Red Wings Place Erik Gustafsson On Waivers
March 3: Gustafsson cleared waivers, per Friedman.
March 2: The Detroit Red Wings placed veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers today, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The move paves the way for the Red Wings to open up a spot on their 23-man roster, as this waiver placement was likely made with the intent of sending the blueliner down to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The move doesn’t come as a major surprise, as Gustafsson has been a frequent healthy scratch for the Red Wings in his most recent stint on their NHL roster. Since being recalled on Jan. 15, Gustafsson has dressed for just a single game, serving as a healthy scratch for 11 of the team’s 12 contests. 
While he did receive over 20 minutes of ice time in the game he was dressed for – a 5-0 loss to the Avalanche on Jan. 31 – it’s been clear for some time that Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan prefers to staff his defense with other players.
As a result, this has been a difficult season for the 33-year-old. A veteran of over 500 games, Gustafsson was once a 60-point scorer, an emerging offensive force from the back-end as a part of the Chicago Blackhawks in the late 2010s.
He wasn’t able to sustain that level of production for very long, though, and began bouncing around the league, offering his services as a bottom-pairing puck-moving defenseman with power play utility to various teams. He even made a few deep playoff runs in the process, winning a Clarence S. Campbell Bowl with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, and appearing in the Eastern Conference Final in 2024 as a member of the New York Rangers.
Gustafsson made the most of that Rangers tenure in particular, which is what landed him in Detroit in the first place. The Red Wings signed Gustafsson to a two-year, $2MM AAV deal on July 1, 2024 after he managed to provide New York with a significant amount of surplus value on his prior deal, having scored 31 points on just an $825K salary. He wasn’t able to bring that kind of effectiveness to Detroit, scoring just 18 points in 60 games.
So far in 2025-26, he’s fallen further down Detroit’s depth chart. He’s been a staple in the press box when on the NHL roster, and has just two NHL games played this season. He’s been productive in the AHL, scoring 20 points in 22 games, but those are also his first AHL games since the 2017-18 season.
Today’s news comes at a crucial point in Gustafsson’s career. As a pending UFA, he’s undoubtedly hoping to be able to enter the offseason player market on as strong footing as possible. The longer he spends as a healthy scratch and/or AHL player as a member of the Red Wings organization, the lower his chances are of getting a contract anywhere close to the $2MM salary he received in his last run as a UFA.
With the player movement expected to come in the lead up to this week’s trade deadline, it’s possible a spot frees up on another team that would allow Gustafsson to play out the rest of the season at the NHL level. But seeing as his waiver placement is coming before that movement is finalized, it’s fair to question whether teams will be willing to place a claim on Gustafsson, given that other players could be on waivers or otherwise available as the week progresses.
Photos courtesy of Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Panthers’ Luke Kunin Clears Waivers
3/2: St. Louis has lost Fabbri to a waiver claim from the Minnesota Wild, while Kunin has cleared waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Kunin has now been assigned to the AHL.
3/1: Today has become a busy day on the wire, as the St. Louis Blues have waived forward Robby Fabbri, and the Florida Panthers placed Luke Kunin on waivers. Both were reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Fabbri and Kunin are both former first round picks with at least 450 games of NHL experience, although they’ve become journeymen at this stage in their careers.
For Fabbri, the news is not much of a surprise, as Robert Thomas was activated from injured reserve earlier today. A top prospect of the Blues a decade ago, Fabbri found himself back where he started, signing a one year deal worth $775k back in December. The agreement came after the 30-year-old’s unsuccessful PTO bid with the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with a brief tryout agreement with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Since then, Fabbri appeared in 15 games with St. Louis, finding the back of the net once to go with three assists.
The Ontario native netted 18 goals in 68 games just two years ago as a Red Wing, but his 18.6% shooting percentage was never thought to be sustainable. Fabbri continues to have lackluster possession metrics at even strength, currently at the 45.5% mark.
With such a low cap hit, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, but a claim seems unlikely. If that’s the case, Fabbri will head to AHL Springfield, a league which impressively, the veteran has played just nine games in his career, otherwise in the NHL. He still offers organizational depth, but the 31st ranked Blues are in a position where playing younger players is in their best interest. If this is the beginning of the end for Fabbri in the NHL, he’s had an impressive 457 game career with 220 points, and his name on the Stanley Cup.
