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Wayne Simmonds, Zach Sanford Clear Waivers

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Nov 23: While Hellberg was claimed yet again, both Simmonds and Sanford have cleared and can be sent to the minor leagues.

Nov 22: The NHL waiver wire is busy today, with three names available for claim. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zach Sanford of the Nashville Predators, and Magnus Hellberg of the Seattle Kraken have all been placed on waivers.

For Simmonds, this isn’t much of a surprise. The 34-year-old has already passed through waivers once this season in early October. No longer a regular in the Toronto lineup, he has bounced up and down between the NHL and AHL whenever necessary, playing in just four games to this point. He’ll likely continue to do the same thing, but needed to have his waiver clock reset after 30 days on the active roster had passed.

Hellberg, meanwhile, will just have to hope he doesn’t have to move again. The veteran netminder signed with the Seattle Kraken but when the team tried to waive him early in the year, the Ottawa Senators grabbed him while they dealt with goaltending issues. While he was taken back by the Kraken, he hasn’t actually played for them yet and is now at risk of another claim. Given his success in the KHL and .935 save percentage in one game with Ottawa, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Hellberg on his way to a new team tomorrow.

It’s Sanford that is somewhat surprising among the three players, as this will be his first time on waivers. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $850K contract with the Predators in the offseason after splitting last year between the Senators and Winnipeg Jets. In eight games so far he has just two points, and saw fewer than 13 minutes in last night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Notably, he took an interference penalty in a tie game with only 2:52 remaining that could have easily cost the Predators the game, though they would eventually kill it off and win in a shootout.

Because of his size, inexpensive contract, and history of success in the league – Sanford scored 16 goals and 30 points in 58 games during the 2019-20 season – there’s a reasonable argument to be made for a team to claim him. If he isn’t taken, though, clearing waivers will give the Predators a bit more roster flexibility.

Detroit Red Wings Claim Magnus Hellberg

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For the third time this season, Magnus Hellberg has been claimed on waivers. The veteran netminder is off to the Detroit Red Wings this time, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

It was Detroit that signed Hellberg out of the KHL last season, and where he made his NHL return for one game. Their interest in him is obvious and yet, this is still something of a curious move.

Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic are in place as the current duo, though the latter has experienced serious struggles this year. With an .873 save percentage, the 26-year-old has been one of the weakest netminders in the NHL and looks quite different from the goalie that was so good down the stretch for Carolina in 2021.

With Hellberg now in the mix, it’s unclear where Nedeljkovic’s future stands. He carries a $3MM cap hit this season and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the year.

Sabres Claim Tyson Jost Off Waivers From Wild

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The Sabres have added some extra depth up front as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that they have claimed center Tyson Jost off waivers from Minnesota.

The 24-year-old was acquired by the Wild back at the trade deadline last season in exchange for Nico Sturm.  They were hoping that a change of scenery would help Jost to unlock the potential he showed in the past that made him the 10th overall pick in 2016.  He was a little better down the stretch last season with six points in 21 games which gave them cause for a little bit of optimism heading into this season.

Unfortunately, things haven’t gone well this season.  Jost was limited to just three assists in 12 games while spending a lot of time on the left wing.  He was also a healthy scratch in five games and that’s simply not a good return on a $2MM price tag.  Unable to trade him, the Wild put Jost on waivers yesterday.  His full contract will come off the books which will give GM Bill Guerin considerably more flexibility as he looks to upgrade his roster that currently sits on the outside looking in at the playoff race.

As for Buffalo, it’s a claim that doesn’t carry a lot of risk and there’s a clear path to playing time for Jost.  Riley Sheahan is currently playing center on their fourth line and Jost represents a younger, more talented option at this point of his career.  If the Sabres envision him on the wing, Anders Bjork has already cleared waivers this season and the Sabres took advantage of that as he was sent back to AHL Rochester in a corresponding move.

Notably, Jost’s contract is a little back-loaded so while his cap hit is $2MM, his qualifying offer next summer stands at $2.25MM, his actual salary this season.  He’ll need to show some improvement if he wants a chance at receiving that tender in June; perhaps this change of scenery will be the one to help get him going.

Nikita Zaitsev Assigned To AHL, Two Placed On Waivers

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November 18: After clearing waivers last week. the Senators have now officially sent Zaitsev to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

November 9: Three players have hit waivers today, including some rather expensive defensemen. Mike Reilly has been waived by the Boston Bruins for the second time this season, now that his clock needed to be reset. If a player suits up for 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on the active roster after clearing waivers, they must clear again before being sent down.

