PTO: [NJD] G Michael Hutchinson, D Jakub Zboril, F Kevin Labanc, D Andy Welinski, 15 others invited to Devils camp

[Mrfenn92]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836446493374636278

Michael Hutchinson - (free agent)
Jakub Zboril - (free agent)
Kevin Labanc - (free agent)
Andy Welinski - (free agent)
Joe Gambardella - (signed with AHL Utica)
Jack Malone - (signed with AHL Utica)
Landon Sim - (free agent)
Xavier Parent - (signed with AHL Utica)
Jace Isley - (signed with AHL Utica)
Filip Engaras - (signed with AHL Utica)
Andre Ghantous - (signed with AHL Utica)
Kevin O'Neil - (signed with AHL Utica)
Tag Bertuzzi - (signed with AHL Utica)
Igor Mburanumwe - (free agent)
Will MacKinnon - (signed with AHL Utica)
Spencer Sova - (free agent)
Jackson van der Leest - (signed with AHL Utica)
Jeremy Brodeur - (signed with AHL Utica)
Zach Pelletier - (free agent)

Click to read more...

 

[Mrfenn92]

 

[SEALBound]

Good Askarov alternative.

 

[Brodeur]

Team is starting the regular season in Czechia, so probably not the worst idea to have Hutchinson as a warm body PTO goalie as an option for the last couple preseason games.

 

[Clode]

There may be something to salvage here. In 22/23 he started to look like a legitimate NHL defenseman playing bottom pairing minutes with the Bs until he blew his knee out that shelved him for the rest of the season and he never seemed to get back to the level he was at before the injury. Last season the Bruins had like 9 NHL level defensemen so he fell victim to the numbers game and just rotted in Providence until he was shipped out to CBJ.

 

[Stephen]

Hutch seems like a really nice teammate and good person and I can see a Keefe connection there but man when things go wrong for him, you wonder why any NHL team even bothers. He can be so unplayable and shaky.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Man that 2015 draft was just a disaster for Boston

 

[HBK27]

Devils final 3 or so preseason games will be played purely by AHL players and prospects anyway as the big club will be in Prague getting ready for the regular season opener.

Not sure how strict (or if at all) the NHL will enforce the veteran rule for those preseason games given the circumstances, but this would help in that aspect. Can't see any way he'd be signed by NJ as they are already set on goalies for both the NHL (Markstrom / Allen) and AHL (Daws / Poulter) levels.

 

[HBK27]

There may be something to salvage here. In 22/23 he started to look like a legitimate NHL defenseman playing bottom pairing minutes with the Bs until he blew his knee out that shelved him for the rest of the season and he never seemed to get back to the level he was at before the injury. Last season the Bruins had like 9 NHL level defensemen so he fell victim to the numbers game and just rotted in Providence until he was shipped out to CBJ.

Devils already have their top 7 basically set between Hamilton, Pesce, Siegenthaler, Dillon, Hughes, Nemec and Kovacevic - though DeSimone & Hatakka (both of whom looked good in NJ last season in limited action and to a lesser extent Misyul will also be fighting for a spot.

He might be some insurance if either of Hatakka or DeSimone get claimed on waivers.

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

Man that 2015 draft was just a disaster for Boston

This is the first time I am hearing this.

 

[tmg]

The Devils’ last preseason game (Philadelphia Sept 3) is only 18 hours before their first regular season game across the pond in Czechia.

So they likely have their full actual regular season roster already with the team in Europe when that Philly game is played. But all preseason games have mandatory NHL-experience minimums (8 players who played at least 30 the preceding season or 100 career, or that year’s first rounders)

This is a warm body with NHL experience that stays in Philadelphia while all the actual NHL level players are in Czechia.

 

[tmg]

No wait he doesn’t even meet any of that!! I guess he’s just another camp body even not meeting the experience minimums.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

The Devils’ last preseason game (Philadelphia Sept 3) is only 18 hours before their first regular season game across the pond in Czechia.

So they likely have their full actual regular season roster already with the team in Europe when that Philly game is played. But all preseason games have mandatory NHL-experience minimums (8 players who played at least 30 the preceding season or 100 career, or that year’s first rounders)

This is a warm body with NHL experience that stays in Philadelphia while all the actual NHL level players are in Czechia.

I would imagine that they would get some sort of exemption for that.

 

[uncleben]

No wait he doesn’t even meet any of that!! I guess he’s just another camp body even not meeting the experience minimums.

I would imagine that they would get some sort of exemption for that.

Yeah, teams doing the European tour get the rules relaxes a little

That said, this may be my pick for the PTO most likely to be successful

 

[Brodeur]

Last year it looked like the NHL gave LA some leniency with the preseason veteran rule since they sent most of their A-team to Australia early in last year's preseason. In 2018, the Devils opened the regular season in Sweden but it looks like they did meet the 8 vet minimum in those preseason games.

It's not a strenuous schedule, but having a guy like Hutchinson could potentially save a vet that round trip flight to Montreal.

9/22: vs NYI
9/24: @ MON
9/25: WSH
9/27: @ NYI
9/30: NYR
10/1: @ NYR
10/3: @ PHI

Not sure when the team plans to fly the A-team to Czechia, but probably a safe bet that they're sending the B-team for those final two preseason games.

 

[Brodeur]

Simon Nemec did get hurt (shoulder) last week during Slovakia's Olympic qualifier. Not sure if I saw any new prognosis other than he'd be flying back to New Jersey for a check up. They said it wasn't a dislocation or a broken bone, but maybe that puts Nemec out for a part of preseason?

Maybe Zboril's mindset is that Nemec could miss the start of the season and then he could beat out Hatakka/DeSimone for the opening night #7 spot?

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Dillon-Nemec (injury?)
-----------
Hatakka-Kovacevic
Zboril (PTO)-DeSimone
-----------
Misyul-Casey

 

[EastVillageBlues]

Man that 2015 draft was just a disaster for Boston

This isn't even their worst pick in 2015 by a long shot, the real shocking part as we look back.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

you mean THE Jakub 'could've been Mat Barzal' Zboril, that Jakub Zboril?

 

[Goptor]

First the Devils had Senyshyn. Now they have Zboril. Next up DeBrusk?

 

[Xirik]

First the Devils had Senyshyn. Now they have Zboril. Next up DeBrusk?

Pavel Zacha

for

All of Boston's 2015 1st rounders *Eventually

 

[Czechboy]

I will always cheer for him... But I also think the devil's are a legit good team. I can t see them having a need for him.

I hope I'm wrong but I don't think he plays another NHL game in his career.

 

[Breakers]

Really is wild to look at 2015 and see "games played" and it is just stacked in experience

then 76 games played then 16 then right back into the hundreds of games played.

just so polarizing

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Anything Zboril shows in terms of skill is quickly negated by a subpar hockey IQ. I guess that's why he's signing a PTO and not a bonafide contract at this point in his career.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Yeah I would think the send-off for the guys on the big club would be the home preseason game vs the Rags on the 30th.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Man that 2015 draft was just a disaster for Boston

This fruit is so low, it‘s now underground. Instead of just picking from a low branch, you had to dig.