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Waivers

San Jose Sharks Claim Jonah Gadjovich

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The San Jose Sharks have decided to claim Jonah Gadjovich off waivers, taking him away from the Vancouver Canucks according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He was the only player out of the 30 on waivers yesterday to be claimed.

Gadjovich, 22, was a second-round pick in 2017, selected 55th overall by the Canucks. The 6’2″ winger is a true power forward that can use his size effectively around the net, though his skating ability is still questionable at the NHL level and has held him back to this point. He received just one game with the Canucks last season, his NHL debut, and managed to rack up 17 minutes in penalties after instigating a fight with Calgary Flames’ Connor Mackey following an illegal hit.

Though there are concerns over whether he can truly become an impact player at the NHL level, he certainly was one for the Utica Comets last season. In 19 games at the AHL level he scored 15 goals, using that huge frame effectively in front of the net. He added just three assists to that total, indicating his offensive limitations, but for a bottom-six player, you could certainly do worse.

In San Jose, he could very well get a chance to fill a full-time role as the Sharks’ fourth line is not set in stone. The team is moving on without Evander Kane for the time being, meaning minutes have been opened up on the left wing. That’s exactly where Gadjovich could push for playing time, especially given his size. Alexander Barabanov, who is also in the mix for a bottom-six role, was absent from practice again today as he deals with a nagging injury.

29 Players Clear Waivers

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Oct 7: The San Jose Sharks have claimed Gadjovich, but the other 29 players have all cleared, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Oct 6: It’s time for teams to pare down their training camp rosters to the last few battles, meaning waivers will be full for the next several days. Today, the list is 30 names long.

Alexander Volkov (ANA)
Steven Fogarty (BOS)
Aaron Dell (BUF)
Jimmy Schuldt (BUF)
Stefan Matteau (COL)
Roland McKeown (COL)
Kiefer Sherwood (COL)
Dylan Sikura (COL)
Michael Pezzetta (MTL)
Andy Andreoff (NYI)
Ken Appleby (NYI)
Cole Bardreau (NYI)
Austin Czarnik (NYI)
Grant Hutton (NYI)
Otto Koivula (NYI)
Paul Ladue (NYI)
Dmytro Timashov (NYI)
Mitchell Vande Sompel (NYI)
Parker Wotherspoon (NYI)
Connor Bunnaman (PHI)
Adam Clendening (PHI)
Gerald Mayhew (PHI)
German Rubtsov (PHI)
Kole Lind (SEA)
Max McCormick (SEA)
Joey Anderson (TOR)
Carl Dahlstrom (TOR)
Brennan Menell (TOR)
Brett Seney (TOR)
Jonah Gadjovich (VAN)

There are quite a few players who could be claimed today, including quite a few depth forwards. One interesting name is Dell, who appears to have lost the battle in Buffalo for playing time to Dustin Tokarski and Craig Anderson. Dell was waived at the end of training camp last season as well, only to be claimed and stuck on the taxi squad for the majority of the season. The 32-year-old posted an .857 in seven NHL appearances and is likely headed for the minor leagues this time around.

14 Players Clear Waivers

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Oct 6: All 14 players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Oct 5: Training camp continues to move along and every day brings more cuts. Many of those sent to the minor leagues need to clear waivers, and Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star tweets out today’s full list of 14.

Buddy Robinson (ANA)
Bokondji Imama (ARI)
Cameron Hughes (BOS)
Joona Koppanen (BOS)
Tyler Lewington (BOS)
Ryan MacInnis (BUF)
Sean Malone (BUF)
Ethan Prow (BUF)
Brett Connolly (CHI)
Joseph Gambardella (NJD)
Michael Hutchinson (TOR)
Brian Pinho (WSH)
Michael Sgarbossa (WSH)
Mike Vecchione (WSH)

The big name today is Connolly, who carries a $3.5MM cap hit this year and next. The 29-year-old scored just three goals and six points in 31 games split between the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks last season, a far cry from the consistent 15-20 goals he had recorded each of the previous four years. A team with extra cap space could certainly take the chance of him rebounding to those numbers, or if he clears, the Blackhawks could send him to the minor leagues. If they did, $1.125MM of his cap hit would be buried.

Minnesota Wild Claim Rem Pitlick

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The Minnesota Wild have decided to claim Rem Pitlick off waivers from the Nashville Predators according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, adding a versatile depth forward to their roster.

Pitlick, who signed a one-year, two-way contract in August, gets a chance to return home to the state of hockey just two years after leaving the University of Minnesota. The 24-year-old forward was a third-round selection of Nashville in 2016 but has played just 11 NHL games to this point, spending most of last season on the taxi squad. A top offensive player in college, he does have 28 goals and 46 points in 71 career AHL contests, suggesting that he can certainly hold his own at the professional level.

Instead of returning to the minors though, Pitlick will join the Wild’s active roster for the time being. He adds another center to the mix in Minnesota which is still anything but clear, and could potentially give them a skilled option for the bottom-six. If the Wild decide to put Pitlick back on waivers at some point, Nashville will have a chance to send him directly to the minor leagues if they’re the only team to put in a claim. For now, it looks like he’ll get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level, even if it is in a part-time role at the fringe of a roster.

21 Players Clear Waivers

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Oct 5: The Minnesota Wild claimed Pitlick from the Nashville Predators, but the other 21 players have cleared and can now be assigned to the minor leagues if necessary.

Oct 4: The waiver list for October 4 is out, and it includes another 22 players that have been cut from their respective NHL teams. The full list is as follows:

Alexander True (SEA)
Carsen Twarynski (SEA)
Pheonix Copley (WSH)
Matt Luff (NSH)
Cole Smith (NSH)
Rem Pitlick (NSH)
Matt Tennyson (NSH)
Frederic Allard (NSH)
Jordan Gross (COL)
Austin Poganski (WPG)
Luke Johnson (WPG)
Mikey Eyssimont (WPG)
Michael Carcone (ARI)
Tyler Sikura (CBJ)
Brendan Gaunce (CBJ)
Jean-Francois Berube (CBJ)
Gavin Bayreuther (CBJ)
Nicholas Caamano (DAL)
John Stevens (VAN)
Devante Stephens (VAN)
Spencer Martin (VAN)
Sheldon Rempal (VAN)

There are several names on this list that could be claimed, including both players from the Seattle Kraken. The pair of forwards were each part of the team’s expansion draft, selected from the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers respectively. While both seemed like odd decisions at the time, this may have been the plan all along; acquire some young players who are capable of playing in the NHL, but who could also slip through waivers before the season begins in order to have some injury insurance in the minor leagues.

Other names, like Copley, could potentially be targeted as an extra goaltender by those clubs currently dealing with some injuries in net.

Buffalo Sabres Claim Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

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The Buffalo Sabres have nabbed a young forward off waivers, claiming Axel Jonsson-Fjallby from the Washington Capitals according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Jonsson-Fjallby, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Capitals in 2016 that found success overseas while playing in the SHL, but still hasn’t been able to crack an NHL lineup. That could change in Buffalo with the Sabres going through (another) rebuild, desperately searching for young talent. In 31 games for the Hershey Bears last season, Jonsson-Fjallby did record ten goals and 15 points.

This was the first time the young forward had hit waivers, and though that is normally a disappointing time in a player’s career, it is a great opportunity for Jonsson-Fjallby. He’ll be kept on the NHL roster for the time being, meaning not only will he potentially get a chance to make his debut, he’ll also be earning his NHL salary if he lasts into the regular season. Jonsson-Fjallby signed a new two-year, two-way contract in June which carries an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $175K this season.

31 Players Clear Waivers

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Oct 4: 31 of the 32 players placed on waivers have cleared. The Buffalo Sabres have claimed Jonsson-Fjallby from the Washington Capitals.

