New Jersey Devils sign Jakub Zboril, Michael Hutchinson to PTOs

Given the team's organizational depth chart, Zboril seems more likely to convert his tryout into a contract.

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The New Jersey Devils dipped their toes into the PTO waters on Thursday, signing Jakub Zboril and Michael Hutchinson to tryout agreements.

Zboril is a 27-year-old defenseman most known for being drafted by the Boston Bruins right in front of Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, Thomas Chabot, and seemingly 300 other star players who were still on the board. That’s never a good thing.

He has appeared in 76 NHL games and produced a respectable 16 points in that span. His underlying numbers were OK, although in very soft minutes. The Bruins sheltered him heavily with a lot of offensive zone starts.

That his xG impact was still negative, and he only came out even on the scoreboard, is probably why he didn’t end up on an NHL roster last year.

Zboril spent this past season as a full-timer in the AHL, where he managed 13 assists over 46 games split between Providence and Cleveland.

I think the Devils are a good spot for Zboril to come in and get a look. Although their blueline is very good, it is much thinner on the left than the right. That’s good for Zboril.

Don’t get me wrong; I would be very surprised if he made the team. But he could play his way into a contract with the organization and be second in waiting – behind Santeri Hatakka – if there are injuries on the left side of the defense.

As for Michael Hutchinson, he’s a team-first journeyman who has seen it all. He’s played NHL games for six different teams and has posted a respectable .903 save percentage over 154 appearances.

At this point, he’s definitely someone you’d prefer to have in the AHL. But he’s a nice insurance option if injuries or illnesses *really* take a toll on your goaltending depth chart.

Hutchinson would certainly be the kind of guy you want around your kids in the AHL. He’s very personable and professional and is not going to cause unrest in the room about how many games he is or isn’t getting.

With no strings attached, there is no harm in giving either player a look. If I were handicapping their chances of getting a deal, I’d think Zboril has the better shot.

Given his draft pedigree and NHL experience, he’d be a nice option to have as LD No. 5. He’s also only 27 and still has plenty of hockey left in him.

I just don’t see the path for Hutchinson barring injury. Nico Daws needs to get into a lot of games in Utica. Isaac Poulter also deserves his fair share coming off a solid season in which he managed a team-leading .911 save percentage with the Comets.

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