Devils sign former fourth overall pick Thomas Hickey to professional tryout

Defenseman Thomas Hickey has agreed to a professional tryout with the New Jersey Devils, the club announced Tuesday.

As the offseason draws to a close, teams have started tendering unsigned free agents PTOs to compete for jobs in training camp, and the Devils are no exception. Hickey, 33, has played the entirety of his NHL career with the New York Islanders. He was chosen fourth overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2007 NHL Draft and eventually claimed by the Islanders on waivers in 2012. In 456 games played, he scored 22 goals and 117 points. He was overtaken by other defensemen on the Islanders’ depth chart in 2021-22 and only played two games for them. He spent the rest of the season splitting his time between the Bridgeport Islanders and the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League.

It will be an uphill climb for Hickey to make the Devils’ top six this year if he does sign with them. As of now, New Jersey’s defense group consists of Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, Damon Severson, Jonas Siegenthaler, Ryan Graves, and Brendan Smith. Hickey at best could compete with Smith for playing time.

Hickey is a left-handed defensive defenseman and as a depth piece, he is a useful asset. He would likely play the bulk of his games this year with the Utica Comets in the AHL if he signs with the Devils.

The Hickey PTO is one of a series of PTOs being handed out over the last few days in the NHL. The free agent market has all but dried up but there are still some decent options available, most notably P.K. Subban.

The Hickey PTO comes after a relatively eventful Devils’ offseason. They acquired a new potential starting goaltender in Vitek Vanececk and made a splash on July 13, signing Ondrej Palat to a five-year, $30 million contract.