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Coyotes Place Jean-Sebastien Dea On Unconditional Waivers

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The Coyotes are parting ways with one of their minor league veterans as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they have placed center Jean-Sebastien Dea on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating the final year of his contract.  He is the only player on waivers today.

The 29-year-old has been a productive player in the AHL throughout his career.  Last season, he finished third in scoring with AHL Tucson, notching 23 goals and 27 assists in 67 games.  That helped earn him four appearances with Arizona, the most single-season games he had played at the top level since 2020-21.

For his career, Dea has played in 517 career AHL games spanning 11 seasons, recording 153 goals and 188 assists.  However, his NHL time has been limited as he has just 37 appearances with four different organizations where production has been much harder to come by as he has just five goals and two helpers to his name.

Dea had one year left on his contract which paid $775K in the NHL and had a guaranteed salary of $300K in the minors that he will be walking away from; Arizona will have no lingering cap charge.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie adds (Twitter link) that Dea requested his release to pursue an opportunity in Europe.  Once Dea clears waivers on Sunday, the Coyotes will be free to terminate his deal, making him a free agent and lowering their number of contracts to 47 out of the limit of 50.

Philadelphia Flyers Waive Tony DeAngelo For Purposes Of Buyout

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Saturday: DeAngelo has cleared waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports, paving the way for the buyout to be completed.

Friday: It appears the rumored trade between the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes won’t be happening after all. Today, the Flyers placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on unconditional waivers, which CapFriendly initially clarified is for the purpose of contract termination. The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor later contradicted CapFriendly’s initial report, claiming DeAngelo’s waiver placement is for the purposes of a buyout, which was later confirmed.

After the Flyers acquired DeAngelo’s negotiating rights from the Hurricanes last summer and promptly signed him to a two-year, $10MM deal, his relationship with head coach John Tortorella became tenuous, culminating in a string of healthy scratches to end the season. Reporting suggested the Flyers and Hurricanes had worked out a deal to send DeAngelo back to Raleigh this offseason, which would have involved the Flyers retaining half of DeAngelo’s $5MM cap hit on the final season of his contract and receiving center prospect Massimo Rizzo in return. However, the league blocked the trade at the time, claiming it circumvented the salary cap, and didn’t permit the deal to go through until July 8, 2023, exactly one year after the initial trade, which sent DeAngelo’s rights to Philadelphia.

The trade never actually went through, though, and now DeAngelo will find himself free to sign with any team that will have him – including Carolina. The buyout option became available to the Flyers after settling with forward Noah Cates before his arbitration hearing.

The buyout will cost the Flyers $1.67MM against the cap for the next two seasons compared to a one-time $2.5MM cap hit next year via salary retention. While the team is in the throes of a rebuild and doesn’t anticipate spending to the salary cap, the decision to buy DeAngelo out rather than trade him does offer slightly more short-term financial relief.

DeAngelo is an elite offensive-minded defender but a rather significant defensive liability, which chiefly contributed to his fallout with Tortorella in Philadelphia. When taking into consideration he’s played on three teams in the past three seasons and has now been bought out twice in that time frame, it seems unlikely he’ll find any long-term commitments on the open market.

Moving on from DeAngelo will certainly shift more point-producing burden onto youngster Cam York, who looked quite capable last season with 20 points in 54 games. The 22-year-old signed a two-year, $3.2MM extension with the Flyers earlier this week.

DeAngelo, 27, led Flyers defensemen in scoring last season with 42 points in 70 games. It was his third straight full season posting more than 40 points – he played just six games in 2020-21 before getting involved in a post-game altercation with then-teammate Alexandar Georgiev, which resulted in a waiver placement and assignment to the team’s taxi squad for the remainder of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Terminate Alex Galchenyuk’s Contract

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July 14: 11:09 a.m.: The Coyotes have completed the termination process, meaning Galchenyuk cleared waivers. The team released a full statement:

We are aware of the incident involving Alex Galchenyuk and strongly condemn this type of behavior. Once the Club was made aware of the allegations, we immediately began the process of terminating his Standard Player’s Contract through the proper channels in conjunction with the National Hockey League. As a result, the Arizona Coyotes today have exercised the team’s right to terminate the contract of Alex Galchenyuk due to a material breach of the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract. The Club will have no further comment at this time.

