Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed old friend Brian Boyle to a professional tryout contract (PTO) and it’s nice to see the veteran get another chance. The New York Rangers could have explored this avenue, as he’s a familiar face who comes with an abundance of overall experience. Alas, they did not, but one has to wonder if they could do this with other available free agents.
Now that we are in September, players who have yet to sign contracts will starting to feel more anxious for work. As a result of this, it will not be surprising to see many of them sign PTOs just like Boyle. There are some options who could make sense for the Rangers, even if they do not result in them receiving actual contracts by the end of it.
The beauty of a PTO is that there is no actual commitment to the player. They allow teams to get looks at other players firsthand who could end up being upgrades from what they currently have. The Rangers have a pretty solid mix of young players and veterans, but they still could benefit going down this route.
In this piece, we will be discussing three potential players who the Rangers should consider doing this with. Before getting started, it is important to note that these players are in no particular order.
With all of that stated, let’s begin.