Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
This is their shot. Several names familiar to AHL fans will attend NHL training camps on professional tryout deals. No contract, no promises. Just an opportunity. For NHL teams, these veterans are there to bolster competition internally, add roster depth, and perhaps play themselves into the organization’s plans for 2024-25. Here is a look at some of those players:
Adam Erne – New York Rangers
The 29-year-old forward is a Connecticut native who has played 379 NHL games and has 91 points (41 goals, 50 assists) with Tampa Bay, Detroit, and Edmonton. Last season was divided between the Oilers and Bakersfield. He had two points (one goal, one assist) in 24 games with the Oilers while also chipping in 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 36 contests for the Condors. Erne spent his first three pro seasons in Syracuse, helping the Crunch reach the Calder Cup Finals in 2017.
Dylan Ferguson – Vancouver Canucks
Ferguson, who turns 26 on Friday, spent last season in the Kontinental Hockey League with Dinamo Minsk. He has made 29 appearances in the AHL in spot duty with Chicago, Henderson, Toronto and Belleville, and has NHL experience with Vegas and Ottawa as well.
Rocco Grimaldi – Carolina Hurricanes
Coming off a career-best 36-goal season with the Chicago Wolves, Rocco Grimaldi will be in Carolina’s training camp on a PTO. He was voted a Second Team AHL All-Star and participated in his second career AHL All-Star Classic. Grimaldi has racked up 175 goals and 195 assists for 370 points in 433 career AHL games, along with 30 goals and 37 assists in 203 NHL contests. Grimaldi will be joined in Hurricanes camp by Skyler Brind’Amour, who recorded three goals and five assists in 54 games as a rookie with the Charlotte Checkers last season.
Michael Hutchinson – New Jersey Devils
Hutchinson is no stranger to coming in and winning a job. A strong showing in camp last season earned him a spot with Grand Rapids, and eventually an NHL deal with Detroit. He ended up playing 32 games for the Griffins in a productive partnership with first-round pick Sebastian Cossa. Owner of 120 career AHL wins, Hutchinson was voted a Second Team AHL All-Star in 2017-18 and appeared in the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic, and he backstopped St. John’s to the Calder Cup Finals in 2014. He has also played 154 games in the NHL with Winnipeg, Florida, Toronto, Colorado, Columbus and Detroit.
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Andy Welinski and Jakub Zboril – New Jersey Devils
The Devils have not been hesitant about extending tryout offers, particularly to add help to their blue line. Welinski heads to training camp with New Jersey after playing 35 games between Iowa and Charlotte in 2023-24. Over eight pro seasons, he has 152 points (42 goals, 110 assists) in 319 career AHL games and was selected to the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic. The former third-round pick also has 46 NHL games to his name. Zboril, who was selected in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft by Boston, is coming off a trip to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals with Cleveland. He showed well with the Monsters after Columbus acquired him at the NHL trade deadline, and totaled 13 assists in 46 games between Cleveland and Providence. Zboril has played 76 games in the NHL with Boston.
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