Waivers: 9/27/25
As training camp cuts continue to occur, there will be an uptick in waiver placements over the next week and a half. Today is a particularly busy day on the wire with PuckPedia reporting that 20 players are now on waivers. Meanwhile, all of yesterday’s players cleared, per PuckPedia.
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Dysin Mayo
F Hunter McKown
G Zachary Sawchenko
F Owen Sillinger
Colorado Avalanche
F Alex Barre-Boulet
F Tye Felhaber
F Jason Polin
F T.J. Tynan
Edmonton Oilers
D Josh Brown
F James Hamblin
F Roby Jarventie
New York Islanders
St. Louis Blues
F Nikita Alexandrov
F Hugh McGing
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Travis Boyd
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx
F Vinni Lettieri
Vegas Golden Knights
For the most part, this is a group of veteran players who have cleared waivers multiple times in the past and should expect to do so here as well. That said, Lettieri has gotten into 72 NHL games over the last two seasons and could be appealing to a team looking for some extra depth down the middle. Alexandrov didn’t see any action with St. Louis last season but averaged just over a point per game with AHL Springfield last season and has 51 career NHL appearances under his belt. Boyd was a full-time NHL player as recently as 2022-23 and is one game shy of 300 for his career but has settled in as more of an AHL veteran since then.
At this time of year, it’s sometimes the younger players who might garner some attention and there are some on this list who could draw a look. Cormier and Poirier are only 23 and have shown some offensive upside in the past at both the QMJHL and AHL levels. Jarventie was once a prospect with some upside before an injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign but if there’s a team that thinks he has fully recovered, he could garner attention as well.
These players will be on waivers until 1 PM CT on Sunday.
Denton Mateychuk, Four Others Injured To Start Blue Jackets Training Camp
The Columbus Blue Jackets have plans to ease top defense prospect Denton Mateychuk up to speed at the start of training camp as he recovers from a groin injury, per general manager Don Waddell in a recent conversation with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Portzline added that forwards Jordan Dumais (lower-body) and Max McCue (undisclosed) will both be day-to-day with injury, forward Owen Sillinger (knee) will be held out of contact all camp, and defenseman Luca Marrelli (shoulder) will be out until December. All five players are listed on Columbus’ training camp roster.
This news will make Mateychuk worth that much more attention at this year’s camp. He was generally injury-free during his first pro season, which spanned 27 AHL games and 45 NHL games last season. Mateychuk posted four goals and 13 points in a Blue Jackets jersey, along with 25 points in the minor-leagues. It was an incredibly productive year for the 2022 12th-overall selection, and one that sets him up well to break into the NHL full-time this season. Mateychuk will boast clear top-four upside when he lands with the Blue Jackets, after averaging 18 minutes of ice time last season. He should be a strong option to play behind top defender Zach Werenski, and next to shutdown defender Ivan Provorov.
Columbus’ remaining injuries will help shape the minor-league roster to start the year. Sillinger held a prominent role in the AHL and seems near the top of Columbus’ call-up sheet entering the new year, though he’ll need to fully recover from a late-season injury before he can prove his NHL worthiness. Marrelli and Dumais have each signed their entry-level contracts, though only Marrelli will be eligible to return to the CHL. That will be his likeliest outcome, while Dumais will look to fully stride into the pro ranks after netting 11 points in 21 AHL games last season. Dumais should sit atop the AHL lineup next season, while McCue – another first-year pro who recorded eight points and 122 penalty minutes in 46 AHL games last season – will sit near the bottom of the lineup.
Metro Notes: Sillinger, Foerster, Flyers Rookies, Kolosov
Columbus Blue Jackets center prospect Owen Sillinger is expected to return from a February knee surgery early into the 2025-26 season, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. The Blue Jackets will hold him out of contact throughout the preseason to help ensure that target, general manager Don Waddell told Portzline.
Waddell’s wording suggests that Sillinger will begin ramping up his contact at practice beginning in the regular season. That timeline could make a return in the final week of October, or early November, a feasible target. He is almost certain to start the year on the AHL roster, after potting 11 goals and 29 points in a top-six role with the Cleveland Monsters last summer. That will be no slight to Sillinger though. He has served an important role on the Monsters throughout the last three seasons – and scored 11 goals in each year, despite fewer games every seasons. There will be a spot in the top-six held for Sillinger when he returns, and a hot return could quickly push him up Columbus’ call-up chart. If he gets moved to the NHL, he’ll regroup with younger brother Cole Sillinger, who has filled a role in the Blue Jackets’ top-nine for the last four seasons. Owen made his NHL debut last season, in a game that Cole sat out of due to injury.
