A ton of players were on professional tryouts during the pre-season vying for spots in the NHL. But it's back to the job board for most, including these six veterans.

NHL rosters are nearing completion as teams decide what to do with their top prospects, sending some to the AHL and others to major junior. Most teams also have players on tryout agreements to deal with.

Players attending NHL training camps are not only playing for a spot with the team they’re skating with but also hoping to catch the eye of another team at the NHL or AHL level through their pre-season performance.

Sometimes, however, an unsuccessful PTO is the end of the line as it was for 34-year-old Brandon Sutter, who retired as he was released from his PTO by the Edmonton Oilers. Sutter, who played 770 NHL games, was attempting a comeback after spending the last two seasons out of the league.

This season, more than 50 players entered NHL training camps on professional tryouts. While some will inevitably sign, most will be released, including these six notable NHL veterans.

Ryan Dzingel, C, Arizona Coyotes

It wasn’t that long ago Ryan Dzingel was a sought-after player in the NHL. The 31-year-old veteran of more than 400 NHL games had back-to-back 20-goal seasons with the Ottawa Senators before his production fell off a cliff after signing with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019-20. Since then, Dzingel has bounced between teams and last season played in the AHL. He only played one match for the Coyotes in the pre-season as part of a three-game day early on. If he hopes to prolong his career, Dzingel might again look to the AHL or overseas.

Artem Anisimov, C, Detroit Red Wings

A few seasons ago, the Detroit Red Wings may have jumped at the opportunity to add a player with Anisimov’s size and proven track record as a middle-six scorer. Detroit’s newfound depth up front, however, made the 35-year-old Anisimov a veteran addition the Wings couldn’t find room for. Anisimov played two pre-season games for Detroit, recording two shots and a minus-two rating. 

The 6-foot-4 center spent last season in AHL Lehigh Valley and the 2021-22 campaign in KHL Yaroslavl. Anisimov may be headed back to Russia to play in the KHL in order to cash in for another season or a few.

Josh Bailey, RW, Ottawa Senators

Bailey played 1,057 regular-season games in his NHL career so far, all with the New York Islanders, including the last five seasons as an alternate captain. After recording 44 points in 2021-22, Bailey's production dipped last season, with 25 points in 64 games and spending time as a healthy scratch. The Islanders traded him to Chicago in June, who then bought out the final season of a six-year contract worth $5 million annually.

The 34-year-old made a strong case to earn a deal with the Senators, recording a goal and five assists for six points in six pre-season games. But Ottawa is pressed up against the salary cap, still needs to figure out a new contract for RFA Shane Pinto and saw decent showings from bubble players already signed. Bailey could potentially get a deal elsewhere, but his slower pace began to show.

Nick Ritchie, LW, St. Louis Blues

Ritchie played 74 games in the NHL last season, recording 26 points with the Arizona Coyotes and Calgary Flames. The former 10th overall pick plays a power forward game but never lived up to his scoring potential. He’s had shots with Anaheim, Toronto, Boston, Arizona and Calgary but has never found a top-six spot he could hold. In three games for the Blues, Ritchie had one assist, six shots, a minus-two rating and 17 penalty minutes.

At 27, Ritchie still has runway on his career but will almost certainly need to look to the AHL or overseas this season in order to prove he can produce.

Scott Harrington, D, Anaheim Ducks

The 30-year-old blueliner has played 255 NHL games, including 45 last season split between Anaheim and San Jose. When healthy, Harrington can add consistent veteran depth to a blueline. The 6-foot-2 left-shot defender is headed to the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, meaning his tryout with the Anaheim Ducks may be over for now after two pre-season games, but he’s still in a position to earn a contract as the season progresses.

Nathan Beaulieu, D, Carolina Hurricanes

Beaulieu spent 52 games in the NHL last season with the Anaheim Ducks. He only recorded four assists but played bottom-pairing minutes, providing a physical presence on the blueline. He appeared in three games and had six shots. 

Beaulieu could draw depth interest from a team looking for stability on the back end, but he’ll almost certainly need to start in the AHL and earn his way back to the big leagues.

Other Notable Names Released

While these six players headline the released NHL veterans, there are definitely more names who came and went at NHL training camps. Goaltenders J-F Berube and Aaron Dell were both in camp but couldn’t crack an opening night roster spot. The same can be said for forwards Cory Conacher, Peter Holland, Justin Bailey, Alex Chiasson, Cal O’Reilly, Charles Hudon, Brendan Perlini, Nicholas Shore and Kieffer Bellows. Defenseman Jordie Benn, 36, also couldn't lock down a spot in Dallas. 

Zach Aston-Reese was released from his PTO by Carolina, but he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Who is Still Fighting for a Contract?

While most of the PTOs who entered camp as NHL hopefuls are back on the market, a handful continue fighting for roster spots. 

In Edmonton, forwards Sam Gagner and Adam Erne are both looking to grab fourth-line spots, and both are capable of playing a depth role with penalty-kill potential. Other notable contenders for contracts include Maxime Comtois in Vegas, Danton Heinen in Boston and Noah Gregor in Toronto.