The Los Angeles Kings have signed goaltender Peter Budaj to a professional tryout contract (PTO), according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider.
Budaj spent last season playing for the St. Johns IceCaps in the AHL, where he got into 19 games with a 0-9-6 record and a .888 save percentage. In his career he’s played 296 games split between the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche.
Goaltender Peter Budaj will attend #LAKings training camp on a PTO, hockey ops confirms.
— LA Kings Insider (@lakingsinsider) August 28, 2015
The Kings currently have Jonathan Quick and free agent signee Jhonas Enroth on contract, who are likely to be the team’s duo at the NHL level. But Budaj could provide much-needed depth to the organization with Martin Jones getting traded to the Boston Bruins (and subsequently to the San Jose Sharks) and prospect J.F. Berube still recovering from an injury suffered last season.
Budaj is unlikely to appear at the NHL level if he earns a contract at camp, but would give the team an option should either either Enroth or Quick get injured during the season. They would be getting a depth goaltender who can be called up as a back-up without hindering the development of a prospect. Whether it is Budaj or another goaltender, it seems likely that the team digs up a veteran to play in the AHL.
Lots of familiar names are taking PTOs this season. Keep up with all the tryout contracts with The Hockey Writers’ 2015 PTO Tracker.
RELATED: The Emergence of Tanner Pearson is Key for the Kings