Waivers

Glenn Gawdin Clears Waivers

October 11, 2022 at 1:05 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Oct 11: Gawdin has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Oct 10: Over the past couple of weeks, the waiver wire has been a busy place as teams quickly pared down their rosters in preparation for the start of the season. Today, the list of players available is much smaller – just one, in fact – as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the Ducks have placed forward Glenn Gawdin on waivers.

Anaheim signed the 25-year-old in free agency back in July on the heels of another very productive season in the minors. He spent the bulk of 2021-22 with AHL Stockton, notching 15 goals and 35 assists in 62 games while also getting into a pair of games with Calgary. Gawdin’s market was strong enough that he was able to get a two-year deal from Anaheim worth the minimum in both seasons including a one-way salary for the upcoming season. Assuming he clears successfully on Tuesday, he’ll be sent to AHL San Diego where he’ll be counted on to play a big role with the Gulls.

Earlier in the day, five players were picked up off waivers – goaltender Connor Ingram (Arizona), defensemen Josh Mahura (Florida) and Jarred Tinordi (Chicago), plus forwards Axel Jonsson Fjallby (Winnipeg) and Brett Leason (Anaheim). The other 59 players from yesterday’s waiver class all passed through unclaimed.

Snapshots: Sprong, Dickinson, Mailloux

October 10, 2022 at 8:03 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 5 Comments

After converting his PTO into another NHL contract, Seattle Kraken winger Daniel Sprong isn’t able to be a full participant with the team just yet. According to The Seattle Times’ Kate Shefte, Sprong is dealing with work visa complications and is expected to rejoin the team within the next few days.

This does put Sprong’s availability for Seattle’s season opener on Wednesday in Anaheim in doubt. While Sprong was productive in terms of goals after joining the Kraken at the trade deadline last season, their added depth on the wing puts him squarely in a fourth-line role with everyone healthy. In his stead, Karson Kuhlman is expected to dress against Anaheim if Sprong can’t play.

Similarly, new Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson is also battling visa issues after arriving from Vancouver. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that Dickinson will miss the team’s first two games of the season at the least, potentially missing three. Dickinson’s absence and his ability to be designated as a non-roster player in the meantime allowed them to claim defenseman Jarred Tinordi off waivers today without making a corresponding roster move.
While Montreal Canadiens defense prospect Logan Mailloux will start the season on injured reserve, he won’t stay there for long. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels notes to expect Montreal to send him back to the OHL’s London Knights after he returns to practice. Mailloux is expected to play a full season in London after injuries and a lengthy suspension due to his sexual misconduct charge during his draft year in Sweden limited him to 12 games.

Ducks Claim Brett Leason Off Waivers

October 10, 2022 at 1:16 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While Anaheim lost a player on waivers today, they also picked one up as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed winger Brett Leason off waivers from Washington.

The 23-year-old split last season between the Capitals and their AHL affiliate in Hershey. With Washington, Leason played in 36 games, recording three goals and three assists while averaging just under nine minutes a night. He was a bit more productive with the Bears, however, tallying six goals and seven helpers in 31 contests down there. His career-best in points in the minors is only 20 despite finishing up his junior career with a dominant performance in 2018-19 that saw him put up 89 points in 55 games with WHL Prince Albert, helping to make him a second-round pick in his final year of draft eligibility.

This was Leason’s first year of being waiver-eligible and he came up just short of making Washington’s opening roster and will now try to earn himself a spot in Anaheim’s lineup over the coming days. He’s beginning the first season of a two-year, one-way contract that carries a cap hit of $775K.

Blackhawks Claim Jarred Tinordi Off Waivers

October 10, 2022 at 1:14 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 12 Comments

After moving out Riley Stillman recently, the Blackhawks have made a move to add some grit on their back end as NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed Jarred Tinordi off waivers from the Rangers.

The fact that Tinordi was picked up might come as a bit of a surprise as he passed through unclaimed back in January but Chicago feels they have a need for the 30-year-old. He’s coming off a season that saw him spend most of his time with AHL Hartford where he had a goal and four assists along with 56 penalty minutes in 32 games. Tinordi also got into seven games with New York, picking up a single goal.

