Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Waivers

Sabres To Reassign Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Jan. 28: Aubé-Kubel cleared waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The Sabres announced they’ve recalled forward Tyson Kozak from Rochester in a corresponding move.

Jan. 27: The Buffalo Sabres placed winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel on waivers Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll head to AHL Rochester tomorrow if he clears.

This roster move marks the fourth time in his seven-year NHL career that Aubé-Kubel has been placed on the waiver wire. He was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021, claimed by the Washington Capitals from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022, and went through unscathed at the beginning of last season. Granted, all those waiver claims came when Aubé-Kubel was making significantly less.

He signed the richest contract of his career this past summer with the Sabres. Buffalo gave Aubé-Kubel a one-year, $1.5MM contract in the hopes he would help reimagine the bottom six of their forward group. Unfortunately, Aubé-Kubel is amidst the least productive season of his career registering a measly one goal and one assist in 19 games with the Sabres.

Still, Aubé-Kubel lost a few games at the beginning of the season due to a lower-body injury which could help explain his decrease in productivity. He’s continued to be a very physical forward in Buffalo and is managing the third-highest CorsiFor% of his career at even strength with a 52.0% mark albeit in limited action.

Some less physical teams such as the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Capitals could use a player with Aubé-Kubel’s expertise. However, given his relatively high salary for a player destined for a lower-tier role, it would be unsurprising to see Aubé-Kubel go unclaimed over the next 24 hours.

Sharks Claim Walker Duehr Off Waivers From Flames

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Jan. 22: The Sharks plucked Duehr off the wire from the Flames on Wednesday, Friedman reports. He’ll provide a likely temporary bottom-six presence for San Jose with Tyler Toffoli, Nico Sturm and Klim Kostin currently sidelined with injuries. The Sharks don’t have an open roster spot, however, and will need to make a corresponding transaction. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports that move will be placing Sturm, who missed Tuesday’s loss to the Predators with a lower-body injury, on IR.

Jan. 21: The Flames placed winger Walker Duehr on waivers Tuesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll presumably head to AHL Calgary if he clears.

Duehr, 27, hits the wire for the second time this season. After making the opening night roster last season, he failed to do so in 2024-25 and cleared without incident near the end of training camp.

The 6’3″, 205-lb righty responded by notching 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points through 20 AHL games. That earned him a recall back to the Flames in early December as they needed a replacement for Justin Kirkland, who underwent season-ending ACL surgery.

Duehr appeared in 10 consecutive games for the Flames to begin his call-up, which was interrupted on a few occasions by paper transactions to extend his temporary waiver exemption. The number of days he’d spent on the roster no longer mattered once he played his 10th game, though.

Since that run of 10 straight, he’s been scratched four times in the Flames’ last 10. On the whole, the South Dakota native only contributed one assist with a minus-six rating.

Given Duehr’s underwhelming offensive performance, limited ice time and his team-worst -12.2 relative CF% at even strength, today’s demotion is unsurprising. The South Dakota native has nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 84 games with Calgary since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2021.

A pending unrestricted free agent, the Flames may have an interest in keeping Duehr around on a two-way extension, considering his strong AHL production. However, given his poor NHL showing over the past few weeks, the chances of him replicating a one-way deal like he’s had for the past two seasons are slim.

Duehr’s bottom-six spot looks to go to recent call-up Rory Kerins, who’s earned his keep with four assists through his first four NHL games. Kerins, 22, was added back to the roster today after being sent down over the weekend to bank cap space, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reports.

Oilers’ Derek Ryan Clears Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Jan. 20: Ryan has cleared waivers and can be assigned to Bakersfield at will, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports Monday. That reassignment will pave the way for newly-signed defenseman John Klingberg to come off injured reserve when he’s ready to make his season debut.

Jan. 19: The Edmonton Oilers needed to make a few roster moves to stay cap-compliant thanks to newly-signed defenseman John Klingberg’s contract hitting the books today. According to a team announcement, the Oilers organization has placed depth forward Derek Ryan on waivers for reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, and have additionally reassigned defenseman Josh Brown.

It’s an unfortunate transaction for Ryan as he’s entered the twilight years of his NHL career. Ryan made his way to the NHL at the age of 29 during the 2015-16 season after an impressive run through European leagues, showcasing one of the more underrated stories of the last decade. After a brief three-year run with the Carolina Hurricanes, Ryan has been a key depth forward in Alberta since the 2018-19 season with the Calgary Flames and the Oilers.

