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Red Wings Place Austin Czarnik On Waivers

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11/19: Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Czarnik has cleared waivers, and can safely be assigned to Grand Rapids.

11/18: With Detroit’s trip to Sweden now over, they’ve opted to make a roster move.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Red Wings have placed forward Austin Czarnik on waivers.

The 30-year-old cleared waivers in training camp but has spent most of the season with Detroit so far.  Czarnik played in two games with the Griffins where he had two goals and an assist before being recalled in mid-October.  He was sent back down at the end of the month but one day later, he was brought up on an emergency basis and was converted to a regular recall soon after.

Czarnik has played in 11 games so far for the Red Wings on their fourth line but has been limited to just a single assist while averaging 8:35 per night.  Last season, he had a bit more success at the top level, collecting two goals and three helpers in 29 games, the most NHL games he played in since the 2018-19 campaign.

Since Czarnik has been in more than ten games since last clearing waivers, he now must once again pass through unclaimed to make it back to the Griffins.  He’s in the second and final year of a two-year, minimum salary contract which carries a $762.5K AAV.  Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on Czarnik if they so desire.

Dakota Mermis Clears Waivers

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Saturday: No team put in a claim for Mermis, Friedman reports.

Friday: The Wild have waived defenseman Dakota Mermis for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s Iowa Wild, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Friday.

Mermis, 29, has been with the Wild since signing as a free agent in the 2020 offseason. His first season with the club was spent almost entirely on the infamous 2020-21 taxi squad, playing just three games all season, all in the NHL. Since then, he’s logged heavy minutes for the AHL’s Iowa Wild, serving as an alternate captain since his debut with the club in 2021-22. He was not on Minnesota’s opening night roster this season but was recalled just a few days into the campaign with multiple injuries affecting the Wild’s defense core.

20 of Mermis’ 40 NHL appearances have come in a Wild jersey over the past four seasons, including a career-high 13 this season. He’s notched two goals, three assists, five points, and an even plus-minus rating in 15:30 of average ice time with Minnesota, with all of his points coming in 2023-24. Most commonly paired with Jacob Middleton and Jonathon Merrill, he has a Corsi share of 47.8% at even strength, 4.7% worse than the Wild’s Corsi share when Mermis is not on the ice.

To put it succinctly, Mermis has done about as well as you can expect for a minor-league veteran plugged into a defense that’s dealt with structural issues this season. He’d managed to stay in the lineup over the past few games after the return of captain Jared Spurgeon to the lineup, but with veteran Zach Bogosian now in the fold after a trade for the Lightning, Mermis was losing his grip on a roster spot and saw his ice time slip.

Since he’s played more than ten games and his recall lasted more than 30 days, he again requires waivers to return to Iowa. As a pending unrestricted free agent on a two-way deal, there’s a decent chance the Wild lose Mermis on the wire if a team deems they need some short-term blueline depth on the cheap.

Patrick Brown Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Brown went through waivers unclaimed, Friedman reports.

Friday: The Bruins placed center Patrick Brown on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s Providence Bruins on Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Brown, 31, has played a limited role for the Bruins after signing a two-year, $1.6MM deal in free agency last summer. Initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Hurricanes in 2014, the veteran has since appeared in 144 NHL games and 403 AHL games over the past nine years. Over the past few seasons, however, he’s managed to hold on to a depth NHL role with the Bruins, Flyers and Senators and has not appeared in the minors since the 2020-21 season as the captain of the Henderson Silver Knights, the Golden Knights’ minor-league affiliate.

The Bruins waived Brown before the 2023-24 season started and have recalled and reassigned him for brief periods throughout the first month-and-a-half of the campaign, but he’s yet to appear for AHL Providence.

Brown has been a non-factor in six NHL games with Boston this season, failing to get on the scoresheet while posting a -1 rating, two penalty minutes, and four shots on goal in 9:19 of ice time per game. He has gone a respectable 53.8% in the faceoff circle but has taken just 13 draws. His possession numbers have been low relative to his teammates, and his offensive-zone usage has been extremely limited, starting just eight percent of his shifts there.

After remaining on the active NHL roster for more than 30 days since clearing waivers last month, he’ll need to pass through them again unclaimed to return to Providence. Brown’s only appearance in the month of November came over one week ago against the Islanders, logging a season-high 11:23 of ice time but failing to get on the stat sheet in any form. He’s been a healthy scratch in six out of the last seven games.

Assigning Brown to the AHL would leave the Bruins with just 12 healthy forwards on the roster, however, so a corresponding transaction could be in the works after he passes through (or gets claimed) tomorrow. This could hint that one of Morgan Geekie or Milan Lucic, who are both on IR and LTIR, respectively, could be nearing a return.

Blue Jackets Place Emil Bemström On Waivers

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The Columbus Blue Jackets placed winger Emil Bemström on waivers Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Bemström, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2017 and has since become a familiar face in the Blue Jackets’ forward group, amassing 184 games over the last five seasons. Now in the second season of a two-year, $1.8MM contract, Bemström made the team out of camp after not doing so last year, playing in 12 games thus far with three goals, an assist and a -7 rating.

However, he has begun to fall out of favor with first-year head coach Pascal Vincent. Bemström has been scratched in three out of the last five games and posted a -2 rating in 13:29 of ice time in the Blue Jackets’ 5-3 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday.

Bemström’s linemates have changed frequently this season, although he’s spent the most time on the wing with Adam Fantilli and Alexandre Texier. In 26 minutes together across six games, it’s been one of the Blue Jackets’ worst forward lines defensively, allowing 4.68 expected goals against per 60 minutes, according to MoneyPuck.

There is no pending injured reserve activation that would force the opening of a roster spot. If the Blue Jackets decide to fill Bemström’s spot on the 23-man roster after he’s claimed or assigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, it will likely be in the form of a call-up. That could go to 2021 fifth-overall pick Kent Johnson, who’s done well in a brief stint with Cleveland. He’s posted five points in four games after getting sent down at the beginning of November.

That said, Bemström is a decent candidate for a claim, and there are likely to be a few teams considering it. He’s quite affordable, carrying a cap hit of $900K, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. He posted a career-high 22 points in 55 games with the Blue Jackets last season – a 33-point pace – after starting the year with 31 points in 21 games with Cleveland.

Canucks Place Jack Studnicka On Waivers

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The Vancouver Canucks placed forward Jack Studnicka on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks on Monday, general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement.

Studnicka, 24, has been a healthy scratch in nine out of the last ten contests. The 2017 second-round pick last played on November 2 in the team’s 10-1 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks, logging 17:09 of ice time but failing to get on the scoresheet or record a shot on goal.

This is Studnicka’s second time on the waiver wire this season. He cleared just before the season started but was recalled under emergency conditions after the Canucks’ first game after salary cap constraints forced them to dress only 17 skaters.

Studnicka was placed on the active roster from his emergency exception five days later and has remained with the Canucks since. Since more than 30 days elapsed since his initial recall on October 12, his temporary waiver exception has lapsed, and he must clear again to return to Abbotsford.

In five games with Vancouver this season, Studnicka has one goal, coming in his season debut on October 14 against the Edmonton Oilers. He has averaged 10:11 per game but attempted just eight shots during his time in the lineup, four of which got on goal.

If he clears, Studnicka could make his debut for Abbotsford this week. He has not played for Vancouver’s primary minor-league affiliate since they acquired him from the Boston Bruins in exchange for goalie prospect Michael Dipietro and defense prospect Jonathan Myrenberg early in the 2022-23 season.

In 90 NHL games across five seasons with the Bruins and Canucks, Studnicka has six goals, ten assists, 16 points, and a -16 rating. He’s been much more productive in the AHL since his pro debut in 2018, recording 34 goals and 62 assists for 96 points in 117 contests with the Providence Bruins.

