The New Jersey Devils announced four signings on Friday afternoon, as they continue to fill out their training camp roster. Camp begins for rookies on September 11th, and the veterans report on September 17th.
This year is a little different from previous seasons, as the Devils will have actual competition for roster spots. Players like Arseniy Gritsyuk, Simon Nemec, Dennis Cholowski, and Juho Lammikko will go into training camp with the advantage, but players like Brian Halonen, Thomas Bordeleau, Seamus Casey, Angus Crookshank, and Topias Vilen have a chance to impress.
Then, there is the possibility of a PTO getting a look. For those who don’t know, a PTO stands for a professional tryout. It’s a non-guaranteed contract that lasts for all of training camp and the preseason, or until the team decides to release a player from their PTO. There have been some good PTOs in the past who ended up making an impact on the NHL team, and the Devils are hoping to get another one this season.
The Devils announced on Friday afternoon that they signed Kevin Rooney, Luke Glendening, Adam Scheel, and Georgi Romanov. Of course, the name that stands out is Kevin Rooney.
Rooney spent parts of four seasons with the Devils before he signed a deal with the Devils’ rivals, the New York Rangers. Since then, he’s played for the Calgary Flames before becoming a free agent this offseason.
New Jersey Devils announce four PTO signings ahead of training camp
After a successful career at Providence College, including winning a head-to-head matchup with Jack Eichel to win the National Championship for the Friars, he signed an amateur tryout with the Albany Devils.
Rooney gives the Devils center depth in camp, and he could easily win the 13th forward spot if the Devils are looking for better depth at that position. Rooney hasn’t wowed many with his play, but he’s always been a reliable player at the bottom of the lineup.
Glendenining is also a center, and his 57% win rate in the dot last season will definitely get him a look. The problem is he had struggles with the rest of his game, but he might be a better fit in Sheldon Keefe’s system than he was in Jon Cooper’s last season.
Adam Scheel is just on the Devils for goalie depth and possibly adding an option to the AHL. They are short on goalie depth if they end up losing Nico Daws this offseason, so he could earn a job with the Utica Comets. The same goes for Romanov.
This might not be the only PTOs the Devils invite to camp. Many will ask about Kevin Labanc, who was very successful in the preseason for the Devils last year before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He hasn’t signed anywhere yet, so there’s still a chance he breaks camp with the Devils.