July 13, 4:40 p.m: The Athletic’s Katie Strang reports that Galchenyuk “was arrested on July 9 on a number of charges including private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, Threatening or Intimidating.”

Strang also added clarification from Scottsdale Police that the hit-and-run incident was “only property damage and no injuries.”

July 13, 12:25 p.m.: ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports the Coyotes “had discovered an ’off-ice situation’ impacting Galchenyuk that was previously unknown to the team,” influencing the termination.

July 13, 11:18 a.m.: The Arizona Coyotes are parting ways with forward Alex Galchenyuk after they brought him back to the organization for his third stint just under two weeks ago. The team has placed him on waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract today.

Arizona did not say this is a mutual termination – potentially meaning that Galchenyuk has violated terms set forth in his contract in a manner that is grounds for termination. The team specified they wouldn’t be commenting further, and PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan adds the NHLPA is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Galchenyuk’s termination.

Galchenyuk now lands on waivers, where all 31 teams can claim his one-year, two-way contract for next season for free. He had signed a deal carrying a base salary of $775K, a minors salary of $225K, and a minimum guaranteed salary of $325K with Arizona on July 1. Without any insight into why his contract is being terminated by the Coyotes, though, a claim is unlikely.

The 2012 third-overall pick spent most of last season in the minors with the Colorado Avalanche organization, producing at a point-per-game clip with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He failed to register a point in 11 appearances with the Avalanche after posting 21 points in 60 games with the Coyotes the season before.

Galchenyuk will become an unrestricted free agent again if the termination goes through, permitting him to sign anywhere he chooses inside or outside the NHL.

Detroit Red Wings Expected To Terminate Filip Zadina’s Contract

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Jul 6: As expected, Zadina is on the waiver wire today for the purposes of mutual contract termination, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’s joined by New York Islanders farmhand Andy Andreoff, who had one season left on a two-way contract.

Jul 5: The Detroit Red Wings are expected to place 2018 sixth-overall pick Filip Zadina on waivers again tomorrow, this time for the purpose of terminating his contract, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

There’s little reason to believe anyone would issue a claim if Detroit does opt to go the contract termination route, considering Zadina cleared just yesterday and was made available to all 31 teams via trade – yet he remains a Red Wing today.

The reason for that isn’t necessarily that no one wants to take him on as a reclamation project. It’s the financial commitment that comes with him – he’s got two seasons remaining on a backloaded $1.825MM AAV contract that would result in a costly gamble for a team claiming him if it doesn’t pan out. In real cash, he’s owed $4.56MM over the next two seasons.

It’s money that Zadina could willing to walk away from entirely to have a better chance of a successful NHL career, says Friedman. Although Zadina’s agent, Darren Ferris, declined to comment on the matter, Friedman’s reporting suggests Zadina has made it clear he would not report if assigned to the AHL next season, which would violate his contract and result in suspension without pay.

With both Zadina and Detroit cleared of any contractual obligation to each other, he would then be free to sign with any team in the league – giving him full control over his destiny, at least among the teams interested in adding him. Zadina had already requested a trade before the draft, which Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman expressed earlier in the week, but again cited Zadina’s contract as a significant obstacle in moving him.

Yzerman had expressed his reluctance to put Zadina on waivers, considering he’d signed the winger to a three-year contract just a year ago with the belief that he would continue to develop. It didn’t happen this season, as he posted just seven points in 30 games and averaged 13:05 per game.

All that being said, it’s fair to speculate now which teams could have interest in picking up the Czech-born winger, and where he could have success and ultimately develop into the top-six (or top-nine, at this point) forward he was projected to be.