Meanwhile, Kunin also brings a very reasonable $775k cap hit which expires this summer. Once a first rounder of the Minnesota Wild with top six upside, the Missouri native has become a fourth liner with gritty attributes, as he has just four points in 44 games. He caught on with the reigning champions last August to provide depth, which has been needed, considering the team’s glut of injuries this year.
After some solid play with Nashville from 2020-22, Kunin was sent to San Jose. Over the next three seasons wearing teal, Kunin got to enjoy a larger role and help lead on a rebuilding Sharks squad. However, he never recorded more than 18 points, and fully embraced a more physical brand of hockey.
Between Fabbri and Kunin, the latter seems to be more likely of a claim. Players in Kunin’s mold are often targeted by buyers at this time of year. At last year’s trade deadline, Kunin was dealt to Columbus for a fourth round pick. His stock hasn’t improved after unremarkable play as a Panther this year, but teams will have the chance to bring in the 28-year-old with a minimal cap hit for nothing in return, and he could benefit from a fresh start.
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Oilers’ Andrew Mangiapane, Alec Regula Clear Waivers
3/2: Both Mangiapane and Regula have cleared waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. They can now be assigned to the minor leagues, opening up more cap space for Edmonton to leverage at the Trade Deadline.
3/1: This afternoon the Edmonton Oilers revealed that Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula have been placed on waivers. With the Trade Deadline just five days away, the moves give the team much needed cap space.
Efforts to trade Mangiapane throughout the season have not proven successful. His $3.6MM cap hit through 2026-27 and a no trade clause are stumbling blocks for the usually steady secondary scorer who hasn’t been a fit with the Oilers. Last July, the idea was that the former 35-goal man could revive his offensive game alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton had moved on from Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson, so Mangiapane figured to be a worthy replacement.
Instead, to date, the soon to be 30-year-old has 14 points in 52 games and is a -19. It’s the first time he’s been in the negatives since a 10 game audition as a 21-year-old rookie with Calgary in 2017-18. Mangiapane’s 50.0% corsi for at even strength is indicative that he just doesn’t move the needle. Rather, Jack Roslovic has filled the role, making the most of his opportunity to play on Draisaitl’s wing. Mangiapane has been a healthy scratch at times, unable to find his footing in head coach Kris Knoblauch‘s system.
As recently as late February, it was noted that several teams have varying levels of interest in Mangiapane. Ottawa, Detroit, Anaheim, and Winnipeg have been linked, with the Senators known as having real trade talks for the forward. Now they’ll have the chance to bring him into the fold for nothing in return, although it would be doing a favor for their opponents in Edmonton, who are clearly handcuffed to the player for now.
In all likelihood, he will clear, still taking up at least $2.45MM against the Oilers’ salary cap, where they will have to add further incentives in a trade this week. At least for today, they’re dangling him on the wire, as one of the more notable players waived this year.
On the other hand, Regula was claimed off waivers by the team in December 2024, coming from the Bruins. He subsequently earned an extension through next season, at a more friendly $775k AAV, but now may find himself back on the move soon.
The former Red Wings draft pick is a coveted righty with size (6’4″) and is still just 25 years old. While GM Stan Bowman hopes to move on from Mangiapane, it’s not necessarily so much the case with Regula, whom Bowman himself acquired for his old franchise, Chicago, in 2019. Regula has simply been passed on the depth chart by Ty Emberson, as he hasn’t played since January 20. If any team is to consider a claim, they’ll have to look past Regula’s unfavorable possession metrics. Yet as far as seventh/eighth defensemen go, he is a viable option whether it will continue to be in Edmonton, or if claimed, which would become his fifth organization.
Currently third in the Pacific, Edmonton will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch this week. Their big acquisition of goaltender Tristan Jarry hasn’t evoked confidence yet, and Bowman will try to add more pieces to solidify the group’s spot in the postseason this spring.
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Canucks’ Guillaume Brisebois Clears Waivers
3/2: Birsebois has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
3/1: In the midst of several notable NHLers waived earlier today, another name is set to run through the wire. Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois has landed on waivers, per the team, although according to GM Patrik Allvin the transaction is with the intent to reassign him to AHL Abbotsford.
