Former first-round pick Jakub Zboril lands PTO with Eastern Conference team

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Cooper Godin
September 5, 2024 (12:49)

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Former first-round pick Jakub Zboril has landed a PTO with an Eastern Conference team.

In the next couple of weeks, expect plenty of teams to enter the free agent market and offer professional tryout contract (PTO) to players who are still without a contract. So far, we've seen a handful of PTOs signed, including Colin White and Logan Brown, but on Thursday, a former first-round pick has put pen-to-paper on a professional tryout contract.

According to TSN's Chris Johnston, the New Jersey Devils have signed former first-round pick Jakub Zboril, as well as goaltender Michael Hutchinson, to professional tryout contract. The duo will join the Devils at training camp in two weeks and participate in preseason contests before they're either signed for the 2024-25 season or released to become free agents again.

Zboril, 27, hasn't lived up to the hype that comes with being a first-round pick, but unfortunately for him, he's dealt with a number of injuries, including a torn ACL. Last season, Zboril spent his entire year in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, and then the Cleveland Monsters after the Blue Jackets acquired him in a deal with Boston.

In 46 games last season, the Brno, Czechia native had 13 assists, 29 penalty minutes and was a minus-seven. Zboril also went on to appear in 14 games during the Calder Cup Playoffs with the Monsters, registering four points (one goal, three assists).

As for Michael Hutchinson, who is entering his 15th season of professional hockey, he spent the 2023-25 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings organization. In 32 games with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, Hutchinson had a record of 14-14-3 with a 2.89 goals against average, an .892 save percentage and two shutouts.

It's going to be interesting to keep an eye on the Devils training camp to see if either Zboril or Hutchinson are able to land a contract for the 2024-25 campaign. If they are, it'll most likely be a one-year, two-way deal at the league minimum salary of $775,000.