The start of the 2024-25 season is just about a month away, and the Edmonton Oilers may likely offer a couple of players professional tryouts (PTOs) before preseason starts, similar to what they did last season with Adam Erne and Sam Gagner. Both players eventually earned two-way contracts and filled depth roles while splitting time between the NHL and AHL, but the team chose not to renew their contracts once they expired.

For most players on PTOs, the main objective is simply making the team. If they manage to earn a contract, it’s usually for a depth role, and multi-year extensions are not the norm. However, below are three former Oilers who successfully turned their PTOs into multi-year deals with the club.

Former Oiler Eric Gryba’s PTO came about unconventionally. At the 2015 NHL Draft, Edmonton made a franchise-altering pick by selecting Connor McDavid first overall. The very next day, the Oilers struck a deal with the Ottawa Senators, trading Travis Ewanyk and a fourth-round pick to acquire Gryba, adding size and toughness to their blue line.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound defenceman played 53 games in his first season with the Oilers in 2015-16, recording six points. He also finished fourth on the team in hits (132) and fourth among D-men in minutes played on the penalty kill (121) before a knee injury prematurely ended his season.

After his contract expired following the 2015-16 season, Edmonton initially chose not to re-sign Gryba, making him an unrestricted free agent. His knee injury likely affected his chances of receiving reasonable offers from NHL teams, along with the growing trend toward obtaining puck-moving D-men—a role the Saskatoon, SK native didn’t fit as he was known more for his defending and toughness.

That said, Gryba was keen on staying in Edmonton and agreed to a PTO with the club on Sept. 20, 2016. The blueliner made enough of an impression at camp and signed a one-year, two-way deal with the team. He played in 40 games in 2016-17, producing six points, ranking fifth on the team in hits (145), and dressed in three playoff games.

Following the 2016-17 season, Gryba gained some security when then-Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli re-signed the D-man to a two-year deal worth $900,000 annually. However, the next season didn’t go exactly as planned, as the blueliner played in just 20 games before being sent to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and was never called back up to the big club. Moreover, in the summer of 2018, he was placed on waivers, and Edmonton bought out the remainder of his contract.

Still, for close to a season and a half following his PTO, Gryba was a useful depth piece, providing toughness on the blue line and leading the Oilers with 10 fights during that time. He also earned an additional $1.5 million through contracts, including buyout compensation, after his PTO. Gryba played his last NHL season with the New Jersey Devils in 2018-19 and retired afterward.

Devin Shore was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2012 and had two 30-point campaigns throughout his four seasons in Dallas. He was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in January 2019 for former Oiler Andrew Cogliano and later traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in February 2020 for Sonny Milano. Shore played six games for Columbus before the season paused due to COVID-19 and appeared in two postseason games when play resumed.

The Ajax, ON native was not given a qualifying offer after the 2019-20 season, making him a free agent. That said, he accepted a PTO with the Oilers for the delayed start to the 2020-21 season in Dec. 2020 and after impressing during the tryout, he earned a one-year, two-way contract with Edmonton.

In his first season donning the orange and blue during the shortened 2020-21 campaign, the forward suited up in 38 games, scoring five goals and four assists, played mainly in a fourth-line role, and finished third on the team with a 52.8% faceoff percentage. Additionally, Shore played in two playoff games that season, where he logged a career-high 24:56 in minutes played during Game 4, which included three OTs against the Winnipeg Jets.

In June 2020, the Oilers re-signed Shore to a two-year deal worth $850,000 annually. Over that time, he played a total of 96 games in a depth role, tallying 20 points and logging 70:44 minutes on the penalty kill for the Oilers. However, despite Edmonton playing 28 postseason games from 2021-23, Shore did not suit up for any of them.

Nonetheless, one of the things Shore will most be remembered for during his tenure with the Oilers is when he was seen supporting his teammates with cheers and congratulations after McDavid scored the Game 5 OT winner against the Calgary Flames in the second round of the 2022 playoffs. Despite not playing in that postseason, Shore was viewed by fans as the ultimate team hype man.

The 30-year-old, who played last season with the Seattle Kraken, signed a one-year deal on July 1 with the Minnesota Wild for the upcoming season. Overall, while he mainly played a depth role during his tenure with the Oilers, his initial PTO was notably successful. He turned that PTO into contracts worth a total of $2.4 million with Edmonton.

Alex Chiasson, a former second-round pick of the Dallas Stars from the 2009 NHL Draft, played five seasons with the Stars, Ottawa Senators, and Calgary Flames before winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in the 2017-18 season.

Before the start of the 2018-19 season, the Oilers signed Chiasson to a PTO, and he won a final roster spot out of training camp, earning a one-year deal worth $650,000 annually and the 6-foot-4, 208-pound forward proved to be a hidden gem that season.

While PTO players usually slot into depth roles after earning a contract, Chiasson broke the mold by becoming an impact player. He produced early, and the Oilers took advantage of his big body by placing him on the first-unit power play, where he provided screens, tips, and tapped in rebounds.

Chiasson finished the season with 22 goals and 38 points, playing the fourth-most minutes on the power play (191:16) according to Natural Stat Trick and his top three linemates at 5v5, in terms of minutes played, were Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and McDavid. This made his contract that season one of the league’s best values at $650,000.

The following offseason, Chiasson earned a raise when the Oilers signed him to a two-year, $4.3 million contract worth $2.15 million annually. However, the former second-round pick was unable to replicate his 22-goal season he had in his first year in Oil Country. He scored only 11 goals in his first season after signing his contract and nine in the following season.

Still, Chiasson deserves credit where it’s due. Following his initial PTO, he earned two contracts with the Oilers worth a combined $4.98 million and formed lasting friendships in Edmonton. In a 2023 interview, he said, “We’ve made some of our best friends [in Edmonton]—friendships that are going to last for a long time.” He also expressed his hopes for his former teammates, McDavid and Draisaitl, adding, “I really hope those guys get to be champions. They deserve it.”

Considering the contributions of the three players discussed, it’s clear that PTO players can still make an impact and fill crucial roles, just like Chiasson did. With that in mind, are there any players you’d like to see the Oilers invite on a PTO?