With Charlie McAvoy expected to be activated in the coming days, the Bruins needed to open a roster spot and some cap space. Reilly’s $3MM won’t come off the books entirely if sent down to the minor leagues, however, meaning the team may need to make another transaction like moving Derek Forbort to long-term injured reserve to make the financials work.

The Ottawa Senators have also placed Nikita Zaitsev and Magnus Hellberg on waivers, a disappointing outcome for the former who signed a seven-year, $31.5MM contract in 2017 only to see his play deteriorate substantially in the seasons since. Zaitsev has played in seven of the Senators games this season and saw fewer than 12 minutes of ice time last night against the Vancouver Canucks. He was on the ice for two goals against despite those limited minutes and has been unable to provide consistent defensive effort for the team.

If he clears, the veteran defenseman can be sent to the minor leagues, giving the Senators a bit of cap relief. He will still make his entire salary in the AHL, however, not something that Ottawa likes to do with high-priced talent.

Hellberg, meanwhile, seems like the most reasonable target of the three for any team that is looking for some goaltending help. Nabbed from the Seattle Kraken before the season began, he stopped 29 of 30 shots in his only appearance with the Senators and recently had a long run of success in the KHL. The 6’6″ netminder wasn’t needed anymore with Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg healthy, but could be an asset for other teams.

Scott Harrington Clears Waivers

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November 18: Harrington has cleared waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The Sharks are now free to assign him to the AHL.

November 17: For the second time this season, Scott Harrington has been placed on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. The veteran defenseman had previously cleared on October 13 and needed them again (after spending more than a month on the active roster) if the San Jose Sharks wanted to send him down.

Harrington, 29, has only played two games during that stretch and neither of them came this month. It’s been a long time since he actually got onto the ice, last suiting up for the Sharks’ October 22 game against the New Jersey Devils. With the team now home for three games, they can afford to loan him to the San Jose Barracuda for some game action to keep him sharp, though Harrington will likely remain a call-up option for them throughout the year.

That is of course unless he is claimed, which isn’t entirely out of the question. Signed to a one-year, two-way deal that carries a cap hit of just $750K, there are worse options on NHL rosters around the league. Harrington has over 200 games of NHL experience and was a rather effective option just a few years ago. While he won’t light up the scoresheet with points, he could represent an upgrade over some sixth or seventh defensemen.

Still, as always with these depth players hitting waivers, a claim remains the more unlikely outcome. If he clears, the Barracuda play a back-to-back this weekend in Tucson where he could make his AHL season debut.

Minnesota Wild To Waive Tyson Jost

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Forward Tyson Jost will be placed on waivers by the Minnesota Wild when the 1:00 p.m. CT deadline hits, according to a Tweet from the team’s public relations department.

After a strong training camp, it’s been anything but to begin the season for Jost. The 24-year-old, acquired via trade last season, has just three assists through 12 games and has been a healthy scratch five times. Averaging just 12:44 per night, his spot in the lineup has faded away with Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno returning to health.

His $2MM cap hit will likely be a deterrent for most teams, keeping him in the Wild organization. However, it’s not inconceivable that a team near the bottom of the standings would take a flyer on the 2016 tenth overall pick. However, he’s only managed to eclipse the 10-goal mark twice and never had more than 30 points in a 354-game NHL career.

The last time Jost played in the AHL was 2018-19, scoring five points in an eight-game stint. It seems as though that might be where he ends up for at least a few days, if he clears waivers.

Nikita Soshnikov Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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Nov 16, 5:15 PM: The Islanders have announced that Soshnikov has been assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders.

Nov 16, 1:05 PM: Soshnikov has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Nov 15: The New York Islanders have placed Nikita Soshnikov on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Should he clear, the team could assign him to the minor leagues, completely burying his $750K cap hit.

Soshnikov, 29, came back to North America after spending the last three seasons in the KHL, and it seemed as though he might find some new life on this side of the ocean. After all, the undrafted forward had been great in his time back home, scoring 98 points in 137 regular season games. Things haven’t gone so well though, with the Islanders only icing him three times this season.

If he does clear, one has to wonder whether Soshnikov will request a contract termination to go back to the KHL instead of reporting to the minor leagues. It’s been years since he played in the AHL on a regular basis, and there would certainly be interest in him by some of the better programs in Russia. We’ll have to wait and see what the Islanders have planned for him and the roster spot he currently occupies, but it might be close to the end of Soshnikov in the NHL.