Tinordi has played in 109 career NHL contests over parts of nine seasons, picking up 132 blocks and 242 hits over that span. Being a reserve defenseman is a role that he is accustomed to having and that’s likely what helped convince Chicago to make this claim. As a rebuilding squad, they’re better off having a veteran as the seventh defender that only suits up in certain matchups than having a youngster in the press box. Tinordi is in the final year of his contract which carries a $900K cap hit. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

Jets Claim Axel Jonsson Fjallby Off Waivers

October 10, 2022 at 1:12 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Winnipeg’s bottom six forward group has undergone some changes over the offseason and one more change has been made as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed winger Axel Jonsson Fjallby off waivers from Washington.

It’s the second season in a row that the 24-year-old has been claimed off waivers as Buffalo scooped him up a season ago only to waive him less than a week later with a visa issue playing a role in that. Washington reclaimed Jonsson Fjallby at that time and sent him to the minors where he had a productive season with Hershey, notching 16 goals and 18 assists in 44 games. However, he also got his first taste of NHL action, picking up two goals and two assists in 23 games while logging over 11 minutes a night with the Caps.

Jonsson Fjallby is in the final season of a two-year, two-way deal that pays the league minimum at the NHL level and will need to have much more of a regular role in Winnipeg for him to play enough games to avoid being eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency next summer. He’ll take the place of Jansen Harkins on the roster for the Jets after Harkins cleared waivers earlier today.

Panthers Claim Josh Mahura Off Waivers

October 10, 2022 at 1:08 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Florida has added some extra depth on the back end as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed defenseman Josh Mahura off waivers from Anaheim.

The 24-year-old spent all of last season with the Ducks, his first full year at the NHL level. However, his role was somewhat limited as he suited up in just 38 games (while only missing 13 due to injury). He had three goals and four assists in those games while logging a little over 14 minutes per night. Over parts of a four-year NHL career (all in Anaheim), Mahura has six goals and 14 helpers in 79 contests while averaging more than a hit and block per game.

Mahura is in the final season of a two-year deal that’s worth the league minimum of $750K so he’s a low-cost flyer for the Panthers. With Lucas Carlsson and Michael Del Zotto both clearing waivers today, they’ll be sent down to make room on the roster for Mahura while team reporter Jameson Olive relays (Twitter link) that fellow blueliner Matt Kiersted is listed as day-to-day.

Coyotes Claim Connor Ingram

October 10, 2022 at 1:05 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

For the second time this preseason, the Coyotes have added to their goaltending depth as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed Connor Ingram off waivers from Nashville.

The 25-year-old saw his first NHL action last season, getting into three games during the regular season with the Predators, posting a 3.71 GAA along with a .879 SV%. However, after David Rittich struggled in the opening game of the playoffs (with Juuse Saros out of the lineup), Nashville turned to Ingram for the rest of their series against Colorado and he held his own with a .913 SV% in the three games he suited up in.

Ingram has a much better track record of success in the minors which is likely what prompted the Coyotes to put in a claim. He has a save percentage of .919 over parts of six seasons in the AHL, spanning 149 games. He’s in the final season of a three-year minimum contract that carries a $733K AAV so he’s certainly a low-cost option for them to try.

Karel Vejmelka is set to enter the season as the starter while Ingram will be battling fellow waiver claim Jonas Johansson for the second-string role. Meanwhile, Jon Gillies, who entered camp as the potential backup, cleared waivers today and will be on his way to Tucson of the AHL.

Avalanche Notes: Waivers, Newhook, Helm

October 9, 2022 at 3:57 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 7 Comments

Saying the Colorado Avalanche have had a flurry of waiver-wire activity over the past couple of days surely wouldn’t make them unique; that would make them about a dime-a-dozen amongst other NHL clubs. However, their situation has created some buzz, and now we’re getting some clarity on it as well that not all teams necessarily provide. For one, as reported by Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater, former top prospects Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut, who were both placed on waivers yesterday, cleared and have been assigned to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Given the sheer number of players being placed on waivers this weekend, it’s not shocking that this pair would clear, especially given their lack of NHL success, however it was interesting to see the two placed on waivers given their former status as prospects and their still relatively young age (both are 23).

Turning to today’s waiver players, we noted earlier in today’s Waivers tracker that the Avalanche have put forwards Anton Blidh and Mikhail Maltsev on waivers. When head coach Jared Bednar met with the media, including Dater, earlier today, he shed some light on why that decision was made, indicating the two players were placed on waivers for “cap flexibility” purposes. That itself is not particularly surprising, considering that’s likely the reason for many waiver placements around the league right now, but Bednar did continue, saying that he felt Maltsev was “too quiet” in camp. The coach also added, without naming any specific names, “there’s a lot of guys that can ’play hockey.’ But we’re trying to win.”

For the most part, training camp is used as a time to decide who makes the roster, and for those who have already secured a spot, it may be about deciding where they play and what role(s) they occupy. That was set to be the case this camp for Avalanche center Alex Newhook, who appeared to be in line for the open second-line center job that was left vacant by Nazem Kadri who signed with the Calgary Flames. However, the team also inked veteran center Evan Rodrigues to a one-year, $2MM contract his offseason, giving Newhook formidable competition for the role. With camp in the rear-view and a focus on the regular season ahead, it seems as though the Avalanche have not made a concrete decision on who will occupy what role. Instead, Bednar told the media, including Dater, that he will give Newhook a real, everyday chance to win the job over “a couple of months.” The decision to essentially not make one, appears to make sense. Operating this way will not only to allow Colorado to evaluate team chemistry and see how Newhook’s development continues, but also to see where Rodrigues stands, who broke out with 43 points in 82 games last year.
On the injury front, Bednar said veteran forward Darren Helm likely won’t be able to play until “some time” early in the season. Helm, who played through an abdominal injury during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run last spring, is still recovering. A lack of a concrete timetable at this juncture is a bit concerning, however an early season return is nonetheless encouraging.

Arizona Coyotes Claim Juuso Valimaki

October 9, 2022 at 1:29 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Arizona Coyotes have claimed defenseman Juuso Valimaki off waivers from the Calgary Flames. He is the only player from yesterday’s waivers complement that failed to clear.

Valimaki is the second player from the 2017 NHL Draft’s first round to get moved today after the St. Louis Blues dealt Klim Kostin to the Edmonton Oilers. Valimaki was the 16th overall selection.

It’s hard to classify Valimaki’s career at this point. If you’d consider him a bust, it’s certainly not his fault – he’s missed considerable time to injuries over the course of his development, including the entire 2019-20 season. Valimaki played in just nine NHL games with the Flames in 2021-22 after being a full-time player in 2020-21, though, and he had 18 points in 35 games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. His role within the organization was slipping under the new Darryl Sutter regime.

Now, he gets his second shot at a regular lineup spot, this time with the Coyotes. With Jakob Chychrun injured to start the season, Valimaki could conceivably even earn a top-four spot, slotting in on the second pairing behind Shayne Gostisbehere at left defense. He was passable as a full-time player in that 2020-21 season, notching 11 points in 46 games and holding his own during what was a tough season for the Flames overall.

Waivers: 10/09/22

October 9, 2022 at 12:05 pm CDT | by John Gilroy 9 Comments

With Monday’s season-opening roster deadline quickly approaching, the activity on the waiver wire is likely to pick up as teams get closer to making their final cuts. We’ll keep track of today’s waiver placements here.

Anaheim Ducks

D Josh Mahura

Arizona Coyotes

F Laurent Dauphin
D Cam Dineen
G Jon Gillies
F Bokondji Imama

Boston Bruins

F Nick Foligno
D Mike Reilly
F Chris Wagner

Chicago Blackhawks

F Buddy Robinson

Colorado Avalanche

F Anton Blidh
F Mikhail Maltsev

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Emil Bemstrom