UPDATE (11/4): Berra has cleared waivers and is expected to be reassigned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls prior to tonight’s game against the rival San Jose Sharks.
The Anaheim Ducks had been carrying three goaltenders for the past few days, but have now decided to place Reto Berra on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Adam Clendening, the only player on waivers yesterday, has cleared and is being sent to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL.
As we spoke about in our live chat yesterday, placing Berra on waivers seems like a risky proposition at the moment. With the Vegas Golden Knights struggling to continue their early pace, and relying on a tandem of Maxime Lagace and Dylan Ferguson, sneaking a goaltender with NHL experience through waivers will be tough. While there is always no guarantee of a claim, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Berra on his way out of the Anaheim organization.
The 30-year old goaltender has 73 games of NHL experience under his belt, including a run of 27 starts for Calgary in the 2013-14 season. Though he’s never been a goaltender you can rely on as a full-time starter, his career save percentage of .903 is at least good enough for an emergency. With a cap hit of just $700K, he will come completely off the cap for the Ducks if they’re able to successfully bury him in the minors.
If Vegas doesn’t claim Berra, it’s a clear sign that McPhee is trying to tank. Berra makes just 50k more than league minimum, is only signed through this season and won’t cost anything in terms of assets. Current backup Dylan Ferguson makes just as much as Berra (higher cap hit), is only 19 years old, has no experience in any professional league and has managed a .878 SV% in the WHL this year. It’s a no-brainer, McPhee has to claim him.
I’m sure McPhee was looking forward to a few bottom 5 finishes to pick up some high draft picks because even if they make the playoffs, there’s like no chance they advance at all. He wants to build his prospect pool
I could Vegas or Pittsburgh claiming him