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Buddy Robinson Clears Waivers

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March 3: Robinson has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

March 2: The Anaheim Ducks have placed Buddy Robinson on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This is his second time on waivers in 2021-22, after clearing just before the start of the regular season.

Given that Robinson, 30, has played in 23 games for the Ducks this season, he needed to go on waivers again before heading to the minor leagues. The 6’6″ winger doesn’t play much, but you notice him when he’s out there for Anaheim, racking up hits and generally imposing his will on the opposition physically.

Robinson has even set a career-high with four points this season, taking his total to seven through 44 NHL games. He also has two fighting majors and 43 hits, while averaging fewer than ten minutes a night.

If a team is looking for some size, he can certainly fill that role, but with a limited amount of upside at the NHL level and a whopping $400K minor league guarantee, it seems unlikely that a team would want to nab Robinson at this point. He is much more valuable in the minor leagues, which any claiming team wouldn’t be able to send him until getting him through waivers themselves.

Brendan Perlini, Petteri Lindbohm Clear Waivers

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Mar 1: Johnston reports that both have cleared waivers. Either one can now be assigned to the minor leagues, though Lindbohm’s placement on waivers was simply to enter the NHL after playing overseas this season.

Feb 28: Two players have hit waivers today. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Brendan Perlini of the Edmonton Oilers and Petteri Lindbohm of the Florida Panthers have both been waived and are available to the rest of the league. Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Lindbohm has signed through the end of this season, and PuckPedia reports that it is a one-year, one-way, $750K contract for the European free agent.

This is the second time that Perlini has hit waivers this season, after he cleared in December. The 12th-overall pick from 2014 has been his frustratingly inconsistent self again this season, showing flashes of brilliance too often followed by long stretches of invisibility. The 6’3″ forward has all the raw tools to be an impact power forward at the NHL level, but still has just four goals and five points in 23 games for the Oilers this season.

It’s not that the team needs Perlini to step into a top-six role, but it’s very clear that the Jay Woodcroft-led coaching staff doesn’t trust him to play regular minutes in any lineup spot. In the nine games since he took over behind the bench, Perlini has played just twice and has seen the ice for a total (not average) of 11 minutes and one second. In yesterday’s loss to Carolina, he was given just nine shifts even in a game when they had just 11 forwards dressed and logged the lowest ice time of any forward on the Oilers.

With a $750K cap hit on a one-year deal, perhaps someone else will take a chance and try to coax out the player that scored 17 goals and 30 points in 2017-18, or even the one who had 12 goals in 46 games down the stretch for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19. But more likely Perlini is headed back to the minor leagues, where he has played two games for the Bakersfield Condors this season.

In Lindbohm’s case, it’s a very different story. The 28-year-old defenseman must have signed a contract with the Panthers after his KHL season came to an end with Jokerit pulling out of the postseason this weekend. The former St. Louis Blues player hasn’t seen NHL action since 2016-17, and has spent the last four seasons playing overseas.

A big, mobile defenseman, Lindbohm just won gold at the Olympics with Finland and has been a strong contributor at both the Swiss and KHL levels over the last few years. He has just 40 games of NHL experience, but would provide Florida with another depth option as they trek toward the playoffs.

Dallas Stars Claim Marian Studenic; Waive Tanner Kero

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Feb 25: Kero has cleared waivers, and can now be assigned to the AHL’s Texas Stars per Chris Johnston of TSN. It is the second time this season that Kero has cleared waivers. Kero has two assists in three total games with the AHL’s Stars so far this season.

Feb 24: The Dallas Stars have made a forward swap, claiming Marian Studenic from the New Jersey Devils and placing Tanner Kero on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

The swap is one depth forward without a ton of offensive upside for another, as Studenic and Kero have combined for one goal and four points in 40 games this season. The difference for the Stars is the six-year age difference in Studenic’s favor, along with the fact that Kero will likely clear waivers and remain with the organization.