Other notes from around the Metropolitan Division:
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster is still on pace to be ready for the start of the season, president of hockey operations Keith Jones shared with Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. Foerster sustained an elbow injury that got infected and required surgery while playing for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. He was the second-highest goal-scorer on the Flyers last season, with his 25 goals in 81 games falling one short of Matvei Michkov‘s team-leading total. Foerster seems set to return to a top-six role throughout Philadelphia’s 2025-26 season. With this news, the Flyers can rest assured that he’s tracking to begin making that impact right out of the gates.
- The Philadelphia Flyers are confident that rookies Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, and Jett Luchanko will be ready for the start of training camp despite summer injuries, per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Spiegel points out that Luchanko faced a groin injury, Barkey faced a high ankle sprain, and Bonk faced bumps and bruises after a long 2024-25 season. All three players could have shots at making the 2025-26 roster. Luchanko made the Flyers out of training camp last season before returning to the OHL, while Barkey and Bonk went on runs to a Memorial Cup championship with the London Knights last season.
- During his press conference, “Jonesy” also shared that the Flyers are confident they’ll have goaltender Aleksei Kolosov at training camp this year, again captured by O’Connor. Kolosov spent the 2024-25 season split between the NHL and AHL rosters, after playing through his fourth and final season in the KHL in the year prior. Kolosov posted an .867 save percentage in 17 NHL games, and an .884 in 12 AHL games. He posted five wins in both leagues. It seems he’d be a reasonable bet to start the season as the AHL starter, though O’Connor points out that there’s no telling where his camp performance could land him. He’ll likely be competing with Samuel Ersson and Daniel Vladař for NHL minutes.
Two-Way Deals: 7/1/25
As major signings come in around the NHL today with the 2025-26 league year beginning, teams are shoring up their minor-league depth as well by signing players to two-way contracts. We’re keeping track of those signings today in this article, which will be continuously updated. Deals are one year unless otherwise noted.
Boston Bruins
F Riley Tufte ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
D Jonathan Aspirot ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
G Luke Cavallin ($775K NHL) – Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub
Buffalo Sabres
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz ($865K NHL/$90K SB/$35K PB/$85K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years, entry-level
F Carson Meyer ($775K NHL/$350K AHL Y1 – $375K AHL Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
D Mason Geertsen ($775K NHL/$425K AHL) – Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet // two years
D Zachary Jones ($900K NHL/$550K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Zach Metsa ($775K NHL/$250K AHL/$325K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Calgary Flames
D Nick Cicek ($775K NHL) – team release
Carolina Hurricanes
G Amir Miftakhov ($775K NHL/$100K AHL/$240K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Chicago Blackhawks
F Dominic Toninato ($850K NHL) – team release // two years
Colorado Avalanche
F T.J. Tynan (unknown) – team release
D Jack Ahcan (unknown) – team release
D Ronald Attard ($775K NHL/$450K AHL/$500K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Owen Sillinger (unknown) – team release
D Christian Jaros (unknown) – team release
Dallas Stars
D Niilopekka Muhonen (unknown) – team release // three years, entry-level
Edmonton Oilers
D Riley Stillman ($775K NHL/$475K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
G Matt Tomkins ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$450 Y2 gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years
Florida Panthers
F Nolan Foote ($775K NHL/$150K AHL/$250K gt’d) – PuckPedia
F Jack Studnicka ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) – Chris Johnston of TSN/The Athletic
G Brandon Bussi ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) – PuckPedia
G Kirill Gerasimyuk (unknown) – team release // two years, entry-level
Los Angeles Kings