His offensive production has decreased steadily throughout the years, similarly to his average time on ice. Ryan neared the 40-point plateau in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons before hovering around the 20-point total from 2021 to 2023 in Edmonton. Last year saw his biggest decrease in scoring over a full season, with Ryan only scoring five goals and 12 points in 70 games. His only true value anymore is his role in the faceoff dot, as Ryan has averaged a 55.2% success rate over 5,072 career draws, which is even more impressive considering 53.3% of his shift starts have been in the defensive zone.

Joining Ryan on the road to AHL Bakersfield is Brown, albeit unencumbered by the waiver wire. He’s primarily served as organizational depth on the blue line for the Oilers this year on a relatively expensive price tag of $1MM for the next three years. He’s tallied one assist in eight games in Edmonton this season averaging 11:29 of ice time per game.

Penguins’ Tristan Jarry Clears Waivers

at CDT | by 24 Comments

Jan. 16: As expected, the Penguins announced Blomqvist has been recalled from WBS while Jarry has been assigned there after clearing waivers.

Jan. 15: The Penguins will place goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers later Wednesday, the team announced. It’s unclear if he’ll be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he clears or if he’ll remain on the roster, but Pittsburgh will give other teams a chance to take him off their hands for free before they decide how to move forward with the struggling netminder.

Jarry, who allowed three goals on 17 shots in last night’s loss to Seattle, is now down to an abysmal .886 SV% on the season with a 3.31 GAA and an 8-8-4 record in 21 starts and one relief appearance. He posted a .926 SV% in five AHL appearances earlier this year on a conditioning stint that didn’t require waivers, although that hasn’t changed his confidence or level of play at the NHL level.

Now 29, Jarry finished seventh in Vezina Trophy voting in the 2019-20 and 2021-22 campaigns. Those highs led the Pens to sign him to a five-year, $26.88MM deal minutes before he was set to reach unrestricted free agency in 2023.

Just a year and a half in, they’re already trying to find ways to get out of the deal. If they can’t trade him or convince another club to snag his $5.375MM cap hit off waivers, he could be headed for a buyout this summer.

Notwithstanding this year’s struggles, Jarry’s career numbers are still quite good. The 2013 second-round pick has suited up 278 times for the Pens since debuting in the 2016-17 season, posting a 144-92-29 record with 19 shutouts, a 2.74 GAA, and a .910 SV%. He’s stopped 14.2 goals above average throughout his nine-year career and tied for the league lead in shutouts with six as recently as the 2023-24 campaign.

Without the risk of his contract hamstringing an acquiring team, Jarry would likely be snapped up on the waiver wire and would have even generated significant interest on the trade market considering his past resume. But more than three seasons remaining at a steep cap hit will likely be too much to swallow for even the most financially flexible teams if he can’t rebound from this year’s regression.

Unfortunately, backup Alex Nedeljkovic hasn’t been any better, with a matching .886 SV% in his 19 showings this season. Their best option has been 23-year-old Joel Blomqvist, who’s been in the minors for the last two months but seems ticketed for a recall after Jarry’s waiver period ends Thursday.

Blomqvist, who the Pens selected 52nd overall in 2020 and earned a spot on the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last season, had a .904 SV% and saved 2.1 goals above expected in eight games early this season while Jarry was on his conditioning loan, per MoneyPuck. He also has a .912 mark and a 6-4-2 record in 12 showings with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Penguins Place Joona Koppanen On Waivers, Recall Filip Kral

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

2:29 p.m.: Koppanen cleared waivers as expected, per PuckPedia.

7:41 a.m.: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed depth forward Joona Koppanen on waivers on Monday, per PuckPedia. To fill his roster spot, the Penguins have also recalled defenseman Filip Kral to the NHL roster per the AHL Transaction Log. This move represents Koppanen’s first waiver designation, and Kral’s first call-up, of the 2024-25 season.

Koppanen began the season with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and stayed buried in the minors for the bulk of the year. He recorded seven goals and 22 points in 55 AHL games, one point more than he managed in three more games last season. Those appearances were intercut by 10 games in a fourth-line role with the Pittsburgh lineup. Koppanen performed quietly in his NHL minutes – though he did manage to score his first NHL goal in his first NHL game of the season, on March 18th. That would go down as his only scoring for the six-foot-five, Finnish forward. Teams will have until noon today to place a claim on Koppanen, though it seems much more likely that he’ll clear waivers and return to the minor leagues.

