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Jakub Zbořil Clears Waivers

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12/14/23: Zbořil was not claimed off of waivers, which means he will remain in Providence for the time being.

12/13/23 1:51 p.m.: Zbořil’s waiver placement is not for the purposes of contract termination, reports Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Rather, the Bruins are accommodating a request from Zbořil to be moved to another organization and are seeing if there are any takers out there who will pick up his contract for free.

12/13/23 1:11 p.m.: The Bruins have placed left-shot defenseman Jakub Zbořil on waivers, as reported by Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN. Considering Zbořil has been on assignment to AHL Providence since October 28, the Bruins likely made this move for the purposes of a contract termination.

It is unclear at this time whether a potential contract termination is mutual or for cause. Zbořil, the 13th overall pick in the 2015 draft, was scratched in Providence’s last game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on December 9.

The 26-year-old defenseman was the first of Boston’s now-infamous three consecutive first-round selections in 2015. Their selections of Zbořil, Jake DeBrusk and Zachary Senyshyn with the 13th through 15th overall picks were immediately followed by the Islanders selecting Mathew Barzal 16th overall, the Jets selecting Kyle Connor 17th overall and the Senators selecting Thomas Chabot 18th overall. While DeBrusk remains an effective top-nine forward, he’s not the caliber of either Barzal, Connor or Chabot.

Zbořil failed to crack the Bruins roster out of camp this year after doing so in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He went unclaimed on waivers in early October and accepted an assignment to Providence, where he’s logged seven assists and a -5 rating in 19 games, his first AHL time in over three years.

Since making his NHL debut in November 2018, Zbořil has played just 76 games for the Bruins, recording one goal, 15 assists, 16 points, and 135 shots on goal while averaging 15:38 per game. He’s never been able to surpass the role of Boston’s seventh defenseman, playing in a career-high 42 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. His possession numbers have largely been negligible, although in 22 games for the Bruins last season, he posted a Corsi share of 47.6% at even strength – a disappointing figure given the Bruins’ record-setting dominance.

If this is the end of the road for Zbořil in Boston, it ends a disappointing tenure for the organization’s highest-drafted prospect since they selected blueliner Dougie Hamilton ninth overall in 2011. His contract carries a $1.14MM cap hit with $1.3MM due this season in actual salary, making a potential claim over the next 24 hours extremely unlikely. He was slated for unrestricted free agency in the summer.

Assuming Zbořil is indeed headed for contract termination, he would become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow and can sign with any NHL, AHL or European professional team. It would not be surprising to see Zbořil return to his home country of Czechia, where he last suited up for his hometown club HC Kometa Brno in 2020 while the NHL remained on pause due to COVID-19.

Jakub Vrana Placed On Waivers

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Dec. 13: Vrana has cleared waivers, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN. He may now be freely assigned to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, which GM Doug Armstrong confirmed was the team’s plan earlier today (via Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic).

Dec. 12: Yesterday, there were conflicting reports surrounding Jakub Vrana and the St.Louis Blues, as there was some indication that the Blues were close to moving on from Vrana in a trade. However, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that Vrana has indeed been placed on waivers by St.Louis.

It will be the second time this calendar year that Vrana has found himself on waivers, being placed on the wire during his time with the Detroit Red Wings on January 3rd of last season. He would go unclaimed, largely due to his $5.25MM price tag at the time, and was subsequently traded to the Blues two months later.

Originally a first-round selection of the Washington Capitals back in the 2014 NHL Draft, it wouldn’t be until the 2017-18 season that Vrana would make the full-time jump to the NHL. He quickly became a relatively solid depth scorer for the Capitals, scoring 13 goals and 27 points in 73 games, also chipping in eight points on Washington’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in that year’s playoffs.

Vrana would continue to increase his productivity with the Capitals, posting back-to-back 20-goal seasons, leading to a two-year, $6.7MM extension with Washington. Unfortunately, he would not see out the rest of that contract with the Capitals, as he was traded to Detroit along with Richard Panik and two higher-end draft picks for Anthony Mantha.

After the trade, believing they had found themselves a diamond in the rough, Vrana scored eight goals and 11 points in 11 games with the Red Wings, leading to a three-year, $15.75MM extension. Nevertheless, as things played out in Hockeytown, largely due to injuries and a stint with the NHLPA Player Assistance Program, his time in Detroit quickly faltered, leaving him on the outside looking in with the organization.

