Cal Petersen is getting another shot at an NHL crease, this time with the Washington Capitals.
The Capitals signed the 31-year-old goaltender to a professional tryout agreement for training camp, according to a report from NHL News on Tuesday.
It's a low-risk look for both sides. Petersen gets a chance to compete for a job, and Washington gets an extra body in net without any contract commitment.
He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round, 129th overall, back in 2013. His path since has run through four different organizations.
Petersen carries 106 career NHL games on his résumé, most of them with the Los Angeles Kings. He owns a career save percentage of .903 with four shutouts.
His best NHL stretch came early, an 11-game run with the Kings in 2018-19 that produced a .924 save percentage. It's been a grind to recapture that since.
-
Capitals shake up their crease with unexpected addition
Last season, Petersen played for Iowa Wild in the AHL, appearing in 33 games with an .896 save percentage. Not the kind of number that guarantees anything in Washington.
Logan Thompson currently holds down the Capitals' net as the clear number one. Charlie Lindgren and Clay Stevenson round out the organization's other goaltending depth.
A PTO doesn't come with promises. Petersen will need to outplay what's already in the system just to earn a look during exhibition games.
He's bounced through the Kings, Flyers and multiple AHL stops since that rookie-year promise in Los Angeles. Consistency has been the one thing that's eluded him.
Training camp battles like this rarely make headlines beyond a single tweet. But for a goaltender fighting to stay in professional hockey, every opportunity counts.
Washington finished last season at 43-30-9 with 95 points, a roster that doesn't need saving but wouldn't mind another arm in the system as insurance.
Whether Petersen sticks around past the preseason or heads back to the AHL grind, that decision belongs to Spencer Carbery and his staff once camp opens.
Does Cal Petersen deserve a real look, or is this just camp filler for the Capitals?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire defenseman Erik Karlsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins in this Friedman prediction
