New York Islanders To Sign Erik Gustafsson To PTO Contract

According to Chris Johnston, the New York Islanders are signing defenseman Erik Gustafsson to a professional tryout contract.

Hearing the #NYI are bringing defenceman Erik Gustafsson to training camp on a PTO.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 16, 2021

It's a bit surprising that Gustafsson was unable to land himself a full-season contract yet. In 29 games this past season between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens, he scored a goal and had 12 points. He has been often criticized for his defensive play, but he does have the ability to produce well offensively.

During the 2018-19 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Gustafsson scored 17 goals and recorded an impressive 60 points. Expecting him to ever replicate those totals again is far-fetched, but he should be able to produce a bit more than he did this past season. Keep in mind, during the 2019-20 season, he still had 29 points in 66 games between the Blackhawks and Calgary Flames.

Gustafsson does have the ability to fight for a spot on their left side. There's no harm in the Islanders giving the 29-year-old a look, as they do not have to commit to him and can release him at any moment. For Gustafsson, this is also a great chance, as other organizations can watch him if he gets into preseason action.