New Jersey Devils sign former first-round pick, goalie to PTOs

The New Jersey Devils announced on Thursday that defenseman Jakub Zboril and goalie Michael Hutchinson signed professional tryout offers with the team and will report to training camp on Sept. 18.

The Devils' announcement comes one day after an out-of-context rumor began to spread, suggesting that New Jersey would be signing Milan Lucic to a PTO. As it turns out, they had other plans for PTOs.

Zboril, 27, will add competition to the left side of the Devils defense after veteran Brendan Smith departed in free agency for the Dallas Stars. Zboril's main competition for a roster spot will include prospects like Santeri Hatakka, Topias Vilen, Daniil Misyul, and Colton White, as well as projected reserve defensemen Nick DeSimone and Johnathan Kovacevic.

Drafted 13th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL Draft, Zboril was never able to truly make an impact in Beantown, playing more than 22 NHL games in a single season only once. After spending his 2023-24 season with the Providence Bruins, Zboril was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on the March 8 NHL trade deadline for defenseman Andrew Peeke.

In addition to Zboril, the Devils also added Hutchinson, a 34-year-old goalie also drafted by the Bruins who comes with 11 years of NHL experience.

Attentive fans will best remember Hutchinson as the former Winnipeg Jets goaltender who earned Calder Trophy votes for a strong rookie campaign in the 2014-15 season. In his age-24 season with the Jets, Hutchinson posted a 21-10-5 record to go with a 2.38 GAA and .914 save percentage.

The Barrie, Ont., native appeared in 102 games in parts of five seasons (three full seasons) in Winnipeg, but has surprisingly played in just 52 NHL games in the seven years since leaving the organization.

It's unclear how much Hutchinson has left in the tank at his age, but he comes to the Devils with an established track record of strong performances at both the AHL and NHL levels.

At worst, Hutchinson is a goalie who could give the Devils a fighting chance in a pinch, should something happen to either Jacob Markstrom or Jake Allen, but youngsters Nico Daws and Isaac Poulter will have something to say about that.