Blue Jackets release James Neal from PTO

James Neal’s hopes of earning an NHL contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets are over.

Coach Brad Larsen confirmed that Neal was released from his tryout on Monday after two preseason games. In his first exhibition contest, Neal, 35, scored a goal against Pittsburgh while averaging over 19 minutes.

Neal split the 2021-22 season with the St. Louis Blues and their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons. Neal was a big piece of Springfield’s AHL playoff push, but only had four points in 19 games with the Blues. Neal has played for Dallas, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Vegas, Calgary and Edmonton, scoring a career-high 40 goals and 81 points with the Penguins in 2011-12.

An NHL first-team all-star in 2012, Neal has struggled to find the same impact over the past decade. He only broke the 30-goal barrier once more with 31 with Nashville in 2015-16. Neal was part of the noteworthy trade that saw Calgary send him to Edmonton for Milan Lucic in 2019, with Neal struggling to stay healthy and effective ever since.

It will be interesting to see if Neal can land another opportunity somewhere, or if he’ll decide to call it quits after 869 games in 15 seasons. Neal has 296 goals and 559 points to his credit, but his NHL playing days might be over.