Now 29, Kero is in the first season of a two-year contract he signed last spring that comes with a huge minor league guarantee, and given his lack of success in the NHL, it seems likely that he’ll be reporting to the Texas Stars in the next few days.

For Studenic, he joins a team much closer to the playoffs and avoids returning to the minor leagues, where he has spent the majority of the last few seasons. If he can find a way into the Dallas lineup, he’ll also set himself up for a much better negotiation this offseason, when he’s an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

In addition to those two moves, the Stars have recalled Riley Tufte from the AHL and placed Andrej Sekera on long-term injured reserve due to a non-COVID-related viral infection, retroactive to January 28.

Marian Studenic Placed On Waivers

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The New Jersey Devils have placed Marian Studenic on waivers, according to CapFriendly. Studenic cleared waivers earlier this season but has spent enough time with the NHL squad to need them again before being assigned to the minor leagues.

The 23-year-old forward has suited up 17 times for the Devils this season, scoring a single goal and averaging just under 12 minutes of ice time. A fifth-round pick from 2017, he hasn’t quite found where he fits in the organization yet, bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL the last two seasons.

Given the fact that he comes with just a one-year, two-way contract that carries an NHL cap hit of $750K, Studenic could potentially attract attention on waivers. Still, it seems more likely that he will clear and can return to the Utica Comets in the coming days.

For New Jersey, it is likely the result of Dougie Hamilton’s impending return to the lineup. The team needed a roster spot to activate the defenseman, and Studenic is one of the most likely to sneak through waivers. Hamilton hasn’t played since January 2, when he suffered a broken jaw that required surgery.

Lane Pederson Clears Waivers

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Feb 22: Not only did the Sharks grab Dzingel, but Pederson has also cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of TSN, meaning they’ll keep him in the organization. Pederson can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Feb 21: Toronto is apparently on the way to San Jose. The San Jose Sharks have claimed Ryan Dzingel off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, just days after the team acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes. To open a roster spot, the Sharks have waived Lane Pederson according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

When the Maple Leafs acquired Dzingel, they quickly explained that the plan was to put him on waivers and try to keep him in the organization as a depth option. His entire $1.1MM cap hit could be buried in the minor leagues, giving them an experienced NHL option to replace the outgoing Nick Ritchie. Instead, he’ll get a chance to jump into the lineup with the Sharks, where he’ll have to be kept on the active roster.

It’s certainly not like Dzingel deserves to be in the minor leagues. Though his offensive production has dropped off in recent years, he still is an excellent skater with strong defensive capabilities. In 26 games for the Coyotes this year he scored four goals and seven points, but perhaps could get a bigger opportunity with the reeling Sharks. The team has won one game over the last month, often scoring two or fewer goals in the process.

The last time an underused forward came to San Jose from Toronto, it certainly worked out for the new club. Alexander Barabanov ended up with the Sharks after 22 largely underwhelming games with the Maple Leafs and now is a regular in the team’s top-six. While Dzingel may not be able to recreate the 26 points in 41 games Barabanov has this season, he has performed to that level in the past and potentially could still be a nice addition.

The player he’s replacing in Pederson, meanwhile, has just not been able to create any offense at all this year. In 26 games, Pederson is still without a single goal and has recorded just two assists. The fact that he’s in the first season of a two-year deal that will be one-way in 2022-23, likely keeps him from being claimed on waivers.

For Toronto, the overall effect of the trade is Ritchie (and a draft pick) out, Ilya Lybushkin in, for roughly the same cap hit. The difference is that the defenseman will actually stay on the Maple Leafs roster, meaning as a net transaction, they’ve actually created a bit of cap space.

Clark Bishop, Carter Hutton Clear Waivers

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Feb 21: While Dzingel was claimed by the San Jose Sharks, both Bishop and Hutton have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Feb 20: TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Dzingel, Ottawa Senators forward Clark Bishop, and Arizona Coyotes goaltender Carter Hutton were all placed on waivers today.

