The Winnipeg Jets don’t have a long history of signing players to Professional Tryout Contracts (PTOs) but they can be a great, no-risk way of testing out players who might fit into a team’s lineup. Although the majority of players on PTOs don’t end up making the teams they try out for, once in a while, clubs find a guy they think can contribute nicely in the short term for an affordable price and sign him.
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Having players who can chip in for cheap is important in the salary cap era, and the Jets found one in 2021-22 when they inked Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year deal after inviting him to camp on a PTO and being impressed by him in preseason. He produced 19 points in a bottom-six role before moving on.
The Jets’ organization sees itself in win-now mode despite losing in the first round in each of the past two seasons and have good depth and a number prospects in their deepening pool who may be ready for expanded roles, so it’s unknown if they’ll invite anyone to camp on PTOs. Nonetheless, it’s worth taking a minute to look at a few potential candidates new head coach Scott Arniel could get some value out of.
Dominik Kubalik
Kubalik is a player looking for a reset after a challenging 2023-24. The Czechian left winger had a career-low 15 points (11 goals, four assists) in his lone season for the Ottawa Senators after being traded from the Detroit Red Wings as part of the Alex DeBrincat deal. The 29 year old has a long track record as a consistent offensive producer, however, in both Europe and the NHL.
Originally drafted in 2012 by the Los Angeles Kings (seventh round, 191st overall) out of the Ontario Hockey League, Kubalik returned to Europe and spent his early 20s playing in Czechia and Switzerland before coming back to North America to play for the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2019-20 season. He put up 46 points that season (including 30 goals,) 38 points in the shortened 2020-21, and 32 points in 2021-22 before the Blackhawks allowed him to walk into unrestricted free agency. In his lone season with the Red Wings, who signed him to a two-year deal in the 2022 offseason, he put up 45 points before his aforementioned struggles with the Senators.
In 357-career games, Kubalik has produced at a .492 point-per-game clip. While he likely won’t be a 30-goal scorer again, that rate…
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