Brisebois, 28, was drafted in the third round by Vancouver back in 2015. Rarely seen in today’s league, the 6’2″ lefty has managed to stick with the organization for the long haul, mainly in the AHL but appearing in 30 games over the years with the Canucks, where he’s recorded three points. He got into three games back in January, not recording any stats and averaging 15:48 a night.
Brisebois debuted with Vancouver in February 2019, an entirely different era where Alexander Edler and Loui Eriksson were still wearing the blue and green, so it’s impressive for him to still be around. Summoned at times over the years when they’re thin on the back end, Brisebois has skated in more than eight contests in an NHL campaign just once, 2022-23, where he played in 17.
The Quebec native is a free agent at season’s end, but until then, a claim seems unlikely. Whatever comes next for the veteran, it has been a nice run in the Canucks organization, a 2025 Calder Cup champion, and still in the mix as part of a 2015 draft class headlined by stalwart Brock Boeser. With the Canucks at the bottom of the league, and Abbotsford hardly faring better, it would be nice to see Brisebois get some more action this spring considering his contributions to the organization over the past several years.
Blues Reassign Mathieu Joseph
Feb. 27: Joseph cleared waivers and has been assigned to AHL Springfield, the team announced.
Feb. 26: The Blues announced today that they’ve designated winger Mathieu Joseph as a non-roster player, signaling he’ll land on waivers this afternoon. The placement comes after St. Louis tried unsuccessfully to find a trade partner for the forward, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. His roster spot will go to winger Dylan Holloway, who’s coming off injured reserve for tonight’s game against the Kraken as expected.
Joseph, 29, is in the final season of the four-year, $11.8MM deal he signed with the Senators as a restricted free agent in 2022. At the time, it was an incredibly reasonable and relatively low-cost bet on a player who had 12 points in 11 games for the Sens after being acquired from the Lightning in the Nick Paul trade the prior season and had 30 points in 69 games across both teams.
The 6’1″ lefty has churned out just a shell of that production in the years since, though. The high-energy winger had just three goals in the first year of the deal. He enjoyed a brief resurgence with Ottawa in year two, recording a career-high 24 assists and 35 points in 72 games, but that was more a result of him being elevated into the Sens’ top-six out of necessity amid a rash of injuries than anything else.
Ottawa sent Joseph to St. Louis in a cap dump the following summer. In the nearly two full seasons since, he’s only notched six goals and 15 points in 99 games in a Blues uniform, largely in a third or fourth-line role. This season, he has two goals and 11 points in 39 outings and has been a frequent healthy scratch, although he also missed some time in January with an elbow infection.
If there’s any trade interest in Joseph, it’s been quieted by his $2.95MM cap hit. This close to the trade deadline, buyers aren’t going to be willing to commit that much cap space to a reclamation project. St. Louis will almost certainly be moving the pending UFA with retained salary – if at all – as he’s unlikely to get picked off the wire. However, having him clear waivers before a deal would allow the acquiring team to stash him in the minors without risking losing him on the wire again, lowering his cap impact, at least to start.
Any interest in Joseph will be to add some speed and physicality to a team’s fourth line. His offensive utility in a top-nine group is greatly diminished due to Joseph being among the worst finishers in the league, at least among forwards, over the life of his contract. He’s shot at just 6.9% since 2022 and hasn’t hit 10% in a single season since then.
As for Holloway, the Blues hope his second IR reinstatement in as many months is more permanent. He sustained an ankle injury in mid-December that kept him out of the lineup for a month. His return lasted just one game, with the lingering pain still being too much to play through.
With now another month-plus of recovery behind him, thanks to the Olympic break, he should be much closer to – if not at – 100%. He’ll be looking to finish strong after a disappointing first half of the campaign that saw the 24-year-old be limited to eight goals and 17 points in 34 games, certainly limiting his earning potential in a contract year after last season’s breakout.
Rangers Claim Tye Kartye From Kraken
1:45 p.m.: The Rangers announced that winger Brennan Othmann, not Morrow, is the roster casualty for Kartye. Othmann heads to Hartford after scoring once in 11 games on his most recent call-up.
1:03 p.m.: The Rangers have claimed winger Tye Kartye off waivers from the Kraken, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. New York does not have an open roster spot and will need to make a corresponding move.
