For the second consecutive season, Scott Gomez will have to earn an NHL roster spot the hard way.
The 35-year-old centre has accepted a tryout offer with the St. Louis Blues, according to a report by Andy Strickland Thursday.
An unrestricted free agent for the fourth straight summer, Gomez earned a one-year, $550,000 deal with the New Jersey Devils through tryout last fall.
He finished 2014-15 with seven goals and 27 assists in 58 games.
New Devils GM Ray Shero told NJ Advance Media earlier this week that he would not be inviting Gomez back for a tryout in September.
“With Scott, as I’ve said before, it really wasn’t so much about him but more us going in a different direction,” Shero said.
Gomez won Stanley Cups with New Jersey in 2000 and 2003.
Former New Jersey co-head coach Adam Oates told us after the season ended that Gomez remains one of the NHL’s most under-rated play-makers.
“I coached Scott Gomez this year,” Oates said. “He’s a fantastic passer. He is a pure passer.”
Over 1,045 career NHL games with the Devils, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks, Gomez has scored 173 goals and registered 713 points. As his production dropped significantly, he was memorably bought out by the Habs in 2013.
