The Calgary Flames announced today that they have signed free agent forward Sonny Milano to a Professional Tryout Offer (PTO).
#Flames Roster Update: Forward Sonny Milano has been signed to a PTO.
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 19, 2022
Milano Signs PTO with Flames
Milano joins the Calgary Flames on a professional tryout after his most productive NHL season in his career thus far. The 26-year-old registered 34 points in 66 games played last season with the Anaheim Ducks.
Milano played most of his minutes on a line that featured the exciting Trevor Zegras. With nearly 260 minutes played together at five-on-five, Milano’s most common linemates were Zegras and Rickard Rakell. Although Rakell was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline, the time spent with the Ducks was productive.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Rakell-Zegras-Milano line outshot their opponents 271-204, good for a 57.05% Corsi. Individually, he posted a 58.70% Corsi. Not only did they control the shot battle, but the line also dominated the quality chances. Of the Ducks’ three lines that played over 200 minutes together, the Rakell-Zegras-Milano line led the team in expected goals percentage with 58.8%. (MoneyPuck)
Milano’s PTO agreement was first mentioned by Sportsnet analyst, Elliotte Friedman.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1571863845710315520
What This Means for the Future
Milano enters the 2022-23 season looking to improve on his successes during his time with the Ducks, but will likely be hard-pressed to find a linemate as exciting as his center, Trevor Zegras. He enters camp on a tryout agreement, but it seems unlikely to see any scenario in which he fails to sign an NHL contract for the upcoming season.
In terms of where he fits in the Flames lineup, expect him to slide into one of the wings on the second or third line. The third line appears to be the most likely option, as he would seem like a more promising option over Dillon Dube. That said, he has to earn his spot and his upcoming contract. As a player on a tryout, he comes in late to a group that likely has a level of expectations as to where they play. Whether that puts him at a disadvantage or not depends on his quality of play throughout the preseason.
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