Almost identically to when he arrived in Detroit, Vrana got off to a quick start in St.Louis, scoring 10 goals in 20 games down the stretch after last year’s trade. This season, Vrana is back to mild production, scoring two goals and six points in 19 games, leading to his placement on waivers this afternoon. Although he is only making $2.625MM due to the Red Wings retaining half of his salary, it is more than likely Vrana will pass through waivers unclaimed.

Blackhawks Place Boris Katchouk On Waivers

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12/12: Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that Katchouk has successfully cleared waivers, and will report to Rockford.

12/11: The Blackhawks placed winger Boris Katchouk on waivers Monday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Rockford, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Katchouk, 25, has been a healthy scratch in four straight games. His last appearance came on December 3 against the Wild, in which he registered a -1 rating and one shot on goal in 12:55 of ice time.

As The Athletic’s Scott Powers notes, forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman have impressed the team since they recalled them from Rockford around Thanksgiving, and they’ve both surpassed Katchouk on the team’s internal depth chart. While there’s no pending injured reserve activation forcing the Blackhawks to clear a roster spot, the organization would rather Katchouk see consistent game action in the minors rather than have him sit in the press box in the NHL.

Drafted 44th overall by the Lightning in 2016, Katchouk spent nearly six years in Tampa Bay before the Blackhawks acquired him as part of the deal that sent Brandon Hagel to the Sunshine State in 2022. Katchouk struggled immediately after the swap, logging just one goal and a -10 rating in 21 contests with Chicago to close out the campaign.

His numbers improved in the following season, but he’s still provided marginal offense in a replaceable bottom-six role. In 96 total contests with Chicago since the trade, Katchouk has eight goals, 13 assists, 21 points, and a -18 rating while averaging 11:40 per game. He has, however, posted solid possession metrics dating back to last season, including a relative Corsi mark of 3.3% at even strength in 2022-23, despite seeing primarily defensive zone usage.

It’s unlikely he’ll ever reach the scoring potential he flashed by posting over a point-per-game in the minors in the Lightning organization in 2020-21, but he is a high-energy player who should end up back in the league at some point if he passes through waivers unclaimed. This season, Katchouk has two goals and two assists, along with a +2 rating, in 17 contests with Chicago. He’s in the final season of a three-year, $2.275MM deal carrying a $758,333 cap hit and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.

Penguins Place Dmitri Samorukov On Waivers

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12/12: Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that Samorukov has successfully cleared waivers, and will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

12/11: The Penguins are placing defenseman Dmitri Samorukov on waivers today for the purpose of assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, GM Kyle Dubas informed reporters (via Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). In doing so, the Penguins will open a necessary spot on the roster to activate Pierre-Olivier Joseph from injured reserve.

Samorukov, 24, has not appeared in a game for Pittsburgh this season after signing a one-year, two-way deal in November. He began the season on an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and earned an NHL deal after injuries decimated the Penguins’ corps of depth defenders.

A third-round pick of the Oilers in 2017, Samorukov was viewed as a rising shutdown prospect but ran out of time to develop, becoming eligible for waivers in 2022 before he could secure a role on Edmonton’s roster. After passing through unclaimed, the Oilers dealt him to the Blues in a one-for-one swap for winger Klim Kostin, with each Russian youngster securing a fresh start in a new market.

While Kostin earned a full-time spot with the Oilers last season, Samorukov couldn’t hold onto an NHL job with his new team. After making just one NHL appearance in five years with the Oilers organization, Samorukov played only twice for the Blues last year, instead spending nearly all of 2022-23 on assignment with AHL Springfield. There, he recorded 20 points and a +1 rating in 69 games, but it wasn’t enough to secure him a qualifying offer from St. Louis when his one-year, one-way deal expired last summer.

That made him an unrestricted free agent, and without any NHL offers heading into late July, Samorukov opted for the minor-league deal in the Penguins organization. He played a regular role in the lineup before being instated on the NHL roster in November, recording five points and a -1 rating in 15 games.

Assuming he clears waivers, Samorukov will return to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tomorrow. He is headed for restricted free agency this summer, and the Penguins will need to extend him a qualifying offer worth $813,750 to retain his exclusive signing rights.

