Don Sweeney is set to offer a contract to a pair of former first round picks

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Ryan Hall
August 22, 2024 (2:28 PM)

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With the end of August in sight, the NHL has begun professional tryout season, and it appears that general manager Don Sweeney may have two players in mind to sign to a PTO.

The Bruins have changed some of their lineup but could use a few additional players to help round out their forward group especially in their bottom 6. One player in mind is former Rangers forward Blake Wheeler who had returned to the NHL after being out from a gruesome injury to his leg earlier last year.

Wheeler who had been a star for the bulk of his career and was a former Boston Bruin who played in Beantown for the first three years. During his time with the Bruins, he had a solid point production with his first season in 2008 dash 2009 where he played 81 games, scoring 21 goals with 24 assists for 45 points and was a + 36.

It's safe to say he is not the player he was when he first arrived in Boston, but he could certainly help the Bruins in secondary scoring, secondary power play and work in his own and defensively.

The other player in mind is former Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto. The 25-year-old forward has played for two NHL teams which were the Edmonton Oilers from 2017 through 2023 and then last year with the Seattle Kraken.

Last season was one of the worst seasons in recent memory for his production as he only played 59 games and scored 16 points it was a - 9. To be fair, the Kraken were one of the worst teams in the league, A change of scenery would certainly do well for him as he has had twenty goals scored and 41 points in 2021-2022.

It's quite likely that Sweeney will sign a few players to a PTL as there is no risk to the Bruins if the player does not workout. They simply cut them, and no money or cap space is lost.