What Ottawa’s PTO Means for Vadim Zherenko's NHL Future

At first glance, the Ottawa Senators giving Vadim Zherenko a professional tryout is one of those September hockey transactions that barely deserves a second look. The Senators already have three goaltenders under contract, and Zherenko spent the past four seasons in the AHL with Springfield. He isn't walking into Ottawa and taking somebody's NHL job.

But that's not really the point of a PTO. For Zherenko, this is an audition. And at 27, after four years in the AHL, it is a pretty important one. Zherenko went 17-16-5 with a .902 save percentage in 42 games for Springfield last season. Those aren't numbers that scream NHL starter, but they do reflect a goaltender who has played a lot of professional hockey and has plenty of experience handling the demands of a long season.

That kind of experience could help the Senators.

The Senators don't necessarily need another NHL goaltender right now. What they need is competition, depth and somebody who can give Belleville reliable organizational depth if the NHL club starts having problems. And this is where the story gets a little more interesting.

Goaltending depth is one of those things nobody thinks much about until suddenly everybody does. One injury can change the entire conversation. A goaltender who looks like organizational depth in September can become a very important player by November.

Zherenko's opportunity isn’t necessarily about beating out one of Ottawa's established goaltenders. It's about showing the organization that there is still something there. Maybe that means a two-way contract. Maybe it means a deal with Belleville. Maybe another NHL organization watches him in camp and decides it could use him.

What can a PTO do for Zherenko?

There is also something refreshing about the minor-league side of this. For Zherenko, this PTO is about considerably more than showing up at Ottawa's training camp and trying to steal somebody's job. He's no longer really a prospect waiting for his chance. He's a veteran minor-league goaltender who has spent four years in the AHL trying to get himself into the NHL conversation. A good camp could lead to a two-way contract with Ottawa, an AHL deal with Belleville, or even an opportunity somewhere else. NHL teams have scouts watching these camps, and a goaltender who plays well can make somebody else wonder if there might be something worth pursuing.

Zherenko doesn't actually have to win a job in Ottawa for this PTO to be successful. He just has to make somebody think, “We might have something here.” Maybe that somebody is Ottawa. Maybe it's another NHL organization. Maybe it's an AHL team looking for a goaltender who’s already spent years learning the position professionally.

At this stage of his career, the PTO gives Zherenko something every player wants — another opportunity to change the conversation about where he belongs.