Blues invite James Neal, Michael Frolik to camp on PTOs

Restricted free agent Robert Thomas is unsigned, and Vladimir Tarasenko hasn’t been traded yet. The Blues have $781,151 in remaining cap space to work with as of today, according to Cap Friendly. Training camp is around the corner, the season is about a month away, and Doug Armstrong has invited James Neal and Michael Frolik to training camp on professional tryouts.

Both players have thirteen NHL seasons under their belts and have been steadily producing offensive players in the past. Last season with Edmonton, Neil had ten points in 29 games; Frolik skated for eight games with the Canadians.

What Armstrong believes the two players can bring to the Blues, whose bottom six is generally set, especially with the recent signing of Tyler Bozak to a one year extension, is anyone’s guess. It’s especially surprising that he did not ask a veteran defenseman to sign a PTO, considering some of the question marks that exist at that position.

PTOs have worked for the Blues in the past, and it’s good to see guys like Neal and Frolik still want to prove that there’s gas left in those tanks. Either one of them sticking with the club is unlikely, but not impossible.