It sounds like Tomas Kaberle will get to see if his patience will finally pay off.
After falling short of making the New Jersey Devils and practicing with the New York Rangers for more than a week without a full contract, the veteran defenseman may be in line to get the equivalent to an AHL “audition” for the Rangers this weekend.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that he could play for the Hartford Wolf Pack as early as Friday, at least if he signs a PTO:
Tomas Kaberle could play with AHL's Hartford tomorrow. Would need to sign PTO. Rangers want to see him play in 3 games this wknd. #TSN
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 13, 2014
Kaberle will not stick in Hartford, that's not the plan, nor will he play all 3 games this wknd. NYR just want to see him play.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 13, 2014
Seeing Dreger note “three games during the weekend” might seem odd to NHL fans accustomed to scheduling in which back-to-back games are about as hectic as things get, yet Hartford does indeed play games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That would give the 36-year-old some solid opportunities to shake off what must be a considerable amount of rust.
Even if the Rangers are merely giving Kaberle a look for veteran insurance, this is a cheap way to try to get the most out of him, even if he’s really just a short-term injury stopgap.