible manufacturing, particularly provided that he managed to do it with little or no ice time. Sprong is not a flashy addition by any stretch. However he does come low cost, has a nostril for the web, and might be a superb employee bee on a contending crew’s depth line. The Kraken aren’t fairly there but. However Sprong’s familiarity with the teaching workers and entrance workplace ought to assist his trigger for a contract.
Derick Brassard – Ottawa Senators
2021-22 Stat Line: 46 GP, 8 objectives, 11 assists, 19 factors, 12:55 TOI
One other PTO signee searching for a second tour of obligation with a former crew, Brassard enters Senators camp with the unlucky distinction of being the central return in one of many worst trades in membership historical past, headlining the bundle that got here Ottawa’s method in alternate for Mika Zibanejad again in 2016.
The careers of each gamers have taken drastically totally different paths since then.
Zibanejad has blossomed right into a reliable celebrity for New York. On the similar time, Brassard struggled to stay a productive middle-six middle and has since seen himself bounce round between seven totally different groups over the previous 10 seasons.
Brassard most lately frolicked with the Edmonton Oilers after being dealt by the Philadelphia Flyers on the commerce deadline, showing in 15 video games for the membership down the stretch and ending his stint with two objectives and one help for 3 factors in simply shy of 13 minutes of nightly ice time.
The silver lining is that Brassard’s underlying numbers aren’t horrible if you happen to squint onerous sufficient. Throughout his 15-game stretch for the Oilers final season, Brassard completed with a really respectable 53.01 p.c share of the anticipated objectives throughout his even-strength utilization, whereas practically breaking even within the scoring likelihood division, as nicely.
At this level, Brassard shouldn’t be an everyday NHLer. Not for an excellent crew, not less than. However as a thirteenth or 14th ahead, there are far worse veterans to take a flier on.
Michael Dal Colle – Ottawa Senators
2021-22 Stat Line: 1 GP, 0 objectives, 0 assists, 0 factors, 14:34 TOI
Michael Dal Colle was chosen with the fifth decide within the 2014 NHL draft. Eight years later, he is performed simply 112 NHL video games with a mere eight objectives and 13 assists for 21 factors to point out for it in 5 big-league seasons.
That ought to inform you all you must learn about why he is combating for a contract.
Dal Colle has struggled mightily to carve out a task for himself at hockey’s highest degree. In his most energetic season, coming in 2019-20 when he performed 53 video games, Dal Colle managed to prime out at simply 4 objectives and 6 assists for 10 factors whereas logging a paltry 11:48 in nightly ice time.
Merely put, Dal Colle has by no means been used persistently within the NHL, by no means made the many of the scant utilization he is been given, and is now dangerously near discovering himself with no job for subsequent season.
Nonetheless, Dal Colle is simply 26 years previous, clearly hungry to proceed his profession, and needed to have proven some form of potential as a hockey participant to turn into a top-five decide. Maybe there’s some ability hidden below the floor that the Islanders have been unable to extract. The Senators, who’re hoping to take the following step as a membership this season, are giving him a shot to show it.
Thomas Hickey – New Jersey Devils
2021-22 Stat Line: 2 GP, 0 objectives, 0 assists, 0 factors, 19:29 TOI
One other previously excessive Islanders draft decide hoping to earn a contract, Hickey has spent the majority of his time within the AHL over the previous two seasons, most lately placing up 18 factors in 41 video games with the Bridgeport Islanders and Ontario Reign.
The AHL could be very doubtless the place Hickey will find yourself in 2022-23. The 33-year-old has struggled to maintain up with the tempo of the NHL sport as he is entered his 30s and might be vying for a job on a Devils’ blueline that’s already crowded with big-league expertise as it’s.
As an efficient veteran AHL defender, Hickey is the right addition to assist mentor the likes of Simon Nemec and Kevin Bahl, each of whom may spend time within the American League this yr.
Cody Eakin – Calgary Flames
2021-22 Stat Line: 69 GP, 4 objectives, 8 assists, 12 factors, 13:35 TOI
By each metric, Cody Eakin is now not an everyday NHLer.
The 31-year-old has not topped 16 factors in a season since 2018-19, has seen his ice time drop persistently over the previous few years, and isn’t precisely an analytics darling. In 69 video games for the Buffalo Sabres final season, Eakin posted a dreadful 41. 60 p.c share of the anticipated objectives and 41.70 p.c share of the scoring probabilities at five-on-five whereas including little or no within the realm of offensive worth with simply 4 objectives and 12 factors as a strict fourth liner.
Maybe Eakin can discover a newfound depth position in Darryl Sutter’s system, which lately made Erik Gudbranson a serviceable NHL defender. But when he cannot make it in Calgary, who are inclined to overvalue low-event grunts like Eakin, it is unlikely he’ll stick anyplace else.