Confirmed with Link: James Neal and Michael Frolik sign PTOs

[TheDizee]

Blues sign Neal, Frolik to professional tryouts

Click to read more...

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

Great to have options but how in the world are we going to fit either one on the roster?

 

[joe galiba]

Only makes sense if someone is moved and a young player doesn't step up

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

I still think Sanford is on the way out. Bozak deal plus these two makes it seem more likely.

Also, having these guys on minimum deals over Clifford/MacMac would save us $400K in cap space.

 

[Majorityof1]

Great to have options but how in the world are we going to fit either one on the roster?

This exactly. Something is up here. We cannot fit Thomas and these guys. Its not about money but about NHL roster room. They have to know that, so why would they sign a PTO for a team that can't fit them. There has to be another team who would have given them a PTO. What did Armstrong tell them? Are they auditioning for the first AHL call-up or Mac/Clifford's press box slot?

No way either is beating out anyone we have in a healthy top 12 with Thomas. Neal, maybe, could get a 3rd line role but not Frolik at this point. Frolik was healthy scratched all year for Montreal. I wonder if a deal is imminent for Tarasenko. We can then shift someone up a line, and plug Neal on the 3rd line or Frolik on the 4th.

Perron - ROR - Buch
Saad - Schenn - Kyrou
Sanford - Thomas -Neal/Sunny
Frolik/Sunny - Barby - Bozak

 

[A Real Barn Burner]

This exactly. Something is up here. We cannot fit Thomas and these guys. Its not about money but about NHL roster room. They have to know that, so why would they sign a PTO for a team that can't fit them. There has to be another team who would have given them a PTO. What did Armstrong tell them? Are they auditioning for the first AHL call-up or Mac/Clifford's press box slot?

No way either is beating out anyone we have in a healthy top 12 with Thomas. Neal, maybe, could get a 3rd line role but not Frolik at this point. Frolik was healthy scratched all year for Montreal. I wonder if a deal is imminent for Tarasenko. We can then shift someone up a line, and plug Neal on the 3rd line or Frolik on the 4th.

Perron - ROR - Buch
Saad - Schenn - Kyrou
Sanford - Thomas -Neal/Sunny
Frolik/Sunny - Barby - Bozak

Great analysis! I can see Frolik signing with anyone just to have a shot at an NHL paycheck but not Neal. This is the best indication yet for anyone reading the tea leaves for a Tarasenko trade. Maybe it’s something minor though like Sanford. We will see.

 

[Brian39]

This feels like Army just looking to create competition in camp while doing a solid to a couple vets. We have a pretty long history of offering PTOs and we have a good reputation as an organization to take a PTO for. On the off chance COVID spikes and closes the border in the next 6 weeks, this ensures that these guys are already in the country and able to audition for NHL teams. Maybe this signals another move, but I think this is just Army creating a contingency plan for a Thomas holdout while doing a solid for a couple NHL vets.

 

[BlueKnight]

Meh. Both players are washed up especially Neal. Pass!!

 

[Brian39]

Great analysis! I can see Frolik signing with anyone just to have a shot at an NHL paycheck but not Neal. This is the best indication yet for anyone reading the tea leaves for a Tarasenko trade. Maybe it’s something minor though like Sanford. We will see.

James Neal was healthy scratched in almost half of Edmonton's game last year. He cleared waivers, bounced on and off their taxi squad and then got bought out. 10 points in the 29 games he did play and he couldn't stay in the lineup of a team who desperately needed scoring depth. He put up 31 points in 55 games in 2019/20, but then couldn't stay in the Oilers top 6. He had just 19 points in 63 games with Calgary before that. I think he is pretty damn close to washing out of the league and he might not have had any NHL offers.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Just because we sign guys to PTOs, it doesn't mean we sign them to the 23 man roster. Sure, it's another piece that could indicate Army is planning to make a move before the season starts, but this could just be insurance for camp injuries/COVID, or helping them out to give them an audition for us and other clubs.

 

[BlueDream]

Neither player has anything left in the tank. And trading Sanford because we have one of these old guys wouldn’t help us.

 

[67Blues]

Just because we sign guys to PTOs, it doesn't mean we sign them to the 23 man roster. Sure, it's another piece that could indicate Army is planning to make a move before the season starts, but this could just be insurance for camp injuries/COVID, or helping them out to give them an audition for us and other clubs.

This!

PTOs are given out to let a player prove that they still are a viable NHL player. I wonder what the percentage of PTOs vs Final Team is in the NHL? This is almost like a courtesy thing that teams will extend and it helps fill out the practice lines.

 

[Xerloris]

I know nothing about Frolik but Neal, I just don't know. The Oilers misuse everyone but after how Berube used Hoffman I guess I can say the same thing about us.

 

[StLewis11]

I'm surprised, if PTO's were going to be offered, would've been to add to our D rather than the forwards.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I doubt either guy has much chance to make the Blues, but they might get a contract offer from another team that gets an injury if they look good in some preseason games. I wouldn't have minded either player 10 years ago, but this is probably a non-event for the Blues, other than one more indication about the Blues' organization being held in good regard league-wide by veteran players.

 

[Xerloris]

I doubt either guy has much chance to make the Blues, but they might get a contract offer from another team that gets an injury if they look good in some preseason games. I wouldn't have minded either player 10 years ago, but this is probably a non-event for the Blues, other than one more indication about the Blues' organization being held in good regard league-wide by veteran players.

But we were assured that players don't respect our team

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of which two vets come in.

Frolik from five years ago would be awesome!

 

[Robb_K]

Those 2 players are through in The NHL. IF they end up on The Blues' roster, that will signify lots of injuries or long-term Covid ineligibility for several current roster players.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

I always thought highly of Neal when he played with Perron in Vegas in their inaugural season. But I gather he's not that guy anymore.