Two NHL veterans get another chance with a PTO.

A pair of National Hockey League veterans are hoping to earn another contract late in the summer, with two professional tryout offers handed out this week already.

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Blues signed former NHL forward Milan Lucic to a professional tryout offer, a somewhat controversial move following the off-ice incident that led to Lucic being dismissed by the Boston Bruins back in 2023. Lucic last played on October 21st of that year, appearing in 4 games for the Bruins, and never returned to the Bruins following a charge of assault and battery against a family or household member. Those charges were eventually dismissed, but there's no doubt that they left a mark on Lucic's reputation around the league.

In his prime Lucic was one of the most physically dominant forwards in the NHL and was a player that many around the league feared on the ice. Father time has caused Lucic to slow down considerably over the years however and it remains to be seen if he will be able to play well enough to earn a new deal, especially after such a long layoff.

On Tuesday the Columbus Blue Jackets also agreed to a professional tryout offer, this time with veteran NHL defenseman Brendan Smith, giving the 36 year old veteran a shot to earn an NHL contract. Unlike Lucic, Smith played in the NHL last season, appearing in 32 games for the Dallas Stars where he had 1 goal and 5 assists for a total of 6 points.

Like Lucic, Smith is known for his physical style of play and it seems very likely that both men will be asked to fill similar depth roles, albeit on different parts of the ice, should either of them earn an NHL contract out of training camp.

It is important to note that a PTO does not guarantee an NHL contract, but even getting the chance to showcase their skills in training camp and potentially the NHL preseason could be enough to draw the interest of other teams around the league looking to add depth to their rosters.

Would you sign either of these NHL veterans? Let me know what you think in the comments.