Veteran forward returns to NHL on PTO!

Time is running out for any unrestricted free agent player to get a deal in the National Hockey League and some have no other choice but to try and secure a professional tryout contract with a club in order to crack the roster. 

This is what forward Lance Bouma managed to do on Tuesday after spending the 2018-19 campaign overseas with Swiss club Geneve-Servette. The poor guy was limited to just three games, clearly preferring to get back to the NHL and pull a comeback there. 

On Tuesday, it was reported by Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet 650 that the Los Angeles Kings have offered a PTO to Bouma, who will show up at training camp next week ready to prove he can still play in the league. 

While Bouma may be hard pressed to secure a spot in the lineup ahead of Adrian Kempe or Michael Amadio, he is expected to fight hard for a spot on the Kings’ roster. 

Bouma inked a one-year, $1 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2017, one day after the Calgary Flames bought him out of the final season of a three-year deal worth $2.2 million per campaign. He had three goals and nine points in 53 games with Chicago in 2017-18, to go with seven goals and 14 points in 20 games with their AHL Rockford IceHogs farm club.

He will need to do better to get that spot with the Kings!