Finding a job can be tough, even if you’re an NHL player, as several former Detroit Red Wings came to discover this summer.

They will be going to NHL training camps later this month, but with absolutely no job security attached to the journey. Many former Red Wings players are off to camp soon on Professional Tryout Offers (PTO).

In essence, all that a PTO gives to a player is a chance. And a slim one at that.

The player is getting an invite to training camp. The only assurance is that they will get a look.

Tyler Motte is the latest former Red Wings player to accept one of these last-resort offers in search of a job. The 30-year-old center will be attending the training camp of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on a PTO.

NEWS: The Florida Panthers have signed D Ben Harpur and C Tyler Motte to professional try-outs (PTO). #NHL #TimeToHunt

— Around The Horn Hockey (@ATHornHockey) September 10, 2025

A former Michigan Wolverine, Motte played 55 games with Detroit last season, collecting four goals and five assists. The Panthers will be his sixth NHL team since 2021.

Left-winger Adam Erne is taking his PTO shot with the Dallas Stars. Erne, 30, played for the Red Wings from 2019-23. He scored 11 goals for Detroit in 2020-21. He spent last season with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack.

Former Wolf Pack forward Adam Erne will attend camp with the Dallas Stars on a PTO.

Erne played 10 games with the Wolf Pack last season on a PTO, recording one assist, before an injury caused him to miss the rest of the season.#NYR | #TexasHockey https://t.co/haiNXzlZTI

— Keegan Jarvis (@TheKeeganJarvis) September 10, 2025

Dallas-born left-winger Cross Hanas will be joining Erne in the Stars’ camp on a PTO. A 2020 second-round draft pick of the Red Wings, Hanas, 23, spent the past three seasons with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. He was not tendered a contract offer on July 1, making Hanas an unrestricted free agent.

Keeping Up With The Smiths

Right-winger Givani Smith, 27, is going to camp with the Carolina Hurricanes on a PTO. He played with the Red Wings from 2019 to 2022. In 2019-20, Smith led Detroit with 86 PIM.

Defenseman Brendan Smith (no relation) will be seeking a spot with the Columbus Blue Jackets. A 2007 first-round pick of the Red Wings, he’s played 728 NHL games. Smith, 36, was with the Red Wings from 2011-17. He played with the most recent Detroit team to make the playoffs.

Another member of that 2015-16 Red Wings playoff team, center Luke Glendening is chasing a place on the New Jersey Devils via PTO. The 36-year-old Glendening launched his NHL career with Detroit in 2013 and played for the Wings through the 2020-21 season.

Watson Got A Contract From The Red Wings Through A PTO

A player can earn a contract by taking the PTO route, but it’s a long shot. The chances of it working out for the player are about 15-20 percent.

In 2023, Erne gained a spot with the Edmonton Oilers from a PTO. Last season, former Detroit player Jakub Vrana made the Washington Capitals from a PTO. In Detroit, forward Austin Watson also signed after coming to camp on a PTO.

Watson spent most of the season with the Griffins, but did enough to earn a second one-year deal from Detroit. He’ll be back in camp with the Red Wings this season. Only this time, Watson will have a guarantee in his back pocket.