Following up on an earlier report, the New York Islanders did indeed hand Stephen Gionta a PTO.
A certain segment of Islanders fans might be delighted/angered by the Islanders flirting with signing a long-time member of the New Jersey Devils organization. Gionta, 32, played all 82 games for the Devils last season.
The more interesting aspect comes down to how much of a chance he really has to make a dent on the roster.
As Mike Halford notes, the Islanders have eventually signed former Devils before after trying them out, as Steve Bernier aced his chance. With 270 regular season games and some playoff experience under his belt, you could do worse than Gionta as a depth forward.
On the other hand, Lighthouse Hockey wonders if he might just count as training camp “filler.”
Islanders GM Garth Snow has a knack for unearthing under-the-radar gems, but Gionta would likely be satisfied with merely landing a contract.