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Canadiens Place Gustav Lindstrom On Waivers

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The Montreal Canadiens have placed defenseman Gustav Lindstrom on waivers. The 25-year-old has appeared in 14 games with Montreal this season, scoring three goals and four points while averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time. He is one of eight defenders currently on Montreal’s roster, sharing the role of extra defenseman with Johnathan Kovacevic.

Lindstrom is in his fifth NHL season, making his debut with the  Red Wings during the 2019-20 season – the same year he came over from Sweden’s Frolunda HC. Detroit selected Lindstrom with the 38th-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, just one pick before the Dallas Stars selected Jason Robertson, who has become an emphatic scorer with 118 goals and 274 points in 249 career games. He moved to the Canadiens organization in mid-August, joining the team alongside a 2025 fourth-round pick in exchange for Jeff Petry, who has since gone on to record 11 points and a +2 in 31 games with the Red Wings.

Lindstrom has been out of the Canadiens lineup since December 9th, when he recorded a -1 and one penalty in a shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres. The defenseman cleared waivers on October 8th, starting the season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket before he was brought up as an emergency recall in late October. He spent one more week in the minors in early November before sticking around the Canadiens lineup for the last two months. Lindstrom has played in four AHL games this year, going without a point but recording one penalty and a -6. He will likely look to add to those stats if he clears waivers once again.

Calgary Flames Kevin Rooney Clears Waivers

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1/9: Rooney has cleared waivers and is awaiting assignment.

1/8: The Calgary Flames have placed forward Kevin Rooney on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The move is a precursor to Rooney getting activated off of long-term injured reserve, as should he clear waivers the Flames would be able to activate him and assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers.

In addition to this move, Sportsnet 960’s Patt Steinberg reports that forward Jakob Pelletier has been activated off of season-opening injured reserve and been assigned to the Wranglers. Pelletier is recovering from shoulder surgery, and now he can get into some AHL practices as part of that recovery. Long-term, the expectation is likely that Pelletier will return to the NHL level as that is where he scored seven points in 24 games last season.

As for Rooney, the six-foot-two veteran pivot was originally signed by the Flames to a $1.3MM AAV contract in order to serve as their fourth-line center. He’d filled that role admirably for the New York Rangers for the prior two seasons, and was fresh off of a run with the club to the Eastern Conference Final.

Rooney struggled in Calgary, and only played in 17 NHL games last season compared to 51 in the AHL. Now likely to be a Wrangler once again, the Flames will be tagged with $150k against the cap from Rooney’s deal as $1.15MM of the full $1.3MM total is considered “buried” when Rooney is on the AHL roster.

Blackhawks Claim Zach Sanford Off Waivers From Coyotes

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As the injury bug continues to strike, the Blackhawks have turned to the waiver wire.  As first reported by PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link), Chicago has claimed forward Zach Sanford off waivers from Arizona.

The 29-year-old was waived by Arizona on Friday.  He has played in 11 games since being recalled in December, picking up a pair of points along with eight blocks and four hits while logging a little over nine minutes a night on the fourth line.

Sanford is a veteran of over 300 career NHL games but has bounced around a lot lately, spending time with St. Louis, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Nashville, and Arizona since 2021.  At his best, he was a capable third-line power forward but in recent seasons, he has settled in as a recallable veteran when needed.  Sanford has spent most of this season with AHL Tucson after inking a one-year, two-way deal with the Coyotes over the summer, picking up a goal and three assists in 16 games.

While on the surface, this might seem like a puzzling claim for a rebuilding team to make, Chicago now has eight forwards on injured reserve.  After making several recalls from AHL Rockford, they also picked up Rem Pitlick in a trade from Pittsburgh earlier today and are now adding Sanford merely to get to 12 healthy forwards on the active roster.  It stands to reason that Sanford could be back on the wire once some of these players come back but for now, his stay in the NHL will last at least a little while longer.

Zach Sanford Placed On Waivers

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The Arizona Coyotes have placed forward Zach Sanford on waivers, according to PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan.

The 29-year-old veteran winger played in has played in 316 career NHL games. He won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues and has a career-high of 16 goals and 30 points. He’s bounced around a bit over the last few years, and is now set to be available to all 31 other teams, at just an $800k cap hit.

Sanford was originally recalled in December and skated in 11 games for the Coyotes, including yesterday’s loss ot the New York Islanders. He has played in a fourth-line capacity, and has scored two points to go alongside eight blocked shots and four hits. He has averaged 9:15 time-on-ice per game this season, but has not skated on any special teams units.

Now, with today’s waiver placement, he’ll be available in case any other NHL team needs a plug-and-play winger who can handle fourth-line minutes in the NHL.

