The New Jersey Devils have signed Tim Erixon to a professional tryout, bringing in the former NHL defenseman after two years spent entirely in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Erixon is a former first-round pick of the Calgary Flames who has bounced around the NHL during his short career. Suiting up for 93 games split between the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, Erixon will try to prove that he deserves a permanent home. He’ll join Jimmy Hayes in Devils camp on a PTO.
More news from around the league…
- The Arizona Coyotes have added journeyman Tyson Strachan on a PTO of their own, bringing him in after a year with the Rochester Americans. The 32-year old Strachan has 186 NHL contests under his belt, but has never had much of an impact in the league.
- Toronto has officially hired Stephane Robidas as their Assistant Director of Player Development, where he’ll continue many of the duties he took on last year as an unofficial development coach. Robidas was technically still under a player contract last year, but effectively retired due to injury after the 2014-15 season. In 937 career NHL games, he recorded 258 points, but was a bust for the Maple Leafs, who signed him for three years but only saw him suit up in 52 games.
- Gabe Vilardi, the Los Angeles Kings’ first-round pick this year, will miss training camp with the team due to a back injury that flared up this offseason. Vilardi had an outside chance at cracking the Kings’ roster right away if he exceeded expectations at camp, but this likely confirms he’ll head back to the Windsor Spitfires for next year. Should he get through the year healthy he’s a near-lock for Canada’s World Junior team and could challenge for the OHL’s goal scoring title.