Former 5th overall pick signs in Finland after unsuccessful PTO
When he was selected fifth overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, expectations were pretty high for Michael Dal Colle. But ultimately, he never reached the potential many scouts expected he would.
After parts of seven seasons in the Islanders organization, Dal Colle became a free agent this summer. Contracts offers weren't coming in, so the 26-year-old had to settle for a professional try-out contract (PTO) with the Ottawa Senators.
Dal Colle's PTO was unsuccessful and he failed to earn a contract from the Senators, making him an unrestricted free agent, once again.
But now Dal Colle has a new home. On Sunday, TPS Turku of Finland's Liiga announced that they've signed Dal Colle to a one-year contract for the 2022-23 season.
The Woodbridge (Ontario) native appeared in 39 games last season for the Bridgeport Islanders where he put up 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists), eight penalty minutes and was a minus-two. He went on to add three points in six Calder Cup Playoff games.
If Dal Colle gets off to a good start and produces consistently over the next couple of months, there's no doubt he'll be on Hockey Canada's radar for the 2022 Spengler Cup in Davos (Switzerland).
Source: TPS Turku
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