Blackhawks Claim Jaycob Megna Off Waivers

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The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed defenseman Jaycob Megna off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. Megna has served as Seattle’s seventh defenseman since being recalled on December 12th, though his only playing time this season has been through an AHL conditioning stint that saw Megna play two games, score one goal, and record a +3 rating. Seattle traded for Megna at last season’s trade deadline, sending a fourth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks that was used to select defenseman Luca Cagnoni.

Chicago will become the sixth NHL organization that Megna has been a part of, though he’s only played NHL games for three teams – serving out minor league deals with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. Megna’s career kicked off with the Anaheim Ducks, who took him with the second-to-last pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He turned pro quickly, making his AHL at the end of the 2013-14 season. He spent the next four seasons in the minor leagues, capping the stretch off with 27 points scored across 62 games – a mark that remains the most Megna has scored in any league since juniors. Megna played his rookie NHL season two years later, scoring four points and recording 12 penalty minutes across 28 games.

Megna wouldn’t appear in the NHL again until he earned a strong role with the San Jose Sharks for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, playing in 44 and 48 games, respectively. Megna set an NHL career-high of 12 points in the latter season, adding 21 penalty minutes and a +6. He now joins a Blackhawks team that’s depleted of a lot of depth. He’ll look to carve out a role in competition with Louis Crevier and Jarred Tinordi.

Kings Recall Brandt Clarke, Place Tobias Bjornfot On Waivers

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The Los Angeles Kings have recalled top defenseman prospect Brandt Clarke and placed Tobias Bjornfot on waivers. Bjornfot has split time between the NHL and AHL this season, appearing in nine minor league games and only one game with the Kings. He has yet to score a point through any of the 10 matchups.

L.A. turns to their AHL team’s leading scorer in defenseman Clarke, who is currently in his first full professional season. The 20-year-old has 32 points in 30 AHL games, adding 30 penalty minutes and a +4. He has yet to play in the NHL this season, although he did receive nine NHL games last year before being sent back to the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Clarke recorded two assists in his first taste of the NHL but is still looking for his first career goal.

Clarke may have to wait to slot into the NHL lineup, though. Bjornfot has served as the team’s seventh defenseman, and no Kings defender has missed more than five games this season. It’s a solid blue-line that’s received plenty of impact in all three zones. Still, L.A. is bringing up a difference-maker in Clarke: the eighth overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Wednesday marks a special day for the Clarke family, as Brandt’s brother Graeme Clarke has been recalled by the New Jersey Devils as well. Graeme ranks second on his AHL team in scoring, recording 21 points in 27 games with the Utica Comets. The Clarke parents are currently en route to New Jersey from Ottawa to see Graeme make his expected NHL debut, though they may be prime for another road trip with Brandt now with an NHL team on the other coast.

Seattle Kraken Place Jaycob Megna On Waivers

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According to a team release, the Seattle Kraken have placed defenseman Jaycob Megna on waivers to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. This will mark the sixth time Megna has been placed on waivers since breaking into the league during the 2016-17 season.

Originally the second to last pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, it would take Megna five seasons to crack an NHL roster after finishing out his collegiate career with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, making his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2016-17 season. Only skating in one contest that year, Megna would regularly skate with the organization’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

Without gaining much traction in the NHL throughout his three-year stretch with the Ducks, Megna would make a few more pit stops throughout the AHL, before landing with the San Jose Sharks as an unrestricted free agent before the 2021-22 season. Although producing modestly relative to the rest of the league, Megna would skate in 44 games for the Sharks, scoring two goals and eight points, both career highs at that time.

San Jose would go on to reward Megna’s depth play for the organization, signing Megna to a two-year, $1.525MM contract the following summer. Last year, in the first season of that contract, Megna would suit up in 48 games for the Sharks, scoring one goal and 12 points in total, before finally being shipped to the Kraken in early February.

Since the beginning of the season, Megna has been on the active roster for Seattle, albeit from a three-day conditioning loan that had him playing two games for Coachella Valley. Serving as the seventh or even eighth defenseman on the Kraken for the year up to this point, Megna has not played in any games for Seattle this season.

Similar to a majority of players throughout the league, Megna has historically been much more productive at the AHL level, scoring 18 goals and 98 points over 370 regular season games. He will now suit up for a Firebirds team that is looking to defend their Western Conference championship from a season ago, as they currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 16-10-2 record on the year.

Ilya Samsonov Clears Waivers

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01/01/24: As expected, Samsonov has cleared waivers, according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. As a result, he is now eligible for assignment to AHL Toronto.

 12/31/23: The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed goaltender Ilya Samsonov on waivers. Samsonov’s last appearance came on December 29nd, when he allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets six goals on only 21 shots.

