Veterans of the NHL will attempt to carve out a place in a team during the camps

Photo: Jeff McIntosh, The canadian Press
Last season, Kris Versteeg, 31 years old, had gone to the camp of the Oilers to try to prolong his career. This is finally the Flames which had proposed a contract.

So to begin this week the training camps of the teams of the NHL, there are only a few places in each squad of 23 players.

Each season, a lot of veterans will look to prolong their careers, leaving to begin the camp by way of a trial.

They have no job security, only the chance to show that they still have their place in the national League. Few succeed, and many will have to weigh if they are turning to Europe, the circuits in the minors or retired.

“You never want to wish an injury opens the door but for some of these guys, this is what needs to happen,” said agent Allain Roy, RSG Sports.

It describes the players receiving a trial as an ” insurance policy “.

“There are very few real opportunities, according to Roy. But I think that if a guy shows up at camp and makes it better as a young player, he needs to become a topic of conversation. “

Tuesday morning, the list of those who should be getting a trial was a forty names.

Among the latter, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, with Detroit, Éric Gélinas, with the CH, R. J. Umberger, with Dallas, Cody Franson, along with Chicago, and Scottie Upshall, with Vancouver. In 2015, he has already converted a try-out with St. Louis in two seasons in the unifome of the Blues, including 10 nets in 2016-2017.

Not less than 21 clubs have at least one player in this situation in the camp. The Los Angeles Kings have five, including Brooks Laich, who has spent the last season with the Marlies, Toronto in the american League.

New start

“Very excited to be in the camp of the Kings, wrote on Twitter hockey player of 34 years. I am grateful and I look forward to leverage my summer preparation. “

Last season, Kris Versteeg went to the camp of the Oilers, but the Flames, who have offered him a one-year contract in the NHL.

Versteeg has had to resign himself to win less money (950 000 $), to him who had just finished a contract of $ 17.6 million over four years. He has collected 15 goals and 37 points in 69 games, earning him a covenant of 1.75 million for the upcoming season.

If some people want to prolong their career, others hope neither more nor less than a return to the game, such as Ryan Malone, 37 years old. He played in the national hockey League most recently in 2014-2015, with the New York Rangers, but here at the camp the Wild of Minnesota.