Somewhat ironically, Zadina has some history with two teams that could make sense. Before falling to Detroit at sixth overall at the 2018 Draft, Zadina said regarding two teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, that “if they will pass on me, I’m going to fill their nets with pucks.” Montreal selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi third overall, while Ottawa selected now-captain Brady Tkachuk with the fourth selection. Both teams are looking to add some forward depth today, and Montreal has displayed a liking to taking on reclamation projects in recent years (Kirby Dach, Denis Gurianov, Alex Newhook).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Waive Patrik Nemeth, Zack Kassian For Purposes Of Buyout

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June 21: Kassian and Nemeth have both cleared conditional waivers, paving the way for the Coyotes to buy them out, CapFriendly reports.

June 20: The Arizona Coyotes have placed defenseman Patrik Nemeth and forward Zack Kassian on unconditional waivers for the purposes of a buyout today, NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston reports.

Nemeth, 31, carried a modified no-trade clause and was slated to be the Coyotes’ highest-paid active defenseman heading into 2023-24. Buying out the final season of Nemeth’s $2.5MM average annual value contract gives Arizona $2.33MM in savings next year (he’ll carry a cap hit of just $167,667), but he’ll cost the team $1.167MM against the cap in 2024-25, per CapFriendly’s buyout calculator.

Kassian had one season remaining on his deal at a $3.2MM cap hit but was only due $2.3MM in salary. The Coyotes will save an additional $1.533MM next season with the Kassian buyout, bringing his cap hit down to $1.67MM, but will incur a $766,667 cap hit in 2024-25. Altogether, the buyouts create $3.867MM in cap space for the Coyotes next year, but they’ll incur a combined $1.933MM buyout charge between Kassian and Nemeth in 2024-25.

Arizona was already one of six NHL teams below next season’s salary cap Lower Limit of $61.7MM – including over $21MM in dead cap allotted to Bryan Little, Jakub Voracek, and Shea Weber. The team has four restricted free agents to re-sign – Christian Fischer, Connor Ingram, Jack McBain, and Matias Maccelli – but they likely won’t make up the $10MM Arizona now needs to spend to hit the cap floor, per CapFriendly.

Acquiring unrestricted free agents will be a challenge given the team’s significant long-term uncertainty, although with Mullett Arena secured as their 2023-24 home, they may be able to attract a spattering of players on one-year deals. The team’s internal salary budget is almost certainly close to (if not lower than) that $61.7MM floor, so freeing up space to allot to younger players (internally or externally) does make some modicum of sense from a financial standpoint.

Both Nemeth and Kassian will be free to sign anywhere as unrestricted free agents on July 1. Nemeth recorded just five assists in 75 games last season in a bottom-pairing role, posting poor relative possession numbers for the second straight season. Kassian, now strictly an enforcer at this point in his career, could be headed for retirement after scoring just twice in 51 games, recording a career-worst -18 rating despite playing under 10 minutes per game.

John Hayden Clears Waivers; Assigned To AHL

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May 30: Hayden has cleared waivers and can join Coachella for their series, which continues on Thursday. The team has now officially assigned him to the AHL.

May 29: In a move with very unusual timing, the Seattle Kraken have placed forward John Hayden on waivers, per CapFriendly, likely to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The Firebirds are alive and well in their pursuit of the Calder Cup, up 2-0 in their Western Conference Final series against the Milwaukee Admirals. Hayden, who had 33 points in 47 games with them this season, needs waivers to return for the remainder of their playoff run.

The timing remains mysterious, as Hayden had remained on Seattle’s active roster after their postseason ended days ago. Seattle placed Jesper Frödén on waivers earlier in the month to return him to Coachella Valley after their elimination, but Hayden has remained on the Kraken roster, not able to play in the minors.

The 28-year-old grinding winger is a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a one-year deal in free agency with the Kraken last offseason. He played seven NHL games this season, scoring twice.

Seattle Kraken Waive Jesper Frödén

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May 17: Frödén has cleared waivers, per CapFriendly, and will join the Firebirds as they attempt to close out their Division Final series tonight against the Calgary Wranglers.

May 16: After their storybook second season came to a close last night, the Seattle Kraken have placed forward Jesper Frödén on waivers, according to CapFriendly. If he clears tomorrow, the move will allow him to join their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as they look to advance to the Western Conference Final of this year’s Calder Cup Playoffs.

