Stephen Gionta, who appeared in all 82 games for the Devils last season, is reportedly in discussions with the Isles about attending training camp on a PTO, per Newsday’s Arthur Staple.
Gionta, 32, is best known as the younger brother of Sabres captain Brian Gionta, but has forged out a decent NHL career of his own. Undrafted out of Boston College, he worked his way through the Devils organization to debut in 2010-11, and play in nearly 300 games with the team over the last six seasons.
He’s had some good spells along the way, too.
In 2012, he was part of a energetic fourth line that helped the Devils advance to the Stanley Cup Final -- Gionta finished with three goals and seven points in 24 games.
Last year, as mentioned above, he was a regular fixture in the lineup while averaging just over 12 minutes per night.
He could be a useful depth guy for an Isles team that saw the likes of Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin depart in free agency, or he could be a veteran presence for organization’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
It’s worth noting Isles GM Garth Snow has some history with bringing in former Devils on PTOs. He did the same with Steve Bernier last fall, and Bernier parlayed the opportunity into a one-year deal.