In those three appearances this season he has not registered a point, meaning his career total is now 16 in 90 games played.

Lightning Claim Rudolfs Balcers Off Waivers

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Rudolfs Balcers is staying in Florida.  At least, he’s staying in the State of Florida as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Lightning have claimed the winger off waivers from the Panthers.

The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with Florida this past summer after being bought out by San Jose despite putting up 11 goals and 12 assists in 61 games last season, all career highs.  He had played in all 14 games for the Panthers this season, potting two goals and two assists despite logging a little under 11 minutes of playing time per game.  However, the team needed to waive someone in order to create a spot for Aaron Ekblad to be activated off LTIR and the team decided that Balcers was the better choice between him and veteran center Eric Staal.

Florida will be at 12 forwards on the active roster once that move is officially made later today with one of those being Patric Hornqvist who has been injured for more than a week.  However, the team confirmed (Twitter link) that the veteran will be able to return today, meaning the Panthers will be able to ice a full roster although they won’t have enough cap space to carry any spare players which could be problematic when injuries arise.

Balcers could immediately jump into Tampa Bay’s lineup with the team only previously carrying the minimum 12 forwards including youngster Cole Koepke who hasn’t produced much in the early going as he has been held off the scoresheet through his first dozen career NHL contests.  Balcers would be an upgrade on Koepke on their fourth line, one that won’t have any significant cap effects since he’s signed at the league minimum with arbitration eligibility next summer.  With the Lightning only being able to afford cheap pickups while making sure they can be cap-compliant for when Anthony Cirelli is able to come off LTIR, this pickup is certainly a worthwhile one, especially if he’s able to produce at the level he did last season with the Sharks.

Laurent Brossoit Clears Waivers

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Nov 11: Brossoit has cleared waivers and can remain with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Nov 10: The Vegas Golden Knights had a roster crunch coming, as Laurent Brossoit inched closer to a return from injury. The team had two goaltenders – Logan Thompson and Adin Hill – playing outstanding hockey, with only the former waiver-exempt. Instead of moving one of them out, they’ve decided to risk Brossoit today, placing him on waivers according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Brossoit, 29, is coming back from hip surgery and has played two games with the Henderson Silver Knights on a conditioning loan. His placement on waivers today indicates that he is healthy enough to be activated, and suggests that he will be headed back to Henderson if he clears.

It won’t just be the injury that makes teams hesitate to claim Brossoit. He has a $2.325MM cap hit this season in the final year of his deal and he was brutal in the conditioning games, allowing nine goals on 39 shots. For someone to invest in him now, it would mean keeping him on the NHL roster. Even last season didn’t go well, with Brossoit posting an .895 in 24 games for Vegas.

More likely he’ll end up piecing his game back together in the minor leagues and waiting for another opportunity with the Golden Knights. Thompson and Hill are anything but proven at this point, so even if they are playing well there’s no guarantee it continues. Having a veteran option like Brossoit would be ideal for a club like Vegas which has its eyes set on the Stanley Cup once again.

Rudolfs Balcers To Be Placed On Waivers

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The Florida Panthers moved several players to the minor leagues yesterday to prepare for the return of Aaron Ekblad but they still needed a little bit more cap space to get their star defenseman off long-term injured reserve. Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Kate Engleson of Bally Sports that it will be Rudolfs Balcers hitting waivers today to make room.

Balcers, 25, got off to a quick start with the Panthers this year but has seen his ice time limited in recent weeks and has just one point in his last nine games. The Latvian forward cleared waivers just a few months ago with the San Jose Sharks and is on a one-year, one-way contract worth $750K.

Interestingly, as CapFriendly points out, while waiving Balcers with the intention of assigning him to the minor leagues will clear enough cap space for Ekblad – it only just makes it. The team would be at the minimum of 18 skaters on the roster and would have no room to call up anyone else. That can result in some very tricky situations if players suffer injuries that do not require injured reserve. In that case, the Panthers would need to make some additional moves or play shorthanded.

Staying pressed right up against the cap ceiling could have some serious financial ramifications for the Panthers in other ways, too. Both Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight have significant performance bonuses in their entry-level contracts that would be carried over to next season if the team does not have the cap space to fit them in this year. The pair could earn as much as $2.7MM combined, though they would have to hit specific metrics for that to happen. The team is currently dealing with an overage of $637.5K from this mechanism last season.

So while activating Ekblad is certainly going to help the team on the ice, the cap situation in Florida continues to be a difficult puzzle to navigate for general manager Bill Zito.

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