Kartye, 24, was an undrafted free agent signed by the Kraken in 2022. He ended up on waivers yesterday after slowly slipping out of regular fourth-line deployment over the past two years. The OHL Sault Ste. Marie product is in his third NHL season but has been limited to eight points and a -6 rating through 40 games, serving as a healthy scratch in 10 of Seattle’s final 13 games before the Olympic break. He’s two years removed from a rookie season that saw him notch 11 goals and 20 points in 77 games for the Kraken, though.
With another year left on his contract at a $1.25MM cap hit, he’ll now look for more opportunity to contribute in the Rangers’ patchwork bottom-six forward group. He has a career 20-21–41 scoring line with a -21 rating in 180 career appearances. He’s primarily played left wing in his pro career, but has some versatility down the middle if needed. He’ll add another element of physical depth, averaging 2.79 hits per game for his career, while contributing a bit of scoring upside in Manhattan.
The Rangers are carrying eight defensemen, so it stands to reason that the waiver-exempt Scott Morrow, who was a healthy scratch in yesterday’s overtime loss to the Flyers, will be on his way to AHL Hartford to make room for Kartye on the active roster.
Kraken Place Tye Kartye On Waivers
The Kraken announced that they’ve placed winger Tye Kartye on waivers. He was designated as a non-roster player yesterday to make room for Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers to come off injured reserve, so today’s move offers an explanation for that. He’ll be heading to AHL Coachella Valley tomorrow if he clears.
Kartye, 24, has largely fallen off Seattle’s long-term radar since emerging as an unlikely rookie presence in 2023. The undrafted free agent made his NHL debut in that year’s postseason and racked up three goals and five points in 10 games for Seattle off the bench as the Kraken forced the Stars to seven games in the second round.
His first regular season was full of promise as well. The 5’11”, 202-lb lefty immediately locked down a regular spot – even seeing some top-nine deployment up with Matty Beniers – and hit double-digit goals and 20 points in 77 games. He finished at a respectable 10.1% clip while ranking 10th on the team in shots on goal and leading the Kraken with 229 hits.
Since flashing that potential as a top-nine power forward with some much-needed physical juice, he hasn’t been able to keep up the offensive juice to justify receiving that ice time. Last season, his production fell to six goals and 14 points with a -14 rating in 63 games, becoming a semi-frequent healthy scratch in the process. His ice time dipped below 10 minutes per game as his shot generation nearly halved, although he still held up his end of the bargain in the hits department.
This year has been more of the same from the Ontario native. Through 40 games, he’s posted three goals and eight points with 98 hits. He plays a penalty-killing role when dressed, but that was becoming increasingly rare. He’d played in three straight prior to the break but was scratched for 10 consecutive games before that.
With another season left after this one at a $1.25MM cap hit, Kartye will still incur a $100K charge for the Kraken if he clears and is assigned to Coachella Valley. As Seattle leans into giving more ice time to younger names like Catton, Jacob Melanson, and Ryan Winterton, Kartye could be in line for his first non-conditioning assignment to the AHL since his first pro season back in 2022-23. He had 28 goals and 57 points in 72 games as a rookie that year.
Avalanche Place Jacob MacDonald On Waivers
The Avalanche placed defenseman Jacob MacDonald on waivers today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He has been sidelined for the entire season due to hip surgery. If he clears tomorrow, he’ll head to AHL Colorado to get his shortened campaign underway.
MacDonald, 33 later this month, played in the NHL each season from 2020-24 and totaled 133 NHL appearances in that time. Including a previous two-game stint with the Panthers in 2018-19, he’s put up 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 135 career outings with Florida, Colorado, and San Jose. He’s largely had good possession numbers in sheltered minutes, averaging 12:38 of ice time per game while controlling 52.6% of shot attempts at even strength.
After the Avs traded him to the Sharks midway through the 2022-23 campaign, MacDonald returned for a second stint in Colorado in 2024 by signing a two-year, two-way deal in free agency. He’s yet to make an NHL appearance on that deal, spending all of last season in the minors. The Oregon native has spent some time up on the wing in his career, and that offensive ability was evidenced by a dominant campaign that saw him set the AHL single-season record for goals by a defenseman with 31. He added 24 assists for 55 points and a +24 rating in 63 games, making him a three-time AHL All-Star while also taking home the Eddie Shore Award for the league’s best defenseman for the first time.
