GM Fletcher brings veteran in to Flyers camp on PTO

The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed veteran forward Cal O'Reilly, brother of St. Louis Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly, to a professional tryout (PTO) contract.

O'Reilly joins NHL veterans Antoine Roussel and Artem Anisimov as the other players in Flyers camp on a PTO. Unlike Roussel and Anisimov though, O'Reilly hasn't played an NHL game in a few years. He last played in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild during the 2017-18 season and has spent the past three seasons in the Flyers' system with their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 35 year old put up 21 goals and 53 points in 71 games with the Phantoms last season. His longest NHL stint came with the Nashville Predators way back in 2011-12 when he managed to suit up for 38 games. It's pretty safe to say that O'Reilly is a career minor leaguer and while this PTO signing does give him an opportunity to get back into the NHL, it's more likely a way for the Flyers to get the required amount of veterans into their preseason games.

As for Roussel and Anisimov though, they both have real opportunities to become full-time roster players. The 32 year old Roussel played 53 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season, putting up four goals and eight points. He was shipped to the Coyotes as part of the blockbuster deal between the Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks that saw Oliver Ekman-Larsson end up in Vancouver. And while Roussel didn't exactly set the world on fire in Arizona or Vancouver, he still proved that he's a quality NHL player capable of playing in a depth role.

Anisimov played last season with the KHL's Yaroslavl Lokomotiv putting up eight goals and 19 points in 27 games. He does have over 700 games of NHL experience behind him though playing with the Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers. His last NHL campaign came in 2020-21 with the Senators where he put up two goals and nine points in just 19 games. His best NHL season to date came in 2016-17 when he put up 22 goals and 45 points in 64 games with the Blackhawks playing alongside Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane.