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Taro Hirose Clears Waivers

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According to CapFriendly, Detroit Red Wings forward Taro Hirose has cleared waivers after being placed on them yesterday (link). Hirose will now report to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, who play their final game of the season tonight on the road against the Cleveland Monsters. The Griffins however, are not headed to the AHL playoffs, so if Hirose plays tonight, it would be his last game action of the NHL and AHL seasons.

The 25-year-old Hirose has bounced between the NHL and AHL the past four seasons, spending all of them in the Detroit organization. A standout at Michigan State for three seasons, Hirose turned pro in 2019, joining the Red Wings for 10 games down the stretch, putting up an impressive seven points. In the three seasons since, Hirose has played in 47 NHL games, tallying just 13 points in the process.

The forward has found success though in the AHL, where he has been one of the Griffins key players. This season, Hirose has 15 goals and 38 assists in 59 games for Grand Rapids, his highest points and games played totals in his AHL career. What’s next in his career remains to be seen, as Hirose is projected to be a Group 6 UFA this summer, during which he will turn 26. A good skater with playmaking ability, he could be valuable to a number of teams as a low-cost depth option with NHL experience.

Senators Waive Michael Del Zotto

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Ottawa’s farm team will be beginning their playoffs next week and the Senators sent down several players today to help on that front.  Their intention is to send one more down as James Mirtle of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Michael Del Zotto has been placed on waivers today for the purpose of being sent to Belleville.

Del Zotto has already cleared waivers once this season back in December.  After that happened, he became a productive player in Belleville, collecting 27 points in 26 games which earned him a recall back to the big club after the trade deadline.  The 31-year-old picked up seven points for Ottawa after that stretch and wrapped up his year with three goals and ten assists in 26 games while averaging 18:15 per game.  Those 13 points matched his total in Columbus from 2020-21 but he needed 27 fewer games to get there this season.

Del Zotto has one year remaining on his contract with a $2MM cap hit and a $2.25MM salary.  He has been a speculative buyout candidate as a result of him being in the minors for half the season so it’s unlikely he’ll be claimed; he’d be ineligible to play in the NHL or AHL playoffs if someone was to pick him up by 1 PM CT on Sunday.  But after a decent offensive season, there could be interest in him later in the offseason if the Sens are willing to retain part of his contract to facilitate a trade.

Taro Hirose Placed On Waivers

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Saturday: Hirose has cleared waivers as expected as the Red Wings have assigned him to the Griffins.  Kyle Criscuolo and Joe Veleno were also sent down.

Friday: You don’t often see players hit waivers at this point in the season, but CapFriendly reports that it happened today. Taro Hirose of the Detroit Red Wings is on waivers, which would allow him to play in the Grand Rapids Griffins’ final game on Saturday.

It is an extraordinarily odd thing to do, given the Griffins aren’t even going to the playoffs, but it could get Hirose in at least one more game should he clear and be assigned to the minor leagues tomorrow. He is still eligible to play in the AHL because he was on a minor league roster at the trade deadline, but needs waivers because he has played more than ten NHL games since the last time he cleared.

Hirose, 25, will be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after playing in just 57 games since signing with the Red Wings in 2018. He actually has recorded 20 points in that time, but seems likely to receive nothing more than a short-term two-way contract on the open market. He can help strengthen a minor league club, as he’s been nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL, but his NHL upside now looks limited to injury replacement.

If a team claimed him, he would not be eligible to play in the NHL playoffs.

Canucks Place Two On Waivers

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For the second straight day, there is waiver activity in the NHL as the Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed wingers Nic Petan and Sheldon Dries on waivers.  The intention is for both players to report to Abbotsford of the AHL for the playoffs if they clear on Sunday; both players had to be waived in order to be sent down as they’ve played in more than ten NHL contests since last clearing waivers.

Petan signed a two-way deal with Vancouver last summer with the intention that he’d be a key performer at the AHL level and he did exactly that, notching a dozen goals and 32 assists in 36 games with the AHL Canucks which earned him a recall to the big club in mid-March.  The 27-year-old was a regular after that point, getting into 18 games with Vancouver but he struggled offensively, collecting just two assists while averaging a little over ten minutes per game.  He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As for Dries, he also signed a two-way deal with the Canucks last summer with an eye on him playing a big role with Abbotsford.  He had a very strong season offensively in the minors with 35 goals and 27 assists in 54 games which helped earn him a regular spot in Vancouver for the past three weeks.  The 28-year-old, who also will be unrestricted again this summer, had a bit more success than Petan, picking up a pair of goals plus an assist in 11 games while also averaging a little over ten minutes a night.

If both players clear as expected on Sunday (if they’re claimed, they’re ineligible to play the rest of the season), they can then be sent to Abbotsford.  Meanwhile, Vancouver did send four other players down today in goaltenders Spencer Martin and Arturs Silovs plus wingers William Lockwood and Vasily Podkolzin.

Grant Hutton Clears Waivers

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April 22: Hutton has now cleared waivers, according to CapFriendly.

April 21: While a rarity to see waivers post-Trade Deadline, they are still in effect. The New York Islanders took advantage of this today, reports TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, as they’ve placed defenseman Grant Hutton on waivers.

Not a household name in the slightest, you might be surprised to learn Hutton has 16 games of action this season with the Islanders. While some came earlier in the season when the team was rattled with COVID cases, the 26-year-old has climbed up the organizational depth chart, actually playing in 11 straight games between March 27th and April 15th. In that timeframe, he averaged 13:42 of ice time per game and recorded his first NHL goal. Originally getting into the lineup with Scott Mayfield’s injury, they’ve had other depth defenders get healthy (like Sebastian Aho), and the organization has decided to send him down to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders.

Since Hutton can’t actually play in the NHL for another team this season, considering he would be changing teams after the Trade Deadline, there’s almost zero risk that he’ll get claimed off waivers. With the defenseman hitting unrestricted free agency at the end of this season as well, there’s no reason for a team to pick him up.

Hutton has 19 points in 45 games this season with Bridgeport.

Christian Jaros Clears Unconditional Waivers

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March 24: Jaros has cleared waivers and will now have his contract terminated.

March 23: The New Jersey Devils have placed Christian Jaros on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Just this week, Jaros already cleared regular waivers and was assigned to the minor leagues. If he clears again, he will become an unrestricted free agent. He would then be able to sign with any club he wanted, though he would not be eligible for the NHL playoffs.

The Devils have also recalled A.J. Greer and Kevin Bahl from the AHL, who will join the team in Toronto when they face the Maple Leafs this evening.

Jaros, 25, has actually not played a single game in the minor leagues this season, suiting up 11 times for the Devils instead. Originally selected 139th overall in 2015, he quickly rose through the ranks and was making his debut by the 2017-18 season with the Ottawa Senators. It looked as though he would quickly establish himself as a full-time NHL option, though after his progression stalled, he’s now bounced around and could be headed back to Europe.

In Bahl, the Devils have the big ticket from the Taylor Hall trade up with the big club, after his successful sophomore AHL campaign. The 6’6″ defenseman has 15 points in 49 games for the Utica Comets and from all accounts has taken a strong step forward in his development. He’s now played 11 games and is still looking for his first goal.

Petr Mrazek, Four Others Clear Waivers

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March 21: Mrazek, Clifford, Turris, Jaros, and Nash cleared waivers today ahead of the Trade Deadline. Sateri, Richardson, and Pouliot were all claimed.

March 20: The Toronto Maple Leafs have been dealing with goaltending issues for the past while, and after Erik Kallgren was given the net for the last several games, it was unclear where Petr Mrazek fit into the future of the team. Today, the Maple Leafs have offered Mrazek to the rest of the league by placing him on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He is one of three Maple Leafs on the list today, joined by Kyle Clifford and Harri Sateri, a free agent goaltender the Maple Leafs have signed from the KHL, who has to clear waivers before he comes back to North America.

Those aren’t the only players on waivers though. The full list is as follows:

Riley Nash (ARI)
Brad Richardson (CGY)
Kyle Turris (EDM)
Christian Jaros (NJD)
Kyle Clifford (TOR)
Petr Mrazek (TOR)
Harri Sateri (TOR)
Derrick Pouliot (VGK)

Sateri, 32, just won an Olympic gold medal with Finland and has been an excellent netminder in the KHL for the last three seasons, but certainly doesn’t have a very long track record of success in North America. Drafted 106th overall back in 2008 by the San Jose Sharks, he struggled in parts of four minor league seasons before going to Russia. A few years later he was back with the Florida Panthers, where he played in nine NHL games and posted a .911 save percentage. After another sub-par year in the minors he was back overseas.

His signing, which will consist of a one-year contract that carries a cap hit of $750K through the end of this season, could be seen as nothing more than organizational depth at the deadline. With Mrazek’s struggles and placement on waivers today though, along with a recent injury to Jack Campbell, the Maple Leafs crease is completely up for grabs, even for a player like Sateri that is coming in fresh from outside the organization. That is of course as long as he clears, something that is certainly not a guarantee given how inexpensive his contract is.

It’s Mrazek that is the big name, given the fact that he signed a three-year, $11.4MM contract with the Maple Leafs just last summer. With a $3.8MM cap hit through 2023-24, a loan to the minor leagues would only clear $1.125MM for Toronto ahead of the deadline. With how quickly he has fallen out of favor with the Maple Leafs, Mrazek seems a prime buyout candidate for this offseason, should the team be unable to trade his contract elsewhere in the coming months.

Among the rest of the names are some veterans who could be snatched for a playoff run, though none are difference-makers at this point in their respective careers. Notably, for a player to be eligible for the rest of the AHL season and playoffs, he has to be on the roster at tomorrow’s deadline. For these players to get to that threshold, they needed to be placed on waivers today, if there was any thought of stashing them in the AHL down the stretch.

Harri Sateri, Brad Richardson, Derrick Pouliot Claimed On Waivers

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Trade Deadline day doesn’t mean trades are the only player movement. Three players were claimed on waivers today, with goalie Harri Sateri heading to Toronto from Arizona, forward Brad Richardson going to Vancouver from Calgary, and defenseman Derrick Pouliot going to Seattle from Vegas.

Sateri is a fresh NHL arrival. The Maple Leafs signed him to a contract yesterday, immediately placing him on re-entry waivers. Sateri had a .926 save percentage in 38 games with the KHL’s Novosibirsk Sibir this season, helping them to a 14-16-5 record with him in the net.

Richardson was placed on waivers yesterday as he’s been pushed out of the NHL lineup with the acquisitions of Tyler Toffoli and Calle Jarnkrok in Calgary. He had two goals and four points in 27 Flames games this year, and he’ll get a chance to supplement Vancouver’s bottom-six forward group as Brandon Sutter remains out with long COVID symptoms.

Pouliot signed an NHL contract earlier in the week after Vegas’ blueline was continually struck with injuries. He got into two games, notching one assist before the team attempted to send him back to AHL Henderson. He’ll now get another NHL shot in Seattle as they continue to ship out players at the deadline.

Anaheim Ducks Claim Gerry Mayhew

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The Anaheim Ducks have decided to claim minor league star Gerry Mayhew off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Mayhew, 29, has been a top goal scorer in the AHL for several years, including a 39-goal season in 2019-20 with the Iowa Wild. Unfortunately, that minor league success hasn’t translated to much playing time in the NHL, with Mayhew suiting up just 42 times in his career so far. Twenty-five of those have come this season with the Flyers, resulting in six goals (and no assists).

The undrafted forward will now take his talents to the west coast, where the Ducks have sold off several pieces over the last few days. Among the outgoing names was Nicolas Deslauriers, meaning they have some minutes available up front. While Mayhew is certainly not a Deslauriers replacement in style, he at least can give them a bit more depth down the stretch and perhaps even add a few more of those goals.

Signed to a one-year, two-way contract that comes with an NHL cap hit of $800K, Mayhew cannot be assigned to the minor leagues and will stay on Anaheim’s NHL roster for the time being. Importantly, that also means that he won’t be eligible to play in the AHL down the stretch or into the playoffs, as he won’t be there at tomorrow’s roster deadline.

Myers, Desrosiers Clear Waivers

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March 20: Myers and Desrosiers have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues. Mayhew was claimed by the Anaheim Ducks and will stay in the NHL for now.

March 19: With there being just two days before the trade deadline, there should be an uptick of waiver activity before then.  That started today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Philippe Myers (Predators), Gerry Mayhew (Flyers), and Phillipe Desrosiers (Jets) are all on waivers.

Myers is easily the headline player on this list.  His stock has fallen sharply since establishing himself as a regular on Philadelphia’s back end in 2019-20.  He was part of the Ryan Ellis traded over the summer with the hope that a change of scenery would get him going again.  That hasn’t happened.  Instead, the 25-year-old has played in just 27 games this season while spending even more time as a healthy scratch.  With 142 games of NHL experience over four seasons and being a big right-shot defender, Myers could, in theory, be appealing to some teams.  However, he has a $2.55MM AAV through next season and his salary jumps to $3.8MM in 2022-23.  That will certainly limit his suitors which explains why he’s on the waiver wire today and not being traded.  Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press suggests (Twitter link) that the Flyers could be a team to claim Myers knowing that they’re likely to move pending UFA Justin Braun by Monday’s trade deadline.

Mayhew has played in 29 games with Philadelphia this season, his longest stretch of NHL action and he has been somewhat productive with six goals although he has yet to record an assist while logging over 12 minutes a game.  The 29-year-old has been a top scorer at the AHL level for the last several years and has 16 points in 24 games with Lehigh Valley of the AHL this season.  Mayhew is making $800K at the NHL level this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As for Desrosiers, his placement means that he has agreed to an NHL deal with Winnipeg with the team announcing it will carry a $750K cap hit.  The 26-year-old has played in three games with their AHL affiliate in Manitoba this season but has spent the majority of the year with Trois-Rivieres of the ECHL.  He’ll continue to serve as extra depth for them but will now be eligible to be recalled if they need him.  The Jets had 10 open contract slots out of the maximum of 50 so there’s no risk in them handing out this contract.

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