Players on PTOs already don’t have a team to play. They’re marauders going to whatever team will have them. If I can be overly dramatic, they’re playing for their hockey futures. Going down with an injury during camp, like New York Islander PTO Stephen Gionta, is the worst possible outcome.
Former New Jersey Devil, Gionta left last night’s game against the New York Rangers with what was described as a lower-body injury. He would not return to the game.
Going down with injury now threatens his entire camp. The Islanders brought him in to evaluate his fit with the franchise, and now he’s missing out on end of the evaluation.