Milan Lucic and Brendan Smith joined NHL teams on a professional tryout agreement on Tuesday.
Lucic joined the St. Louis Blues, while Smith is headed to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After Jack Johnson signed a PTO with the Minnesota Wild on Aug. 11, this could be the start of more NHL free agents taking a tryout to convince teams they deserve a contract this fall.
Lucic, 37, is trying to return to the NHL after a stint in the NHL Players’ Assistance Program. He played with Boston, Edmonton, Los Angeles and Calgary, with his point totals falling in his past few seasons.
The PTO gives St. Louis a low-risk opportunity to evaluate if the power forward can contribute in a bottom-six role.
As for Smith, the 36-year-old will bring physicality and experienced defensive play to the Blue Jackets in the pre-season. GM Don Waddell said Smith has great character and professionalism, and he competes hard. That said, he averaged only 13:13 of ice time in 32 games with the Dallas Stars last season.
Here are other NHL free agents who may need to go the PTO route to earn a contract.
Robby Fabbri, C/LW
Robby Fabbri, 29, has shown glimpses that he can be a 20-goal guy, even if he’s never reached that marker in the NHL.
He played 44 games last season with the Anaheim Ducks, posting eight goals and eight assists. This was after an 18-goal, 32-point season with the Detroit Red Wings.
He could be a solid secondary scorer, and if he’s placed with a playmaker, he could see a significant increase in his numbers. His shooting percentage has exceeded 15 percent four times in his nine seasons, which suggests he picks his spots well and has more goal-scoring in him. There is no reason to assume he can’t contribute at the NHL level, but he may need a tryout before earning a prove-it contract.
Victor Olofsson, LW
Victor Olofsson, 30, is a three-time 20-goal scorer who posted 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
Why he doesn’t have a contract offer yet is somewhat baffling. If he doesn’t get a PTO, the hint here is that 32 NHL teams must know something the public doesn’t.
His scoring ability and power-play proficiency make him a strong candidate to contribute. The biggest downside is that after he recorded three 40-point seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, his production dropped to 15 points in 51 games before he joined Vegas and hasn’t fully bounced back.
The assumption is that he’s waiting for a contract offer he likes, but hasn’t received it yet. If he wants bigger bucks, he has to prove in training camp that he’s ready to bounce back.
Luke Kunin, C
Luke Kunin, 27, split 2024-25 between the San Jose Sharks and Columbus, tallying 11 goals, 18 points and 187 hits in 75 games.
The issue might be that he had no points in his 12 games with the Blue Jackets. That may have soured teams on his ability to produce, but perhaps one team could look quite smart for giving him a bounce-back opportunity.
Kunin can be physical and kill penalties, making him an option in a depth role, even if he doesn’t get regular NHL duties.
Milan Lucic Could Increase The Number Of Visor-less NHL PlayersMilan Lucic is attempting an NHL comeback by joining the St. Louis Blues on a professional tryout.
Max Pacioretty, LW
Max Pacioretty, 34, remains a gifted offensive goal-scorer whose injury and health concerns follow him wherever he goes. That makes PTOs the way to go with him, something he tried successfully last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He made the team and produced 13 points in 37 games, as well as eight points in 11 playoff contests. The Leafs could still bring him back, or a contender might be on his radar. That said, teams may be hesitant to give a roster spot to an older veteran who might not play the full season, or even half of it.
Andreas Athanasiou, LW/C
Andreas Athanasiou, 31, is an experienced left winger coming off a difficult stint with the Chicago Blackhawks. Once a speedy 30-goal winger, Athanasiou’s stock has fallen over the past few seasons. He put up only nine points in 28 games in 2023-24, and last season, he played eight NHL games and 30 in the AHL.
That said, he’s still quick and had a 20-goal campaign in 2022-23.
As a free agent, he could take a PTO to prove he still has the skill to contribute effectively in a bottom-six role. Otherwise, he may need to sign in the AHL or overseas to continue his professional hockey career.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 38, played 1,323 games with the Sharks before they bought out his contract in late June. Vlasic told NHL.com’s French website he was under the impression he was going to San Jose next season, based on his end-of-season interview, so he wasn’t impressed the team didn’t tell him then that he might be bought out.
He’s older, but Vlasic was once a steady shutdown defenseman, and he could bring leadership and quality minutes in a limited role.
A team signing him should know he’s likely not going to eat the minutes he used to, and he’ll be on the slower side, but there have been plenty of older defensemen who remain effective in the right role. Vlasic recently told Le Journal de Québec that he’s looking to come back to the NHL this season, and if the right team asks, a PTO could be a real option.
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