Samsonov’s placement on waivers was coupled with Toronto’s AHL club recalling ECHL goaltender Luke Cavallin, something that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman thinks may be a sign that Dennis Hildeby could receive a call-up to the NHL squad should Samsonov clear waivers. Hildeby has been gaining traction in the eyes of Toronto fans, setting a 7-5-3 record and .919 save percentage in the 15 AHL games he’s appeared in this season. The Swedish goaltender is in his first full season of North American hockey, after joining the AHL’s Toronto Marlies following the end of Farjestads’ 2022-23 season in the SHL. The 22-year-old goalie was prolific in Sweden’s top league last season, setting a .918 save percentage in 21 games with the top club. The Leafs drafted Hildeby in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Like all players after pick 54 in that draft class, Hildeby has yet to make his NHL debut – something that could change soon with this recent roster moves.

Samsonov is placed on waivers after a series of disappointing games. The 26-year-old netminder currently carries a .862 save percentage through 15 games, second-worst in the league among goalies with 15-or-more games. The only goaltender with a worse save percentage is Antti Raanta, who was similarly waived earlier in the season. Samsonov is in his second season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, going to arbitration to earn a one-year, $3.6MM contract with the team for this season.

Eric Comrie Clears Waivers

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01/01/24: Comrie has cleared waivers, according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston. He is now eligible for assignment to the Rochester Americans.

12/31/23: The Buffalo Sabres have placed goaltender Eric Comrie on waivers, opening up room for them to activate forward Zemgus Girgensons off of injured reserve. Girgensons has been out of the lineup since November 24th, battling with a lower-body injury.

Comrie’s waiving comes after Devon Levi’s resurgence to the starter’s net. Top rookie Levi was briefly assigned to the AHL, playing in two games with the Rochester Americans where he saved 70 of a possible 76 shots, good for a .921 save percentage and 1-1 record. Levi has played in seven games since returning from the minor leagues, setting a 4-1-1 record and .906 save percentage. His new momentum has reestablished him as the Sabres’ starting goaltender, making Comrie’s roster spot expendable. Comrie has appeared in seven games with the Sabres this year, setting a dismal 1-5-0 record and .863 save percentage.

Comrie’s spot will now be used on Zemgus Girgensons, who is progressing in his return from an injury suffered midway through the team’s November 24th win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 29-year-old winger has appeared in 20 games with the Sabres this year, scoring two goals and recording seven penalty minutes. He’s in his 10th season with the Sabres, originally joining the team in the 2012 NHL Draft, when he was taken 14th-overall. Girgensons was apart of an interesting 10-15 range that year, which saw him drafted alongside players like Slater Koekkoek and Mikhail Grigorenko. Star players Tomas Hertl and Andrei Vasilevskiy were drafted only a few picks later, going 17 and 19 respectively.

Ian Mitchell Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Mitchell has cleared waivers, Friedman reports, paving the way for him to be sent back to Providence, a move they quickly made.

Friday: The Bruins placed defenseman Ian Mitchell on waivers Friday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Boston has ferried Mitchell up and down between the NHL and AHL frequently throughout this season, his first in the Bruins organization. This is his second time on the waiver wire since the regular season began, last clearing on October 26. Given that he’s now played more than ten games in Boston since then, he will need to clear them again to head to AHL Providence.

Most recently, the Bruins brought Mitchell up from Providence under emergency conditions on December 23, and he logged 10:50 of ice time and recorded a +1 rating in that night’s 3-2 loss to the Wild. Boston converted his recall into a standard one the following day. He was a healthy scratch in their lone game since the holiday break, a win over the Sabres on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old right-shot defender has played in 13 games for the Bruins on the season, logging replacement-level stats in replacement-level minutes. He’s recorded two assists, a +6 rating, and a mediocre Corsi share of 46.6% at even strength while averaging 15:18 per game. He’s also made four appearances for the P-Bruins this season, recording an assist and a -4 rating. The 2017 second-round pick of the Blackhawks joined the Bruins in June when his signing rights were part of the trade for winger Taylor Hall, promptly inking a one-year, one-way deal worth the league minimum of $775K.

Mitchell has always been a strong skater and was a high-end point producer in college, but he hasn’t shown the all-around game worthy of an NHL defender throughout his four seasons of experience at the top level. He’s never eclipsed the 40-game mark in a single season and has yet to avoid an AHL assignment, only earning NHL jobs as the sixth or seventh defenseman on the Blackhawks’ and Bruins’ depth charts at the highest. He lands on the waiver wire today with four goals, 14 assists and 18 points with a -15 rating over 95 NHL games.

It’s unlikely another team will submit a claim for Mitchell over the next 24 hours since he’s already gone unclaimed once this season. He will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration eligibility next summer.

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