Studnicka is in the final season of a two-year, $1.525MM contract with a $762.5K cap hit. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Gustav Lindström, Loan Joel Armia To AHL

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The Montreal Canadiens have recalled defenseman Gustav Lindström, according to a team announcement. In a corresponding move, the Canadiens loaned Joel Armia to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

The rationale behind these two roster moves is quite clear. The Canadiens were carrying only six defensemen, in large part thanks to the fact that they are carrying three goalies on their 23-man roster.

With defenseman Jordan Harris dealing with an injury and currently a game-time decision for tonight’s contest against the Vancouver Canucks, the Canadiens needed an extra defenseman on their roster to provide security in case Harris can’t play.

With David Savard injured, the state of the Canadiens’ defensive depth chart leaves Lindström as the team’s seventh defenseman. So the veteran has been elevated to the NHL roster, leaving the Rocket just before their game against the Manitoba Moose.

In order to recall Lindström the Canadiens needed to clear room on their roster, and to do so they’ve sent Armia to the AHL. Armia, who cleared waivers earlier this season, was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens’ win last night over the Boston Bruins. With four goals and five points for the Rocket this season, he’d be a major addition to the Laval lineup should he dress for any games.

Kings Claim Samuel Fagemo Off Waivers From Nashville

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Samuel Fagemo is once again a member of the Kings.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Los Angeles has claimed the winger off waivers from Nashville.  Back in training camp, the Predators had claimed him off waivers from the Kings.

The 23-year-old was a second-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2019 (50th overall) and is waiver-eligible for the first time this season.  Fagemo has shown a scoring touch in the minors, notching 27 goals with AHL Ontario in his first year in North America in 2021-22 and followed that up with a 23-goal effort last season.  Despite that, he didn’t see much action with the Kings, seeing just 13 games over those two campaigns.

With Los Angeles not having much in the way of cap and waiver flexibility, Fagemo was waived back in training camp where Nashville scooped him up.  However, he didn’t get much of an opportunity with them either, playing in just four games, scoring once while averaging just under ten minutes per game.  That was still enough for the Preds to decide that his roster spot would be better used elsewhere.

Because the Kings were the only team to claim Fagemo, they were allowed to send him down to Ontario, a move they have now announced (Twitter link).  Jordan Spence, who was papered down yesterday, has been recalled in a corresponding move.

Predators Place Samuel Fagemo On Waivers

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The Nashville Predators placed winger Samuel Fagemo on waivers Friday, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports.

If another team places a claim for Fagemo, it will end a very short stint for the Swedish winger in Music City. Nashville claimed Fagemo off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings just before the 2023-24 season started.

Fagemo, 23, has appeared in four out of 13 games for the Preds this season, serving as a healthy scratch for the other seven. He recorded a goal, four shots, and a season-high 12:30 of ice time in his Predators debut, which came October 21 against the San Jose Sharks, but he hasn’t gotten back on the scoresheet since.

Head coach Andrew Brunette has scratched Fagemo in three straight contests. His last appearance was November 2 against the Seattle Kraken, in which he registered two shots on goal in 8:44 of ice time.

The 50th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft carries significant goal-scoring upside. He’d notched north of 20 goals in his last two seasons in the minors, including 23 in just 56 games last season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

He’s received minimal chances to show he can translate that ability to NHL ice thus far, though. Fagemo only appeared in 13 NHL games with the Kings before they waived him, meaning he’s made 17 NHL appearances over three seasons. He’s lit the lamp three times but averaged under ten minutes per game.

His limited usage in Nashville is curious, especially given the lack of offensive production coming from their bottom six. Yakov Trenin, who’s appeared in all 13 contests and is averaging north of 15 minutes per game, has yet to record a point. Veteran center Colton Sissons has been one of their few sources of offense coming from their third and fourth lines, registering five goals and adding one assist in 13 games.