Flyers Place Louis Belpedio On Waivers

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12/5: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Belpedio has cleared waivers, meaning he will now report to Lehigh Valley of the AHL.

12/4: The Flyers placed defenseman Louis Belpedio on waivers Monday, according to a team announcement.

A 27-year-old right-shot defender from the Chicago area, Belpedio has spent most of his professional career in the minors since finishing a collegiate career at Miami University in 2018. Entering this season, he had just four games of NHL experience, all coming with the Wild – the team that drafted him 80th overall in 2014.

Belpedio has quadrupled that total this season, skating in 12 games for the Flyers early in 2023-24. The puck-moving blueliner joined the Flyers in the summer of 2022, inking a lucrative two-way deal, but spent all last season in the minors. He signed a two-way extension to remain in the Flyers organization in June but again did not crack the NHL roster out of camp and passed through waivers unclaimed in October. After recording one assist through five games with AHL Lehigh Valley, Belpedio received his first NHL call-up in quite some time on October 26.

He’s remained on the Flyers’ roster since then, playing 12 straight games after his recall. Belpedio recorded two goals and two assists, and three of his four points came during his last five games in the lineup. He did play a limited role, averaging 13:12 per game, and posted negative relative possession numbers – his 43.0% Corsi share at even strength is the worst of any Flyer to suit up for at least ten games this season.

With veterans Rasmus Ristolainen and Marc Staal returning to action recently, Belpedio’s spot in the lineup was eliminated. He has been a healthy scratch in six straight contests, so it’s not surprising to see the Flyers attempt to return him to the minors. He needs to clear waivers for a second time this season, as he spent more than 30 days on the NHL roster and played more than ten games since his October recall. Given he’s signed through 2025 and posted poor advanced metrics during his stint in the lineup, it seems unlikely another team will submit a claim for his contract over the next 24 hours.

Sharks Place Nikolai Knyzhov On Waivers

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The Sharks have made a roster move in advance of tomorrow’s game against the Rangers.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve placed defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov on waivers.

The 25-year-old has battled significant injury trouble in recent years.  Two sports hernia surgeries, an adductor repair, and a bone infection cost him the entire 2021-22 campaign.  Then, in August of 2022, Knyzhov tore his Achilles tendon doing off-ice training which kept him out of the lineup until March.

He returned to play a dozen games with San Jose down the stretch where he was limited to a third-pairing role.  Nonetheless, GM Mike Grier saw fit to sign him to a two-year, $2.5MM contract extension that runs through the 2024-25 campaign.

This season, Knyzhov has been a regular on the Sharks roster but not in their lineup as he has suited up in just ten games so far.  He has a single assist in those appearances along with 17 blocks and nine hits while averaging 17:39 per contest.  With his contract and injury history, it’d be a bit surprising to see him get claimed but a demotion to the AHL’s Barracuda could be a good opportunity for him to see more regular action and play a bigger role as he looks to work his way toward becoming a full-time NHL regular as he was in the 2020-21 season.

Earlier today, Max Miller of The Hockey News relayed (Twitter link) that the Sharks placed Luke Kunin on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, opening a roster spot.  Knyzhov’s removal from the roster tomorrow will create a second.  With Alexander Barabanov and Jan Rutta believed to be close to a return, these moves appear to be the precursors to activating them off IR.

Islanders Claim Mike Reilly Off Waivers From Panthers

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With Adam Pelech going on LTIR earlier today, the Islanders have found his replacement, at least in the short term as the team announced that they’ve claimed defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from Florida.

Last season was a rough one for Reilly as he spent most of the year with Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence with no team willing to take him on at a $3MM AAV off the waiver wire.  He became an unrestricted free agent this summer after the final year of that deal was bought out by the Bruins and he quickly found a landing spot in Florida, who inked him to a one-year, $1MM contract.

The 30-year-old had been on the roster for the Panthers all season long but despite the long-term injuries to Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, Reilly suited up just twice.  Relegated to the eighth blueliner, Florida waived him yesterday in an effort to get him to their AHL affiliate in Charlotte but that won’t be the case now.  However, Reilly’s contract now comes off their books, giving Florida some extra salary cap space at their disposal.