F Cole Guttman ($775K NHL/$450K Y1 – $475K Y2 AHL/$475K gt’d Y1 – $500K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Pitlick ($775K NHL/$300K Y1 – $350K Y2 AHL/$325K gt’d Y1 – $375K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
D Ben Gleason ($800K NHL/$475K AHL) – PuckPedia
Montreal Canadiens
F Alex Belzile (unknown) – team release
D Nathan Clurman ($775K NHL/$125K AHL/$140K gt’d) – PuckPedia
New Jersey Devils
D Calen Addison ($775K NHL/$325K AHL/$400K gt’d) – PuckPedia
F Angus Crookshank ($775K NHL/$425K AHL/$475K gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years, one-way in 2026-27
New York Islanders
F Matthew Highmore (unknown) – team release
D Ethan Bear ($775K NHL/$325K AHL/$425K gt’d) – PuckPedia
D Cole McWard (unknown) – team release
New York Rangers
D Derrick Pouliot ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$425K gt’d Y1 – $450K gt’d Y2) – PuckPedia // two years
Ottawa Senators
F Wyatt Bongiovanni ($775K NHL/$160K AHL) – PuckPedia
F Olle Lycksell ($775K NHL/$450K AHL/$500K gt’d) – Darren Dreger of TSN
Philadelphia Flyers
F Lane Pederson ($775K NHL/$525K AHL) – PuckPedia
San Jose Sharks
F Jimmy Huntington (unknown) – team release
F Samuel Laberge (unknown) – team release
F Colin White ($775K NHL/$425K AHL/$475K gt’d) – PuckPedia
D Cole Clayton (unknown) – team release
St. Louis Blues
F Matt Luff ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) – PuckPedia
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Nicholas Abruzzese (unknown) – team release
F Tristan Allard (unknown) – team release // two years, entry-level
F Boris Katchouk (unknown) – team release
D Simon Lundmark ($775K NHL/$250K AHL/$350K gt’d) – PuckPedia // two years
G Ryan Fanti ($775K NHL/$80K AHL) – PuckPedia
Utah Mammoth
F Kailer Yamamoto ($775K NHL/$500K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Scott Perunovich ($775K NHL/$400K AHL/$500K gt’d) – PuckPedia
Vancouver Canucks
F Joseph LaBate ($775K NHL/$350K AHL) – PuckPedia
F Mackenzie MacEachern ($775K NHL/$575K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
D Jimmy Schuldt ($775K NHL/$500K AHL) – PuckPedia // two years
Winnipeg Jets
F Phillip Di Giuseppe ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) – PuckPedia
D Kale Clague (unknown) – Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet
Blue Jackets Reassign Daniil Tarasov, Owen Sillinger; Recall Jet Greaves
The Blue Jackets assigned goaltender Daniil Tarasov and forward Owen Sillinger to AHL Cleveland on Friday, the former heading down on a conditioning stint, per a team release. Columbus recalled netminder Jet Greaves from Cleveland in a corresponding transaction to serve as Elvis Merzļikins‘ backup for the foreseeable future.
Tarasov, 25, has made only three starts in the past two months despite not carrying an injury designation. The lack of playing time has stemmed from the Russian’s poor play, as he’s logged just a .857 SV% and 4.23 GAA in 10 appearances this season with a 3-6-1 record.
It’s a disappointing regression from the 2017 third-round pick. Tarasov recorded a promising .908 SV%, 3.18 GAA and 3.9 GSAA in 23 starts and one relief appearance last season behind Merzļikins, ushering in renewed optimism that he could be a long-term backup or tandem option in Columbus.
He’s been essentially unplayable in 2024-25, though, only recording an SV% above .900 in two of his 10 appearances. He’s dropped six straight games dating back to October, allowing at least three goals on each occasion.
Assigning Tarasov to Cleveland on a conditioning loan allows the Jackets to avoid placing him on waivers for now, but it comes with some stipulations. He can only remain in the AHL for 14 days, during which time he counts against the active roster and salary cap, before he must be kept in the NHL or waived.
It’s important to note that Tarasov must have agreed to the conditioning loan – it can’t be a one-sided decision. The 6’5″ netminder has logged time with Cleveland in each of his four previous seasons in North America, both on permanent assignments and injury-related conditioning stints. He has a .893 SV% and a 3.27 GAA in 32 appearances in the minors, good for a 16-11-4 record.
Keeping Tarasov in the minors for a couple of weeks will allow the 23-year-old Greaves to get a more extended audition at the game’s highest level. The Ontario native has played 14 NHL games over the past few seasons while filling in when injuries affected Merzļikins or Tarasov, posting a 4-8-2 record with a 3.45 GAA and .907 SV%. He’s started four of Columbus’ 42 games this year, allowing 14 goals on 127 shots.
