The Anaheim Ducks should offer these seven free agents, tryout offers
By Ed Stein
There are still a few decent unrestricted free agents (UFA) around the league. Here are seven unsigned players the Anaheim Ducks should invite to training camp.
The NHL’s version of musical chairs, free agency, is winding down. Players have changed teams and/or signed new contracts this summer. Unfortunately, some players are still on the outside looking in. They may have to sign Professional Try-Out (PTO) agreements in order to get a training camp invitation. It’s the first step to competing for a roster spot.
When a player gets to the PTO point in his career, it’s a signal that the end is near. Rarely does anyone cash in on the opportunity (maybe a handful every year), let alone finish the season. True success stories are highly unusual. In an interview with Sports Illustrated back in 2015, former Anaheim Ducks head coach Mike Babcock had some insightful comments about players on PTOs.
"“It’s not that they can’t play,” he said. “They’ve still got something in the tank and maybe in the right situation, they could be productive. But most of them are victims of the [salary cap] system. These guys are mostly being looked to fill [bottom-six] roles. Most teams have young guys they’ve invested [draft picks on] and they want to give them a chance to step up and earn those jobs. They’re cheaper … they have something to prove. And management wants to prove they weren’t dummies for taking the guys in the first place. “The [veterans] have something to prove too, but you know what you’re getting with them. And if the kids fail, those guys are still out there as a Plan B.”"
One exception is recent Anaheim Ducks signee, Brian Gibbons. He is one of the very few players to build an NHL career after he was relegated to signing a PTO. An NHL player for parts of two season, Gibbons found himself without a contract in the summer of 2016.
He signed a PTO with New Jersey before training camp and earned a spot on their AHL team. His hard work brought him back to the NHL last year, playing in 56 regular season, and two playoff games with the Devils. Last season’s success earned Gibbons one year, $1M contract with the Ducks for 2018-19.
For every Brian Gibbons or Lee Stempniak (the poster child for PTOs), there are plenty of players like Devin Setoguchi, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Thomas McCollum who can’t make the cut.