This move could also award Kral with just the third NHL game of his career. The Czech defenseman has scored seven goals and 29 points in 59 AHL games this season, good for second on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blue-line. He’s in his first year in the Penguins organization, after departing the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in favor of Finland’s Liiga last season. It proved a fruitful move – and Kral posted 37 points in 46 Liiga games after starting the year with six points in 24 AHL games. He has seemed to carry that responsible, heads-up scoring back to North America. Pittsburgh will test that out with this call-up, giving Kral a chance to record his first NHL point after appearing in two games and recording one penalty with the Maple Leafs in 2022-23. Kral was originally a fifth-round pick to Toronto in 2018.

Wild’s Ben Jones, Devin Shore Clear Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Jan. 14: Jones and Shore cleared waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Minnesota can now assign them to Iowa at will, although they haven’t done so yet.

Jan. 13: The Wild have placed forwards Ben Jones and Devin Shore on waivers with the intent to assign them to AHL Iowa, the team announced.

It’s good news for the Wild, who are likely freeing up roster space to activate star winger Kirill Kaprizov from injured reserve and depth piece Jakub Lauko from LTIR ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against the Oilers. Kaprizov has been skating on his own for the past few days, and general manager Bill Guerin told Michael Russo of The Athletic on Sunday that he was a possibility to play against Edmonton. Lauko has also been skating away from the team as he rehabilitates a lower-body muscle issue, Guerin said.

Jones and Shore have been on the Wild roster for the better part of the past two months, playing fill-in duty with Joel Eriksson Ek, Yakov Trenin and Mats Zuccarello all missing significant chunks of the schedule in addition to Kaprizov and Lauko. Both cleared waivers en route to beginning the season in Iowa, although Shore was also waived last month to give Minnesota roster and salary cap flexibility around the holiday break.

Those injuries have allowed Jones to become something of a fourth-line fixture in the second quarter of the season, but that experiment hasn’t gone particularly well. The 25-year-old had only two games of NHL experience prior to his November call-up, and that’s shown in his play.

Through 25 appearances, Jones has yet to get on the scoresheet and has a minus-three rating with 10 PIMs. He’s averaged just 8:29 per game and has posted gnarly possession numbers, only controlling 39.9% of shot attempts at even strength. He’s been a physical factor, posting 11 blocks and 49 hits, but hasn’t shown upside elsewhere in his game.

The former seventh-round pick of the Golden Knights will return to a more comfortable role on the farm, where he had 12 points in 14 games with Iowa in the early going. The 6’0″, 187-lb pivot is coming off a 21-goal season with the Calgary Wranglers while under contract with the Flames, the second time in his professional career that he’s hit 20 goals in an AHL season.

Shore, the far more experienced of the duo, hasn’t been much better. He’s got one assist and a minus-four mark through 24 appearances, averaging 8:18 as Minnesota’s usual fourth-line left wing over the past couple of months.

Now in his 10th NHL season, Shore has 140 points in 467 career games but hasn’t hit double-digit points in a season since recording 11 in 49 games with the Oilers in 2021-22. He began the season as an alternate captain in Iowa, posting a pair of goals and eight assists for 10 points through 14 games.

Both may remain on the NHL roster if they clear waivers and Kaprizov and Lauko aren’t yet ready to return, but if they’re sent down within 30 days and play fewer than 10 games, they won’t need waivers again upon doing so.

Bruins’ Marc McLaughlin Clears Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Jan. 13: McLaughlin cleared waivers, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Expect him to head to Providence at some point on Monday.

Jan. 12: The Boston Bruins have placed forward Marc McLaughlin on waivers, per PuckPedia. He’ll be assigned to AHL Providence if he clears.

The Bruins successfully waived McLaughlin ahead of the start of the season. He began the year in the minors but earned a quick call-up after posting 10 points in 15 AHL games to start the season.

McLaughlin bounced between the NHL and AHL lineups through late November, ultimately earning a full-time role with the Bruins before December. He’s since rotated into Boston’s fourth line, appearing in 12 games and scoring two goals.

McLaughlin has sat atop Boston’s call-up sheet since he joined the team as an undrafted college free agent at the end of Boston College’s 2021-22 campaign. He immediately stepped into the NHL, appearing in 11 games and scoring his first career goal before the season ended.

McLaughlin spent the next two years primarily in the minor leagues, combining for 44 points in 134 AHL games and adding one goal in three NHL spot starts. He was a healthy scratch in every game since the calendar turned over but earned a spot start on Saturday with Mark Kastelic out with an undisclosed injury.

In the overtime win, McLaughlin recorded four hits and two blocked shots in just five minutes of ice time. The Bruins will now attempt to pass him through waivers and reassign him to the minors less than a day later.

Teams will have until 1 p.m. CT on Monday to claim McLaughlin, though his role of menial fourth-liner makes a change of scenery hard to envision.