Greaves has impressed in the minors ever since Columbus picked him up as an undrafted free agent from the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts in 2021. He’s rocking a career-best .914 SV% and 2.78 GAA in 20 games for Cleveland this year.
Since assigning Tarasov on a conditioning loan doesn’t free up a roster spot for Greaves’ recall, Sillinger heads back to the minors after making his NHL debut on Thursday against the Kraken. The 27-year-old took a minor penalty, skated 13:09, recorded a hit and a block each, and won two of his five faceoffs.
Sillinger had a tough showing possession-wise in his debut, with the Jackets getting out-attempted 17-6 while he was on the ice at 5-on-5. He was a last-minute replacement for his younger brother, Cole Sillinger, who was unavailable with an illness. The former’s reassignment suggests the latter should be good to go tomorrow against the Blues.
Blue Jackets Place Sean Monahan On Injured Reserve
The Blue Jackets placed top center Sean Monahan on injured reserve on Thursday, general manager Don Waddell said in a team release. His roster spot went to fellow pivot Owen Sillinger, who was recalled from AHL Cleveland under emergency conditions in a corresponding transaction.
Monahan, 30, will miss at least three games with the wrist injury he sustained in Tuesday’s shootout win over the Penguins, something Waddell hinted at to Jeff Marek of Daily Faceoff yesterday. Health permitting, he will be eligible to return on Jan. 16 against the Sharks, but without a more specific injury designation from the club, it’s hard to project a return date.
In the meantime, Monahan’s absence is a humongous one for a Columbus squad that’s keeping pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race, currently hanging onto the second wild-card spot with an 18-17-6 record and 42 points. The Ontario native has been resurgent in his first year with the Jackets, on pace to record a point per game for the first time since 2018-19 and just the second time overall in his 12-year NHL career.
At the halfway point of the campaign, Monahan ranks third on the Jackets in goals (14), assists (27) and points (41) while averaging 19:27 per game, which is tops among forwards. His lines, with Kirill Marchenko on the right wing and either Yegor Chinakhov or Dmitri Voronkov on the left wing, have been among the most dominant in the league at controlling play at 5-on-5, recording expected goal shares of 64.9% and 59.0%, respectively, per MoneyPuck.
The raw goal totals are something to behold, especially for the Voronkov-flanked unit. That trio has outscored opponents 22-5 at 5-on-5. Only three lines – Brayden Point‘s in Tampa, Artemi Panarin‘s in Manhattan, and Mark Scheifele‘s in Winnipeg, have been on the ice for more goals this season.
2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli will step into Monahan’s shoes between Voronkov and Marchenko for tonight’s game against the Kraken. The 20-year-old will look to build on a somewhat disappointing offensive campaign, on pace for 18 goals and 38 points through 82 games. While a left calf laceration truncated Fantilli’s rookie year at 49 appearances last season, he was on pace for 20 goals and 45 points.
Monahan is the fourth Blue Jackets forward to land on IR, joining Chinakhov, Justin Danforth, and captain Boone Jenner.
Whether the 27-year-old Sillinger, the older brother of Columbus’ Cole Sillinger, makes his NHL debut tonight remains to be seen. The club also recalled Luca Del Bel Belluz from Cleveland on Wednesday, and PuckPedia projects him to center the fourth line against Seattle while Sillinger sits in the press box, serving as last-minute injury insurance. He could play if Cole, who head coach Dean Evason said will be a game-time decision with an illness, can’t play.
The elder Sillinger has spent his entire professional career in the Columbus organization, first joining as an undrafted free agent signing by Cleveland out of Bemidji State in 2022. After a few years on minor-league deals, he earned his first NHL contract with the Jackets last June.
Serving as an alternate captain in Cleveland, Sillinger has eight goals and 17 assists for 25 points through 34 AHL games. That ties him for fourth on the club in scoring, doing well to at least put himself in consideration for an NHL game or two. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Blue Jackets Reassign Seven Players
Oct. 5: The five players mentioned below were returned to AHL Cleveland this morning, along with goaltender Jet Greaves and center Owen Sillinger, per the team.
Oct. 4: For the second time in the past few days, the Blue Jackets have summoned some reinforcements from AHL Cleveland to get another crack in exhibition play after previously being cut from their training camp roster. Defensemen Cole Clayton and Stanislav Svozil were part of a round of recalls a few days back and are now again on the NHL roster, while centers Luca Del Bel Belluz and Hunter McKown and left wing James Malatesta are joining them today as well, the team announced. The quintet will suit up for Columbus tonight as they take on the Penguins in their final preseason game.