Frödén will almost undoubtedly clear, given he’ll be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 28-year-old Swedish forward suited up for Game 4 of the team’s first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, playing just over four minutes.

An undrafted free agent, Frödén had signed with the Kraken this season after a strong first professional campaign in the Boston Bruins organization last year. He built on that initial success, registering over a point per game with Coachella Valley and earning a 14-game NHL stint with the Kraken in the regular season, posting four assists.

With Seattle’s deep forward corps on full display in the postseason, it seems unlikely Frödén would opt for a return in 2023-24. His minor-league production and decent (but limited) NHL looks suggest he may be capable of handling a bottom-six role on a more full-time basis, a chance he likely won’t get in Seattle. Look for Frödén to find a home in free agency where more opportunity exists for him to move up on the depth chart.

Noah Juulsen Placed On Waivers

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The Vancouver Canucks aren’t going to make the playoffs this season, but the Abbotsford Canucks sure are. The AHL club has secured its postseason berth and will soon start a Calder Cup run. They may get a reinforcement, as Noah Juulsen has been placed on waivers today by Vancouver for the purpose of assignment to the AHL.

Juulsen, 26, was included in a paper transaction at the deadline so that he is eligible for the minor league postseason, and will now officially rejoin Abbotsford to help on the run. The 2015 first-round pick has bounced back and forth throughout his entire career, never able to establish himself as a full-time NHLer.

It’s been a very disrupted path for Juulsen, who has dealt with scary eye injuries, team changes, and a lack of consistent playing time. Since debuting in 2017, he has only played 223 professional games, and more than half of those have come since joining the Canucks organization in 2021.

It is almost unthinkable for him to be claimed at this point in the year, meaning he should have no issue reporting to Abbotsford and trying to help them win a Calder in the coming weeks.

Mark Friedman Clears Waivers

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April 13: Friedman has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues before tonight’s game.

April 12: As the team is getting healthier with their season on the line, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers today, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

While it’s rare for a player to hit waivers after the trade deadline, let alone this late in the season, the move comes out of salary cap necessity for Pittsburgh. Defenseman Marcus Pettersson has progressed in his recovery from a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision tomorrow night, per head coach Mike Sullivan, meaning the team needs to clear some cap room to activate Pettersson from long-term injured reserve.

Friedman and his $775,000 salary are the odd factors out here, and assuming the near-given scenario that he clears waivers, will be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tomorrow. The 27-year-old has split the season evenly between the two teams, playing a total of 47 pro games and recording nine points.

After dropping their last home game of the regular season to the Chicago Blackhawks last night, 5-2, the Penguins must rely on the 68-point Montreal Canadiens to defeat the New York Islanders in regulation tonight to keep their playoff hopes alive. Pittsburgh would then need a regulation win against Columbus on Thursday to continue their 16-year postseason streak.

Friedman, strictly a depth defender, had suited up in 12 straight games for Pittsburgh before he was a healthy scratch against Chicago.

Predators Place John Leonard On Waivers

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April 5: Leonard has cleared waivers and been assigned to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville announced today.

April 4: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Nashville Predators have placed forward John Leonard on waivers. Leonard was recalled by the Predators on an emergency loan yesterday. The forward was acquired by the Predators from the San Jose Sharks in the trade for Luke Kunin.

Leonard was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Sharks out of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. As he made his transition to the NHL, Leonard scored three goals and 10 assists in his first 44 games in the professional leagues.

During last year, Leonard primarily played for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda, scoring 17 goals and 15 assists in only 45 games played. Although he was scoring over a 0.5 PPG basis in the AHL last season, Leonard posted a dreadful -28 +/-, leading to serious questions about his play on the defensive side of the puck.

As he was acquired from Nashville over the summer, Leonard has once again played a majority of his year in the AHL, this time playing for the Predators’ AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals. Although he is still scoring over a 0.5 PPG basis, his offensive output is slightly down this season. Playing in 61 games for the Admirals, the forward has 14 goals and 24 assists. For the next 24 hours, Leonard will be sitting in roster limbo, as every team will have the opportunity to claim him, or the Predators will stow him back down in the AHL.

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