Canucks’ Erik Brännström Clears Waivers

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Jan. 13: Brännström cleared waivers on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He may now be assigned to AHL Abbotsford at will.

Jan. 12: The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Erik Brännström on waivers, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK. Brännström hasn’t appeared in Vancouver’s lineup since Dec. 31.

Vancouver successfully waived Brännström before the start of the regular season and moved him between the NHL and AHL four times during the month of the waiver exemption he received. He became waiver-eligible once more in early November and has served as Vancouver’s seventh defenseman ever since.

Brännström has been under scrutiny for the past few seasons. The Golden Knights drafted him 15th overall in 2017, taking him just a few picks before players like Joshua Norris, Robert Thomas, and Jake Oettinger, and quickly flipped him to Ottawa in a deal for Mark Stone.

Brännström played one more year in Sweden’s SHL after his draft selection, posting 15 points in 44 games – impressive for a 19-year-old defender – and moved to the AHL in 2018-19. He continued to score well in North America, posting a collective 53 points in 77 games between his first two years in the AHL.

But he’s struggled to carry that productivity to the top flight. It took Brännström 40 career games before he managed his first NHL goal and five full seasons before he reached 20 points.

He finally hit that mark in 76 games with Ottawa last season, the most he’s played in one NHL campaign. That boost in scoring suggested that Brännström was a bright gem in a muddy role, sparking the Colorado Avalanche to sign him to a one-year, $900K contract this summer – and then trade him to the Canucks for a fourth-round pick in October.

Brännström worked his way up from Vancouver’s bottom pair to start the season and even managed a few games on the top pair in November and December. But he’s again struggled to score, with just eight points in 28 games this season.

Having already cleared waivers once this season, Brännström doesn’t seem a likely candidate to land somewhere new with this move. Instead, he’ll likely pass through clean and return to bouncing between the major and minor rosters.

He has three assists in two AHL games this season. Maybe returning to that hot scoring could be enough to help the 25-year-old defender finally find his footing as an NHL hopeful.

Lightning Place Gage Goncalves On Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Lightning placed forward Gage Goncalves on waivers on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. If he clears, he’ll be assigned to AHL Syracuse.

Goncalves, 23, started the season in the minors but was recalled in early November after an injury to Brayden Point. After being bounced between leagues a couple of times, he was recalled again from Syracuse on Nov. 19 and hasn’t been back since.

In his first extended look at the NHL level, Goncalves had a goal and an assist in 26 games. The British Columbia native averaged 11:45 per game, posting a minus-one rating with eight blocks and 22 hits. He was a drag on their possession play, controlling 47.1% of shot attempts at even strength. In comparison, the Bolts controlled 51.4% of shot attempts without Goncalves on the ice during his time in the lineup.

The Lightning have plenty of roster and salary cap space with no players on the verge of returning, so it’s purely a performance-based demotion for Goncalves today. He had six assists in five games for Syracuse before being recalled in November, building on a strong 58-point showing in 69 games last season.

Goncalves, a second-round pick by the Bolts in 2020, does still carry a bit of upside and faces a reasonable risk of being claimed. He’s a pending restricted free agent and will be eligible for salary arbitration this summer.

Hurricanes Waive, Reassign Ty Smith

at CDT | by 5 Comments

1/12: Smith has cleared waivers and been reassigned to the AHL, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff.

1/11: Hurricanes defenseman Ty Smith has been no stranger to being involved in transactions this season as he has been shuffled to and from the minors numerous times already.  However, he’s now spent 30 days on Carolina’s roster since clearing waivers at the beginning of the year.  That means that he must now clear waivers again before that can continue.  The Hurricanes have made that move today as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that Smith has been placed on waivers.

The 24-year-old is in his first full season with Carolina after being acquired at the trade deadline last season as part of the Jake Guentzel deal and is on a one-year, $775K two-way contract.  Smith has spent a big chunk of the year in the reserve role with the big club (or in transit to or from the minors) so playing time has been difficult to come by thus far.

Smith has played in 13 games with AHL Chicago this season and has been fairly productive, putting up three goals and seven assists in those outings.  He has also gotten into eight appearances with the Hurricanes, collecting a goal and an assist while averaging 13:40 per game.  For his career, Smith has 49 points in 131 NHL contests, most of which came with New Jersey after they drafted him 17th overall back in 2018.

Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on Smith.  If he passes through waivers unclaimed, his waiver clock will reset on both fronts.  In other words, he won’t need to clear again once he reaches the 10-game mark on the season but rather if and when he gets into 10 games after his waiver period expires tomorrow.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top