As we approach September, we approach training camp. As we approach training camp, we start seeing professional tryouts, as teams need to fill up their rosters for preseason.

The Flames are one of 31 teams that will almost certainly be signing players to PTOs as the build up to the hockey season comes upon us. Their first PTO addition is Tanner Glass.

Teams often don’t like to dress their full lineups through preseason games – remember that time T.J. Brodie got hurt? That sucked – but require a certain number of veteran bodies to actually play. (They can’t just have the Stockton Heat and some random junior prospects playing an entire game.) Glass counts as a body.

In 2016-17, Glass played 11 games for the New York Rangers, scoring one goal and one assist. He also dressed in seven playoff games for New York, scoring a goal and three assists: a rate that is probably not sustainable. He spent the majority of his season in the AHL, dressing in 57 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring six goals and nine assists there. He also had 86 penalty minutes, so that’s who Glass is.

If you want a more in depth look at Glass’ time in the AHL, @Ziggy_14 has you covered:

A fun, fluke playoffs for him a couple of months ago aside, there isn’t much to expect out of Glass at all. He’d have to do a lot to earn an NHL deal, and it doesn’t seem a likely outcome.

Then again, it’s happened before. Here’s a list of players the Flames have signed to PTOs throughout Brad Treliving’s tenure as general manager:

Of those players, the Flames only signed two to contracts: Diaz, who proved himself to be a useful bottom pairing defenceman through 56 games; and Grossmann, who was likely brought in for cap purposes only, and mutually departed ways with the team after three games, during which it was clear he could no longer play at an NHL level.

So there’s always a risk when it comes to signing a player to a PTO. Sometimes guys who really shouldn’t be there worm their way in. But for the most part they play some preseason games, and then that’s it. Occasionally they go on to other NHL teams – Korpikoski joined the Dallas Stars after the Flames released him; Kris Versteeg signed with the Flames after playing with the Oilers through last year’s preseason – but the likeliest outcome for a player on a PTO is to end up in the AHL or overseas.