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Islanders sign Stanley Cup-winning defenseman to professional tryout
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- Islanders sign Stanley Cup-winning defenseman to professional tryout
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The New York Islanders are decimated on the blue line, with Alexander Romanov likely out for the season with a torn ACL and Ryan Pulock recently joining him on the shelf with an upper-body injury.
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Although the Isles still have a relatively strong defensive unit, led by budding franchise cornerstone Matthew Schaefer , the team brought in some extra help earlier this week.
New York signed Ben Hutton to a professional tryout (PTO) contract on Monday, general manager Mathieu Darche announced.
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The tryout allows Hutton to practice with the Islanders, but he'll need a standard NHL contract before appearing in a regular-season game.
Hutton, who was part of the Vegas Golden Knights' 2023 Stanley Cup-winning team, recorded six goals and 15 points in 55 games with the Knights in 2025-26.
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It was a career high in goals for the 33-year-old, who again helped Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final in the spring, where it lost to Carolina in six games.
Hutton appeared in seven games during the run, chipping in an assist. He turned a one-year deal with the Knights back in 2021 into a five-year stint with the team, which saw him appear in 10 postseason contests.
The veteran rearguard had a PTO with the Ottawa Senators during the preseason but was unable to turn that into a standard contract ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Hutton spent the first four seasons of his career in British Columbia, although the team failed to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs during his tenure.
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He ended up signing a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings in 2019 and also played for the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Over 11 National Hockey League seasons split between the Canucks, Kings, Ducks, Leafs and Golden Knights, the Brockville, Ontario native has accumulated 30 goals and 139 points in 575 regular-season games.
Before he turned professional, Hutton enjoyed three productive seasons as a University of Maine Black Bear, recording 65 points in 108 contests from 2012 to 2015.
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It'll be interesting to see if he can earn himself a contract for the rest of the campaign on an injury-riddled New York blue line.
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The Islanders, who are 7-5-2 and in third place in the Metropolitan Division, are back in action against the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Related: Islanders' Matthew Schaefer makes NHL history with overtime winner vs. Wild
