Signing alert: 4 more players have signed professional trial contracts

With less than a month to go before the start of the 2022-23 season, four players have just signed professional tryout contracts - Christopher Gibson to Arizona, Thomas Hickey to New Jersey, Daniel Sprong to Seattle and former Tricolore Nate Thompson to Los Angeles.

Gibson (Arizona) is a 29-year-old goalie drafted 49th overall in 2011. He has a 4-5-3 record, a 3.33 GAA and a .901 SV% in his NHL career.

Hickey (New Jersey) is a 33-year-old defenseman, drafted 4th overall in 2007, who has 117 points (22 goals) in 456 career NHL games.

Sprong (Seattle) is a former 46th overall pick in 2015. He is 25 years old and has 70 points (46 goals) in 202 career NHL games. He has been extremely dominant in the AHL, though.

Finally, Thompson (Los Angeles) is 37 and has 164 points in 844 career NHL games. This reunites him with Marc Bergevin and Phillip Danault in Los Angeles, two names he was familiar with during his time with the Montreal Canadiens from 2018-20.

He is a solid veteran and a good fourth line player.

So these players will be trying to get permanent contracts for next season. The next few weeks will really be crucial for them. If not, they will probably have to look to the AHL or Europe.

Remember that, for now, the Tricolore has still not given a professional tryout this year. Remember also that P.K. Subban is still free as a bird.