The NY Islanders sign defenseman Ben Hutton to a PTO

The NY Islanders are bringing in a new defenseman amid the team's injury crisis, signing Ben Hutton to a PTO.

Hutton, 33, spent training camp with teh Ottawa Senators on a PTO before being released. He spent the last five seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, winning a Stanley Cup in 2023. 

A left-handed defenseman, Hutton was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. Despite playing just 55 games last season, Hutton set a career high with six goals.

There is some familiarity with Hutton joining the Islanders, playing one season under Pete DeBoer in 2021-22.

The fact that the Islanders are bringing in a defenseman from outside the organization doesn’t bode well for Ryan Pulock’s injury. The timeline for Pulock’s return is 2-4 weeks, but perhaps we’re looking at the further end of the spectrum in terms of him returning. 

The Islanders recalled Isaiah George from the Hamilton Hammers, but the 22-year-old has yet to play an NHL game this season. The Islanders gave George every opportunity to make the opening night lineup out of training camp, but he failed to take the chance and run, as the Islanders elected to sign Logan Stanley to a one-year deal and return George to the AHL. 

The Islanders are without Alexander Romanov for the rest of the season, while Pulock is out for multiple weeks. Bringing in Hutton can sustain the blue line for the time being, but they’re beginning to scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to defensemen. 

We’ll see if Hutton takes ice on Thursday when the Islanders host the red hot Carolina Hurricanes.

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