Dzingel’s placement is certainly somewhat unexpected, considering the team acquired him last night via trade from the Arizona Coyotes. However, as a casualty of the salary cap, the team was forced to send Rasmus Sandin down to the minors as a paper transaction today. In order for the team to keep both skilled young defensemen Sandin and Timothy Liljegren in the NHL, the team needed to clear additional salary. Dzingel’s cap hit of $1.1M is fully buriable in the AHL.

Bishop is a 25-year-old who’s seen a lot of time up and down between the NHL and AHL over the past few seasons. He’s gotten into nine games with Ottawa this year, but has averaged just 8:21 of ice time per game and has notched one assist.

With Hutton on waivers today, it’s an indication that the veteran goalie is finally healthy. Hutton suffered a lower-body injury just weeks into the season and has been out of the lineup for nearly four months. Seeing as Karel Vejmelka and Scott Wedgewood have both decisively outperformed Hutton’s early-season numbers, it’s the logical choice here for the Coyotes.

Snapshots: Dzingel, Rask, Matteau

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After acquiring him from the Arizona Coyotes last night, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe announced that forward Ryan Dzingel will be placed on waivers today, reports David Alter of The Leafs Nation (Tweet). If he clears, Dzingel will be assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, adds Alter. Dzingel, who has four goals and three assists in 26 games this season for the Coyotes, was acquired last night along with defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin in exchange for a conditional draft pick and forward Nick Ritchie. While it may seem odd to acquire Dzingel to immediately waive him, the move allows the Leafs to potentially keep the forward in the minors, alleviating them of his $1.1MM cap hit, and retain him as a useful depth player down the stretch. Also out of Maple Leafs’ camp, defenseman Rasmus Sandin has been sent down, purely for salary cap flexibility, and is expected to be recalled and rejoin the team Monday, reports the Athletic’s Jonas Siegel (link to tweet).

  • Victor Rask, who cleared waivers for the Minnesota Wild yesterday, is expected to report to the AHL’s Iowa Wild in the coming days, reports the Athletic’s Michael Russo (link to tweet). Russo adds that while this process has been tough for Rask, he is expected to report to the AHL, and the Wild organization will give him several days. It’s been a difficult stretch for Rask, as this wasn’t his first time on waivers this season. The forward was placed on waivers and cleared in early January as well. Rask has five goals and eight assists in 29 games this season for Minnesota and is in the final year of a six-year, $24MM contract he signed in 2016, then with the Carolina Hurricanes. While Rask has not been terrible for Minnesota this season, placing his $4MM cap hit in the AHL could provide the Wild with flexibility heading into the trade deadline, where they are expected to be buyers on the market.
  • Also of note, forward Stefan Matteau has been activated off of long-term injured reserve and has been assigned to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. The 27-year-old forward has played in just one game this season with the Colorado Avalanche back on October 16 before being placed on long-term injured reserve.

Lightning Claim Gemel Smith Off Waivers

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Gemel Smith is heading back to Tampa Bay as TSN’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that the Lightning have claimed the forward off waivers from Detroit.

Smith started the season with the Lightning, spending a little more than three months on season-opening injured reserve.  Once he was cleared to play in mid-January, he was claimed by Detroit and subsequently sent on a three-game AHL conditioning stint.  Since returning from that nearly a month ago, the 27-year-old had hardly played, getting into just three games with the Red Wings where he had an assist while averaging less than seven minutes a game.  With Detroit having some players getting closer to returning from injury, they opted to waive Smith to get some roster flexibility.

As Tampa Bay was the only team to place a claim on Smith, they were able to send him down to AHL Syracuse and have quickly made that move.  Smith was quite productive with the Crunch back in 2019-20 with 40 points in 50 games and having played just 14 times between last season and this season combined, he should certainly benefit from some consistent playing time.  He’s in the first season of a two-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum of $750K at the NHL level.

