Predators sign Dylan Gambrell to professional tryout contract

Gambrell is an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of his one-year contract with a league minimum cap hit of $775,000 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. According to AFP Analytics, he is projected to get an identical one-year, $775,000 contract this season should he sign with a team.

As is the case with every PTO contract, Gambrell will be eligible to play preseason games with the Predators, but will still be able to sign a contract with any team interested in him. However, it’s safe to assume that the Predators will be the most interested in him, as they will be working with him much more closely over the next month.

Gambrell spent the entirety of his 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Blue Jackets’ minor-league affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. He had 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 54 regular season games, along with two goals in six playoff games as the Monsters were eliminated by the Laval Rockets in the North Division Semifinals in four games.

Gambrell was a second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2016 NHL Draft. After two more seasons with the University of Denver, he made his NHL debut at the end of the 2017-18 season. He spent parts of four seasons with the Sharks, but after not making the team out of camp for the 2021-22, the Ottawa Senators acquired him for a seventh-round pick.

Gambrell spent two seasons in Ottawa, including his most recent NHL action in the 2022-23 season, before they opted not to qualify him. He’s since spent the last two seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets organizations playing in the NHL.

The Predators had a much quieter offseason compared to 2024, but have made a few changes this summer, including acquiring Erik Haula and Nicolas Hague via trade and signing Nick Perbix. They currently have almost $9.5 million left in salary cap space, with Luke Evangelista as their lone restricted free agent.