The Isles didn’t have the cap space to pick Reilly up until this morning when Pelech landed on LTIR.  Once Pelech is cleared to return, New York will have to create some cap room to activate him and will need to move someone else off the roster if they want to keep Reilly in the fold at that time.

Between that injury and the one to Sebastian Aho (both of which occurred yesterday against Ottawa), Reilly could find himself in a situation where playing time will come much more frequently, at least for the time being.  A veteran of 341 games between five different teams, Reilly has 98 points and could add a bit of firepower to a back end that has just seven goals on the season, five of which have come from Noah Dobson.  Reilly will once again be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Florida Panthers Place Mike Reilly On Waivers

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David Dwork of The Hockey News has tweeted that the Florida Panthers have placed defensemen Mike Reilly on waivers today. The expectation is that if Reilly goes unclaimed, he will be assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Reilly has suited up in just two games for the Panthers this season and has registered no points and a -2 rating.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Reilly was bought out in the offseason by the Boston Bruins before eventually signing a one-year $1MM deal with the Panthers. He was expected to serve as a depth option for Florida, but with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour back in the fold there is really no need for the Panthers to keep Reilly at the NHL level.

The 30-year-old spent nearly half of last season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and was quite productive offensively registering seven goals and 19 assists in 36 games.

Reilly has struggled at the NHL level since signing a three-year $9MM deal with the Boston Bruins in July of 2021. He stuck with the Bruins in the first year of his three-year deal but has bounced back and forth between the AHL and NHL for the past two seasons. If Reilly can put up offensive numbers like last year’s AHL numbers, he could be first in line for a recall if the Panthers run into any injury troubles.

Anaheim Ducks Place Chase De Leo On Waivers

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Chase De Leo on waivers this afternoon, for the purpose of sending him to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Not playing a game this season, De Leo has been on the Season-Opening Injured Reserve from a play resulting in a suspension to Los Angeles Kings’ forward, Arthur Kaliyev, in the preseason.

De Leo is on the second year of a two-year, $1.525MM contract signed with the Ducks organization back in 2022, spending much of his time with the Gulls. Last season, although only playing 22 games in the AHL, De Leo scored nine goals and 14 assists, finishing over a point-per-game pace.

This being his second stint with the Ducks organization, De Leo spent 2018-2021 in the organization after coming over from the Winnipeg Jets in an offseason trade. In his original stint in Anaheim, De Leo played three games in three years in the NHL, producing zero points.

However, much like he was last year, he was an impressive player in San Diego, scoring 45 goals and 70 assists in 154 games, becoming one of the better playmakers for the team. Now that De Leo is presumed healthy, he will have his work cut out for him at the AHL level, as the Gulls currently hold a 2-9-3-0 record, sitting dead last in the Pacific Division.

Flyers’ Felix Sandstrom Clears Waivers

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Nov. 20: Sandstrom has cleared waivers and can be assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Nov. 19: Now that goaltender Felix Sandstrom is healthy and eligible to return to the team off of the injured reserve, the Philadelphia Flyers announce they have put Sandstrom on waivers for the purpose of assignment to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

At the end of October, the Flyers had originally sent Sandstrom down to the AHL on a conditioning loan, giving him 14 days to work on his game with the Phantoms. Unfortunately, due to an upper-body injury, Philadelphia recalled Sandstrom from his loan on November 4th and subsequently placed him on the injured reserve.

After a disastrous season serving as a backup goaltender last year, Sandstrom suffered to the tune of a .880 SV% and a 3.72 GAA. Even the more in-depth numbers such as ’Goals Saved Above Average’ and his ’Adjusted Goals Against Average’ computed by Hockey Reference suggest Sandstrom was even worse than the more topical numbers he produced throughout the season.

Now, with Carter Hart taking the bulk of the starting minutes for the Flyers, Sandstrom has been replaced in the backup role by Samuel Ersson, who signed a two-year, $2.9MM extension with Philadelphia early in August. Now, assuming that he does clear waivers, Sandstrom will share the net with fellow netminder, Calvin Petersen, in Lehigh Valley.

At 26 years old, Sandstrom is still relatively young for a goaltender in the NHL, meaning some teams may take a chance on him to serve in a backup role. Although there are some organizations that could certainly make an improvement to their current goaltending situation, Sandstrom does not project as an objective improvement in many or all of those situations, meaning he will likely go unclaimed over the next day.

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