If Fagemo clears waivers, the Predators can assign him to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals tomorrow. However, if the Kings opt to put in a claim and are the only team to do so, they may send him directly to their affiliate in Ontario.

Calgary Flames Place Dryden Hunt On Waivers

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Nov. 8: Hunt has cleared waivers and has been assigned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, per a team announcement.

Nov. 7: With the news coming earlier today that forward Adam Ruzicka will be back in the lineup tonight against the Nashville Predators, the Calgary Flames have placed forward Dryden Hunt on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. Primarily serving as a depth forward for Calgary up to this point, Hunt has zero points in four games, averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time per night.

If he ultimately clears waivers by tomorrow, Hunt will return to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL, Hunt will return to a team where he had tremendous success after a midseason trade last year from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. In 17 games for the Wranglers to finish the year, Hunt put up five goals and 10 assists in 17 games, as well as six points in nine playoff appearances.

This past summer, Hunt chose to re-sign with the Flames on a two-year, $1.55MM contract, hoping to crack Calgary’s NHL roster. Only playing in one game prior to the shoulder injury sustained by Ruzicka, his missing presence in the lineup allowed Hunt to sneak into a few more games before finally being sent down this afternoon.

As a benefit to Hunt, if he does clear waivers, the Flames will not need to send him through waivers again for the next 30 days, giving him and the team more flexibility to move him up and down throughout the organization. However, for the time being, Hunt at the very least will have much more access to playing time for the Wranglers.

Edmonton Oilers Place Jack Campbell On Waivers, Recall Calvin Pickard

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Nov. 8: As expected, Campbell has cleared waivers, and Pickard has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield, per the team’s Twitter/X account.

Nov. 7: In a surprising announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers today, for the purpose of assignment. With plenty of changes seemingly coming to the Oilers after a horrific start to the year, Edmonton has decided to expose Campbell and the $20MM remaining on his contract to the rest of the league.

Back during the 2021-22 regular season, the Oilers ran with a duo of Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith throughout the year, a duo who led the team to the Western Conference Finals before ultimately being swept at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. In an attempt to dramatically improve their goaltending, Edmonton inked Campbell to a five-year, $25MM contract, prying him away from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

However, the investment has not gone accordingly for either side of the deal. In his first year as an Oiler, Campbell maintained a solid 21-9-4 record in 34 starts but also carried a .888 SV% and a 3.41 GAA. Ultimately, Campbell was replaced in the crease by rookie netminder, Stuart Skinner, who held a .913 SV% and a 2.75 GAA in 48 starts, comparatively. Nevertheless, Campbell was able to get in four starts during the 2022-23 NHL playoffs, posting dramatically improved numbers with a .961 SV% and a 1.01 GAA.

If there was any hope of Campbell carrying his playoff performance in this year’s regular season, that hope has quickly evaporated. In five starts on the year up to this point, Campbell has a 1-4-0 record, coupled with a .873 SV% and a 4.50 GAA. Although not the entire reason, the lack of adequate goaltending is a substantial factor in the Oilers’ ugly 2-8-1 record to start the 2023-24 season.

In the meantime, as it would be more than reasonable to assume Campbell will go unclaimed on waivers over the next 24 hours, PuckPedia reports that Edmonton will save approximately $1.15MM once Campbell clears and is sent down. Furthermore, Frank Seravalli of the DailyFaceoff indicates that the Oilers plan on replacing Campbell with Calvin Pickard, who is currently serving as the primary starter of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. If the team does call up Pickard, PuckPedia reports that Edmonton will only be saving approximately $388K with the move.

Although Pickard should not be seen as a long-term answer in the net, he ultimately may serve as an upgrade to both Edmonton goaltenders. Similarly to Campbell, Skinner has gotten off to an incredibly slow start with a 1-4-1 record, .856 SV%, and a 3.99 GAA. Pickard, on the other hand, holds a 2-2-0 record for the Condors so far this season, with a .939 SV% and a 2.03 GAA.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that the Oilers were placing Campbell on waivers. 

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