Rask, Bunnaman Clear Waivers

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Saturday: While Smith was claimed by Tampa Bay, Johnston reports that Rask and Bunnaman both cleared waivers.

Friday: The waiver wire is busy today as three teams have exposed players to the rest of the league. Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Gemel Smith of the Detroit Red Wings, Victor Rask of the Minnesota Wild, and Connor Bunnaman of the Philadelphia Flyers have all been placed on waivers.

Smith is on waivers for the second time this season after being claimed by the Red Wings from the Tampa Bay Lightning last month. He ended up playing three games for the club and registered one assist, while playing three more for the Grand Rapids Griffins on a conditioning loan. While he’s now available to the rest of the league once again, the 27-year-old did finally get a chance to play with his brother Giavani Smith for the first time in their hockey careers. Signed for two years and carrying a $750K cap hit, it seems unlikely that anyone other than the Lightning would put in a claim. If they do and are the only team to do so, he could be assigned to the minor leagues.

Bunnaman also was on waivers earlier, clearing just before the season started. He’s been up and down (and up and down) since, but now with 15 games under his belt this season needed waivers again in order to be assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 23-year-old forward doesn’t have a single point in those 15 contests and now sits at just three points in 54 career games (plus four scoreless postseason appearances). Also signed through 2022-23 with a $750K cap hit, he too seems like an unlikely candidate for claim.

Then there is Rask, who will certainly generate most of the headlines among this trio. The 28-year-old center is in the final season of a six-year, $24MM contract he signed in 2016 with the Carolina Hurricanes and already cleared waivers in January. There isn’t any team in the league who will touch that contract, given how poorly Rask’s time in Minnesota has gone. Acquired in 2019 in a one-for-one deal that saw Nino Niederreiter go the other way, Rask has recorded 22 goals and 52 points in 149 games with the Wild. His ice time has continued to drop, to the point where even when he does get into the lineup it’s for just a handful of shifts. In each of his last five appearances, he’s logged fewer than 10 minutes.

Notably, even when the Wild assign him to the minor leagues they will receive just $1.125MM of cap relief. What they do gain is a roster spot, one that perhaps could go to a prospect like Marco Rossi, who continues to light up the AHL. Rossi has points in all but eight of his 35 games with the Iowa Wild this season, including six in his past four outings.

Winnipeg Jets Claim Adam Brooks

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The Brooks-go-round continues. Adam Brooks has now been claimed by the Winnipeg Jets off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, following Cole Perfetti’s injury last night. The Jets, who are ahead of the Maple Leafs in the waiver order, would have had to pass on him just a day prior when the forward was claimed from the Golden Knights. This is the fourth time Brooks has been claimed this season and he still cannot be assigned to the minor leagues.

The path so far for Brooks has been Toronto to Montreal to Vegas to Toronto to Winnipeg, all while playing in just 11 games at the NHL level. A conditioning stint sent him to Henderson to play for the Silver Knights as well, meaning it’s five different clubs in what must be a frustrating year. At least now he is returning to his hometown in Winnipeg, where there could be some playing time finally awaiting.

Perfetti may be out longer than day-to-day according to Jets head coach Dave Lowry, who spoke with reporters including Murat Ates of The Athletic today. Andrew Copp is also out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and Nikolaj Ehlers was among several others already on the sideline. It means that Brooks, who has experience at both center and on the wing, could immediately be needed in the Winnipeg lineup when they take on the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old forward himself has been on injured reserve since January 20 so it is unclear if he’ll be ready to step directly into the action.

In terms of what the Maple Leafs were trying to do, this isn’t actually the worst outcome. The team will now have a chance to grab Brooks back at some point later in the season if the Jets decide to waive him. Had the Golden Knights claimed him (and been the only club to do so), he could have gone directly to the minor leagues and likely been out of their grasp completely.

Brooks is on the second season of a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of just $725K.

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