The Avalanche already has strong minor-league defensive depth. Jack Ahcan has stepped in seamlessly for MacDonald as the Eagles’ top rearguard, posting 33 points and a +20 rating in 36 games. Three other defenders have a +10 rating or better on the year in what’s tracking to be the franchise’s best season since being promoted from the ECHL in 2018.
Given the strength of that group, it’s likely MacDonald won’t be relied upon as a recall option down the stretch. He’ll be able to focus on getting back into game shape and doing what he can to extend his career following a significant procedure.
Sharks, Jeff Skinner Terminate Contract
Feb. 17: Skinner cleared unconditional waivers and has had his contract terminated, per Friedman. He is now an unrestricted free agent.
Feb. 16: The Sharks have placed winger Jeff Skinner on unconditional waivers for purposes of contract termination, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow if no one claims the remainder of his existing $3MM cap hit for this season.
The timing of the maneuver suggests Skinner has tangible interest from at least one other NHL team, but they weren’t interested in acquiring him from the Sharks – even for future considerations – at his current cap hit. With San Jose only carrying one salary retention slot until the end of next season, they’ll be picky about how they use it and likely aren’t willing to retain money on the veteran winger to complete a trade.
As such, he’ll need to walk away from the remainder of his guaranteed $3MM salary for this season and sign on elsewhere for close to, if not at, the league minimum for the stretch run. He signed with the Sharks nearly two weeks into free agency last summer to give them some additional top-nine scoring help, but the fit just hasn’t been there. He’s been limited to six goals and 13 points in 32 appearances and was relegated to the press box for 10 straight games heading into the Olympic break, last suiting up on Jan. 11.
With Michael Misa being thrust into top-six duties on the other side of the World Juniors and their pickup of Kiefer Sherwood from the Canucks pushing Skinner down the depth chart, there was no longer a home or need for him in a depth scoring role. He finishes his Sharks tenure averaging 12:21 of ice time per game with a -8 rating.
If a playoff contender is looking for a third-line boost with boatloads of NHL experience, they’ll have a perfect pickup in Skinner. The 2010 seventh overall pick crossed the 1,100-game threshold earlier this season and has averaged 28 goals and 53 points per 82 games for his career, although he’s produced closer to a 30-point pace since the beginning of last season.
One thing the 5’11” winger is light on is postseason experience. He didn’t have any until signing a one-year deal with the Oilers in free agency in 2024, and even then, he appeared in only five games during their run to last year’s Stanley Cup Final, having slipped to a No. 13/14 forward by the time the playoffs rolled around.
As for the Sharks, they’ll clear up a bit of cap space heading into the deadline, but more importantly, they’ll shed a contract. They were at the 50-contract limit until Vincent Iorio got claimed off waivers by the Rangers last month, so that’s been a concern for them from the jump this year. They’ll now have a bit more breathing room with two open slots heading into the deadline.
Devils Place Marc McLaughlin On Waivers
The Devils announced they’ve placed center Marc McLaughlin on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Utica. The transaction implies he’s ready to come off the injured non-roster list after sitting out the entire season to date with an undisclosed injury.
McLaughlin, 26, found his way to the New Jersey organization last season by way of a minor trade with the Bruins, with whom he began his professional career as an undrafted free agent out of Boston College in 2022. After recording just 14 points in 68 AHL games in 2023-24, he hit the same mark in 34 appearances last year before the trade. He finished out the season with six assists and a +5 rating in 16 games for Utica, also recording an assist in two NHL games for the Devils.
The Massachusetts native has 28 NHL games to his name and has suited up at least once in four consecutive seasons. With so much time missed, that streak is in jeopardy. He has a career 6-1–7 scoring line with a -3 rating while averaging 9:54 of ice time per game. Teams have controlled 48.0% of shot attempts with McLaughlin on the ice at even strength.
A strong defensive-minded center at the minor-league level, he won’t do a ton to help Utica’s scoring woes (2.40 goals per game) but should help the struggling AHL club shore up its two-way game. After signing a two-way extension to remain with New Jersey last June, he’ll be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer.