With training camps on the horizon, the Coyotes are the latest team to get in on PTO season. CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve invited winger Ryan Dzingel and defenseman Peter DiLiberatore to camp when it gets underway later this month.
Dzingel is a player that many will be familiar with, including in Arizona where he spent part of the 2021-22 campaign. The 31-year-old has seen action in 404 games over parts of seven NHL campaigns, the bulk of which came back with Ottawa who drafted him in the seventh round back in 2011. He has had some success offensively at the top level, collecting 87 goals and 101 points but in his last couple of seasons, he has been limited to more of a depth role.
Dzingel didn’t see any NHL action last season. He cleared waivers in training camp back in October when he was with Carolina and suffered a long-term back injury just nine games into his campaign with AHL Chicago. While he was able to return, he was limited to just 22 games in total where he notched a pair of goals along with nine assists.
As for DiLiberatore, the 23-year-old has spent his first three professional seasons at the minor league level. He split last season between the AHL and ECHL affiliates for Pittsburgh and Vegas, combining to pick up two goals and seven assists in 53 games. A sixth-round pick by the Golden Knights in 2018, he was moved to the Penguins as part of the Teddy Blueger deal at the trade deadline but was non-tendered back in June.
Both players will likely be looking for a two-way deal at this point to catch on with Arizona’s AHL affiliate in Tucson. With the Coyotes kicking off the preseason in a little over two weeks with a pair of games in Australia, they’ll get a chance to make an early impression. Once Arizona officially terminates Liam Kirk’s deal tomorrow, they’ll have three open contract slots at their disposal although Jan Jenik remains a restricted free agent and could potentially fill one of those despite his reported trade request.