A tryout contract is exactly that a tryout. It means you need to bring your best play and put everything on the table to earn an NHL contract. The Minnesota Wild only have one PTO or tryout contract player left and thus far he seems to be unimpressive and falling well short of the overwhelming impression that he should have made. Normally it would just be called a wash and the player released without much thought.
But the issue with Ryan Carter is that he’s not just any player. He’s a player who has played nine NHL seasons, played for the Wild in two seasons previous to this, and is a native of the Twin Cities.