As the NHL regular season draws closer, players on Professional Tryout (PTO) agreements are working hard in training camp and preseason games to earn a spot on full-time NHL rosters, and there have been some standouts.
There are two dozen players on PTOs across the league looking to crack the opening night lineup for their new teams, and here are some of the players with the highest chance of landing a new contract for the upcoming season.
Conor Sheary
Sheary has made a splash for the New York Rangers in his lone preseason game so far. The 33-year-old scored a goal in the Sept. 21 win against the New Jersey Devils, tallying seven shot attempts in total. He also created six scoring chances for himself, including two high-danger opportunities per Natural Stat Trick.
Sheary is attempting to make his way back to the NHL after his contract was bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning this summer. The winger skated in just five games last season for the Bolts, spending the majority of the campaign with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch. There, he put up impressive offensive numbers with 20 goals and 61 points in 59 games.
In his last full NHL season in 2022-23, Sheary produced 37 points in 82 games with the Washington Capitals, which is exactly what can be expected out of him moving forward: solid offensive production on fourth-line minutes. He proved that he has the skills to perform during his time in the AHL, and if his preseason performance is any indication, then that can definitely be translated to NHL action as well.
Kevin Labanc
This is Labanc's second straight season on a PTO. Last year, he spent the preseason trying out with the Devils before ultimately signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. His campaign was cut short by injuries, which limited his opportunity to earn a contract extension and landed him on another PTO this time with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Labanc is battling for a bottom six role with the Canes and has been doing the right things so far, managing to pick up two assists as well as eight shot attempts and three scoring chances in two preseason games played. Over his NHL career, the 29-year-old has averaged 38 points per 82 games playing up and down the lineup, but most recently on the third or fourth line.
It will be tough to crack Carolina's lineup based on the amount of depth on that roster. There is really just one fourth line wing spot open and Labanc is one of several guys competing for that role. Still, Labanc signed with a different team than he tried out for last year, and history could very well repeat itself with the way he has performed thus far.
Jack Johnson
A true journeyman, 38-year-old Johnson is attempting to prove he still has gas in the tank in what will be his 20th season in the NHL. After averaging just over 12 minutes per game in 41 games with the Blue Jackets last season, the veteran defenseman signed a PTO with the Minnesota Wild and is looking at the gap on the blueline left by the injury to Jonas Brodin.
Johnson has been playing on a pairing with David Jiricek, another roster hopeful, and coach John Hynes described the duo as "pretty solid," adding that they "move the puck well" and have been playing very "competitive" during the preseason thus far. In two preseason games, Johnson has five shot attempts, one hit, and three blocked shots averaging around 16 minutes per game.
Gone are the days of Johnson holding down a top pairing, but he is still a formidable option for a seventh D-man which is important to have for a team looking to be serious contenders. But like Labanc, the market is open and Johnson has an opportunity to earn a contract somewhere.