Why the Ottawa Senators brought in veteran defenceman Ben Hutton on PTO

Ben Hutton answered the call for help on Day 1 of Ottawa Senators training camp.

The Senators wasted no time bringing in help for the blue line by signing the veteran defenceman to a professional tryout and he was on the ice on Thursday at the Bell Sensplex.

The Ottawa Citizen reported on Wednesday that the 33-year-old Hutton, who spent the last five seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, was the frontrunner to be brought in on a PTO.

With Artem Zub sidelined indefinitely with what’s believed to be a knee injury he suffered in Game 1 of the club’s playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes last spring, the Senators opted to give the Brockville native an opportunity.

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Hutton, who suited up for 55 games with the Knights last season, has a history with Ottawa coach Travis Green and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner during their two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.

A fifth-round pick of the Canucks in 2012, Hutton has played 575 games in his National Hockey League career . He has skated with Vancouver, the Los Angeles Kings, the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas during his career.

Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, had been talking to Hutton’s camp for a while, but wasn’t sure if there would be an opportunity.

Hutton wouldn’t have been brought to Ottawa if he didn’t have a realistic chance to earn a contract. The Senators need depth on the back end, and NHL experience is always important.