Defenceman Ryan Whitney has been released from his professional tryout with the St. Louis Blues, general manager Doug Armstrong announced Friday.
An unrestricted free agent, Whitney had been participating in training camp since Sept. 12 but failed to make the latest cut. The Blues’ roster, which is flush with quality blue-liners, has been trimmed to 24 players.
At the time Whitney was invited to try out, blue-chip defenceman Alex Pietrangelo was without a contract. Pietranglo signed a seven-year deal with the team last week.
The 30-year-old Whitney appeared in 34 games for the Oilers last season, scoring four goals and 13 points while averaging 18:28 of ice time per game.
Whitney, 30, was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in 2010 in exchange for defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky. Drafted fifth overall by the Penguins in 2002, Whitney was unable to live up to expectations in Edmonton in part due to multiple injuries. In 139 games over parts of four seasons, he finished with 12 goals and 71 points.