Clayton’s, McKown’s, and Svozil’s standings in the organization were covered during their roster moves earlier this week. But the 20-year-old Del Bel Belluz getting another look this late in camp isn’t wholly insignificant. The 6’0″ pivot was a second-round pick in 2022 and, thanks to his November birthday, was eligible for a full-time AHL assignment last year. The Blue Jackets took advantage, placing the youngster on the farm with Cleveland. He impressed, finishing sixth on the team in scoring with 31 points (9 G, 22 A) in 58 games.
There remain some concerns over his defensive game, but it was a strong initial showing on the scoresheet for Del Bel Belluz, who likely warranted a late first-round selection in his draft year. He made his NHL debut in Columbus’ final game of the 2023-24 season against the Hurricanes, scoring his first NHL goal in 9:35 of ice time.
Meanwhile, Malatesta got a bit of a longer look at the NHL level last season, with a rash of injuries creating opportunities for some of Columbus’ younger forwards. The 21-year-old Montreal native didn’t look entirely out of place, posting two goals and two assists for four points with a -1 rating in 11 games. He managed 12 shots on goal and a whopping 41 hits – nearly four per game – while averaging 10:13 per night. The 2021 fifth-round pick is a strong skater and a true energy winger, playing much bigger than his 5’9″, 190-lb frame would indicate. He had 12 goals and 22 points in 56 games for Cleveland last year in his first taste of professional hockey.
East Notes: Michkov, Marchand, Sillinger, Giles
If preseason is any indication, there won’t be many growing pains for Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov as he adjusts to playing in North America. The 2023 seventh overall pick put his stamp all over the Flyers’ first home win of the exhibition schedule last night, recording a secondary assist and scoring an empty-net insurance marker in a 2-0 victory over the Islanders, quite literally making all the game’s offense go through him one way or another.
“He’s been working really hard,” assistant coach Rocky Thompson said Thursday (via The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz). “You can tell within our practices and with our skating, he’s made a diligent effort. So, that’s good. He’s backchecking hard, he’s doing all those things. But, you can see his ability to make plays. He generated opportunities for his teammates, he scores himself tonight with a goal and an assist. Played good.”
Many worries about how Michkov might adjust to the NHL centered around a potentially rocky relationship with bench boss John Tortorellaregarding his all-around play. But he’s been complimentary of Michkov’s effort and willingness to go into one-on-one puck battles, calling him “certainly willing to be in the areas to go get the puck.”
More from the Eastern Conference:
- If Bruins captain Brad Marchand has his way, Morgan Geekie will open the season on his right flank in second-line duties. “I love playing with Geeks,” Marchand told Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. “He’s so great in some of the different areas, the way he can hold onto pucks and makes plays. Shoots it. Great in the corners. I think he really complements our line as well. We haven’t had a ton of reps together, so we’ll continue to work on it. But I’ve always really liked his game.” His assessment about not having a ton of reps together is correct – Geekie logged just 25 minutes of ice time last season with Marchand and Charlie Coyle, per MoneyPuck. The 26-year-old is on the upswing after a career-high 17 goals and 39 points for Boston last year but faces competition from 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell, whose preseason showing Marchand called “encouraging” but added there’s room for improvement.
- The Blue Jackets might have a second Sillinger on their opening-night roster. 27-year-old Owen Sillinger, Cole Sillinger‘s older brother, is among the leading candidates to snag a spot with Justin Danforth potentially not ready to start the season while recovering from wrist surgery, writes The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. Sillinger spent the last two seasons with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on minor-league deals and finished third on the team in scoring last season with 40 points (11 G, 29 A) in 69 games. That showing earned him a promotion to a two-way deal with Columbus this summer. He could briefly factor into a bottom-six role before likely landing on waivers when Danforth is ready to return.
- Panthers prospect Patrick Giles finds himself in a similarly unexpected situation. The 24-year-old has been getting reps on Florida’s fourth line over the past couple days with Tomáš Nosek set to miss a few weeks and has a shot to open the campaign in the NHL, David Dwork of The Hockey News relays. An undrafted free agent signing out of Boston College in 2022, Giles stands at 6’4″ and 203 lbs and posted a career-high 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games last season for AHL Charlotte.