A few players have already signed PTOs with NHL teams over the past week. Here are three PTO candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs going into training camp.
A few NHL teams have already organized professional try-out (PTO) opportunities ahead of training camp. The Vancouver Canucks were the latest team to dish out a PTO to goaltender Chris Driedger on Thursday. On Tuesday, the Washington Capitals signed goalie Cal Peterson to a PTO, and the Calgary Flames brought in Alex Nylander on a try-out, ending his time in the Toronto Maple Leafs' organization.
Last year, Toronto signed goaltender James Reimer to a PTO, who previously served in the crease for the Maple Leafs from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and was drafted by them in 2006. Reimer's reunion with the team for the 2025 pre-season was for insurance purposes since Joseph Woll wasn't ready to start the 2025-26 campaign.
For this coming season, there has been a lot of change to the Leafs' roster. That's mostly related to GM John Chayka's free agency haul that introduced many new faces to the bottom six, specifically.
Add Darren Raddysh, Emil Andrae and Gavin McKenna to the additions from July 1, and there aren't many available spots on the team. However, depth goes a long way in the NHL, especially for teams that go on to have successful seasons.
So, here are three PTO candidates for the Maple Leafs going into 2026-27 training camp.
Nick Blankenburg, D
Nick Blankenburg is a viable option to add to Toronto's back end. One thing that's apparent about the Leafs' D-corps is that it is aging and not particularly quick.
With the possible addition of Blankenburg, the Maple Leafs' blueline would get slightly younger, as the right-handed D-man is 28 years old. He's a smaller defenseman, documented at 5-foot-9, but that would make him faster than the average D-man on the Leafs.
He's shown that he can be a regular contributor on an NHL defense. In 2024-25, he played 60 regular-season games for the Nashville Predators, recording four goals and 16 points. The undrafted defenseman averaged 19:33 of ice time that year, finishing fourth on the team.
Blankenburg was solid again this past year, scoring 24 points in 61 games, both career-high numbers for him. He averaged 17:58 of ice time with the Preds and 12:02 in his 12 games with the Colorado Avalanche - he was traded there for a 2027 fifth-round pick in early March.
Curtis Lazar, C
Curtis Lazar has featured in over 600 regular-season games across 12 NHL seasons and seven different teams. His entire career has been based on being able to adapt to new settings and any role he's given.
If the Maple Leafs brought him in on a PTO, he could serve as bottom-six insurance. It's worth noting that Teddy Blueger, signed on July 1 to a two-year, $5-million contract, was out for a large chunk of this past season with a lower-body injury and suffered setbacks in his recovery. So if he has similar health issues to last year with the Canucks, Lazar wouldn't be a terrible candidate to fill that void, even with Steven Lorentz also on deck.
Lazar is a versatile forward who could essentially play in all three positions in a pinch. He's more than capable as a winger, but has been handy as a center, too.
With the Edmonton Oilers in 2025-26, Lazar took a total of 291 faceoffs, the fifth most on the team, and won 61.2 percent of his draws.
His best season in the NHL came in 2023-24 with the New Jersey Devils when he notched seven goals and 25 points in 71 appearances on 12:23 of average ice time.
Adam Boqvist, D
Adam Boqvist would be a very low-risk acquisition for any team. But for the Maple Leafs, if this situation played out perfectly, they could get a player that they could really use.
Boqvist was an eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Though he's had a couple of middling seasons, the Swedish defenseman certainly hasn't reached the ceiling he was destined for.
Nonetheless, in the right situation, he could be valuable to Toronto's back end. He's a blueliner who's known for how he plays the puck, labelled as an offensive D-man and puck-mover.
The Leafs' defense has been stale in the department of creativity and offense, and injecting a player like Boqvist could help the team, even in small doses.
Recently, he hasn't seen much NHL action, featuring in 98 contests from a possible 246 of the past three seasons. His best campaign was with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23 when he provided five goals and 24 points in 46 outings, averaging a point about every other game.
A PTO for Boqvist may not pan out, just like any PTO signed across the league, but if it does, that would give Toronto a new look on defense.
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