Last season, the Vancouver Canucks didn't have any free agents at training camp on professional tryout contracts (PTO), which created internal competitions for spots on the opening night roster.
While it's unclear if Patrik Allvin will follow the same path this season, if he opts to look at the free agent market for a PTO or two, there are some intriguing names to consider, including a few former Stanley Cup champions.
In a recent article on Canucks Army, Tyson Cole shared five PTO options for the Vancouver Canucks to think about before training camp opens on September 19th in Penticton, British Columbia.
Two forward options Cole named were Tyler Johnson and Sammy Blais. Johnson would provide the Canucks with some scoring depth after coming off a 17-goal campaign with the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, for 28-year-old Sammy Blais, he would bring some grit and physicality to the Canucks' bottom-six. While the team is pretty much set with their forward group to start the year, Allvin could bring in Blais and Johnson to help push the pace in camp with younger players looking to compete for spots on the opening night roster.
The other three names mentioned were blueliners - Kevin Shattenkirk, Justin Schultz and Tyson Barrie. The Canucks may still be looking for someone to play in the top four, and one of those players could be Tyson Barrie, a mobile, puck-moving defenceman. Shattenkirk and Schultz could be interesting depth pieces that could be brought in to compete with Vincent Desharnais and Noah Juulsen.
We'll have to wait and see what the coming weeks have in store for the Vancouver Canucks on the PTO market and if Patrik Allvin decides to bring one into training camp.
Which player do you think the Canucks should sign to a PTO - Tyler Johnson, Sammy Blais, Tyson Barrie or Justin Schultz? Let us know what you think in the poll below!
Source: Tyson Cole/Canucks Army
five remaining NHL UFAs the Vancouver Canucks could sign to a PTO this offseason
POLL | ||
AOUT 18 | 252 ANSWERS Canucks linked to five remaining free agents: Stanley Cup winner among the lot Which player do you think the Vancouver Canucks should sign to a PTO? | ||
Tyler Johnson | 45 | 17.9 % |
Sammy Blais | 51 | 20.2 % |
Tyson Barrie | 84 | 33.3 % |
Justin Schultz | 72 | 28.6 % |
List of polls |