Every September, there are always a few players who enter camp on PTOs, perform well, and end up signing NHL contracts. Some PTOs turn into more than just depth additions, but more often than not, players on PTOs end up playing bottom-six or bottom-pair roles. Here are five players on PTOs who have the best chance to make NHL rosters.
Conor Sheary
Conor Sheary’s stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning did not go well. He totaled just four goals and 15 points across 62 games and spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. However, he was one of the most productive players in the AHL last season, totaling 20 goals and 61 points in 59 games. Still, that led to the Lightning buying out the final year of his contract this offseason.
Related: 2025 NHL PTO Tracker
Looking for work, Sheary accepted a PTO with the New York Rangers, where his old boss, Mike Sullivan, is now the head coach. The familiarity between the two helps, but Sheary did have his most productive season in the NHL under Sullivan in Pittsburgh with the Penguins. He’s averaged 17 goals and 37 points per 82 games for his career, and given the lack of depth in the Rangers’ bottom six, he may have a chance to make their opening-night roster.
Sheary scored a goal in the Rangers’ preseason opener against the New Jersey Devils on Sept. 21 and fired three shots on goal. The Rangers have promising prospects such as Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, and Brett Berard fighting for spots on the third line/bottom six, so Sheary will have competition. But his veteran experience and familiarity with Sullivan could give him a leg up on his competition if he performs well.
Matt Grzelcyk
It was a little surprising to see a 40-point defenseman need a PTO to find a new home for this season, but that’s the situation Matt Grzelcyk has found himself in. It isn’t without a reason, though. One) He struggled at even strength last season, as his even-strength play (offense + defense combined) was worth an expected goals above replacement (xGAR) of -5.2. Two) He’s an undersized defenseman in a league that’s trended toward bigger and more mobile blueliners in recent years.
Still, for a team like the Chicago Blackhawks that needs some veteran experience on its blue line, Grzelcyk should be in line to earn a one-year contract. Even though he was mostly a power-play merchant with the Penguins last season, he’s still an NHL-caliber defender, and the Blackhawks could use that to shield some of the younger blueliners they’ll be icing this season.
Kevin Labanc
Kevin Labanc only played in 34 games last season due to injury, but there’s an NHLer here if he can stay healthy. He was one of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ better five-on-five players last season on a team that had its fair share of struggles at that game state. He finished with an expected goals share (xG%) just above 54 percent, and he averaged 1.99 points per 60 minutes, making him one of the Blue Jackets’ more efficient five-on-five scorers.
Labanc entered training camp on a PTO with the Devils last offseason and fared well, but he ended up signing a contract with the Blue Jackets because the Devils were tight on cap space. It wouldn’t shock me if he has to go through a similar process this September because cracking the Carolina Hurricanes’ roster will be no easy task, especially on the wing. Still, I like Labanc’s chances of landing an NHL contract somewhere.
Robby Fabbri
Robby Fabbri has had multiple significant knee injuries during his NHL career, so it’s fair to wonder if he can stay healthy for a full season. He played in just 44 games last season, finishing with eight goals and 16 points. But that is a 30-point pace over 82 games, and when looking at his production over the last three seasons, he’s averaged 19 goals and 38 points per 82 games.
Granted, Fabbri’s impacts have been well in the red for quite some time. His overall play was worth an xGAR of -7.1 last season, though that was mostly due to his poor defensive play. The good news for him is that he’s on a PTO with a Penguins team that’s in the early stages of a rebuild, so there may be an opportunity for him to land a bottom-six role on a cheap one-year deal.
The Penguins aren’t looking to be competitive this season, and Fabbri probably has some value if he can score in a bottom-six role. He might not fetch much, but if general manager Kyle Dubas can flip him for a mid-round pick at the trade deadline, that’d be a tidy bit of business for someone who’s coming into camp on a PTO and likely won’t cost more than the veteran minimum to sign.
Oliver Wahlstrom
In another situation, Oliver Wahlstrom might be destined for the AHL, given his struggles in recent seasons. He does have an AHL deal in place with the San Jose Barracuda if he doesn’t make the NHL, but he probably has a decent shot at playing for the Sharks, given the state of their roster. Yes, the Sharks should improve this season, but they’re still likely to be one of the NHL’s bottom feeders.
That should leave the door open for Wahlstrom to make the Sharks’ NHL roster in a bottom-six role. He totaled just six points in 43 games between the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders last season, and this may be his last chance to prove he belongs at the highest level. His play was worth a goals above replacement (GAR) of -4 last season, so I’m not overly confident he makes the NHL, but he has a chance since the Sharks likely want some NHL experience in their bottom six.
Other notable players on PTOs include Jack Johnson (Minnesota Wild), Noah Gregor (Florida Panthers), and Tyler Motte (Panthers). They also have a shot to crack their respective rosters, but the five players above seem to have the best chances of landing NHL gigs for the 2025-26 season.
Advanced stats from Evolving Hockey and Natural Stat Trick