Oct 3: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that, originally, 13 names have hit the waiver wire today. PuckPedia reports an additional 19 names that have found themselves on waivers today. The 13 names are as follows:

D Trevor Carrick (ANA)
D Kodie Curran (ANA)
D Brendan Guhle (ANA)
F Vinni Lettieri (ANA)
F Danny O’Regan (ANA)
D Brogan Rafferty (ANA)
F Zachary Senyshyn (BOS)
D Nick DeSimone (CGY)
D Kevin Gravel (CGY)
F Matthew Phillips (CGY)
D Andy Welinski (CGY)
D Jalen Chatfield (CAR)
D Joshua Jacobs (CAR)
F Seth Griffith (EDM)
F Cooper Marody (EDM)
F Brandon Baddock (MTL)
F Laurent Dauphin (MTL)
F Jean-Sebastien Dea (MTL)
G Michael McNiven (MTL)
F Anthony Richard (NSH)
F Brian Flynn (NJD)
F Robbie Russo (NJD)
F Greg McKegg (NYR)
F Pontus Aberg (OTT)
D Dillon Heatherington (OTT)
F Kole Sherwood (OTT)
D Tommy Cross (STL)
D Sean Day (TBL)
F Gabriel Dumont (TBL)
F Charles Hudon (TBL)
F Darren Raddysh (TBL)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (WSH)

More to come…

New Jersey Devils Claim Mason Geertsen

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Oct 4: The Devils have answered the question of where Geertsen fits into the roster, noting that he will play left wing tonight against the Washington Capitals in a preseason game. Geertsen has played forward in the minors for the past year and is now, according to Devils reporter Amanda Stein, comfortable at the position.

Oct 3: Waiver season is in full swing, with dozens of players exposed over the last few days. Today, the New Jersey Devils decided to select one of those players and add him to their organization. Mason Geertsen, who was waived by the New York Rangers has been claimed by New Jersey.

Geertsen, 26, has exactly zero NHL games played in his professional career but adds a level of physicality to the fringe of the Devils roster. Even the team’s press release suggests that his size and the fact that he “likes to play a tough, physical, and gritty game” is the reason the team went after him.

Interestingly enough, the Devils have had several chances to acquire Geertsen in the past but have passed them up. The minor league defenseman–who notably has been playing some forward in the AHL as well–has cleared waivers twice before, including in March of this year, and was an unrestricted free agent in 2019 after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Colorado Avalanche, the team that drafted him back in 2013.

He ended up signing an AHL contract with the Rangers and spent a year and a half before earning his current two-year, two-way deal. When he did so, New York put him on waivers in order to keep him in the minor leagues and the Devils–and every other team in the league–passed.

They won’t this time, a curious decision given the added depth the Devils have acquired at the position this offseason. Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Graves, and Christian Jaros were brought in this summer, while Jonas Siegenthaler was retained after a deadline trade last season. It’s hard to see where exactly Geertsen fits in, though with Ty Smith’s recent injury there may just be a short-term need for some added depth.

If the Devils put Geertsen back on waivers, the Rangers will have a chance to reclaim him and send him directly to the minor leagues, should they be the only team to put in a claim.

25 Players Clear Waivers

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October 3: The New Jersey Devils claimed Mason Geertsen on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. All other players cleared.

October 2: As expected, it’s another busy day on the waiver wire today as Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star and TSN reports (Twitter link) that the following 26 players have been placed on waivers:

F Cavan Fitzgerald (CAR)
F Maxim Letunov (CAR)
F Sam Miletic (CAR)
F Andrew Poturalski (CAR)
F Spencer Smallman (CAR)
F Brayden Burke (LA)
D Kale Clague (LA)
F Martin Frk (LA)
D Jacob Moverare (LA)
G Garret Sparks (LA)
F T.J. Tynan (LA)
F Lukas Vejdemo (MTL)
D Mason Geertsen (NYR)
G Antoine Bibeau (SEA)
D Connor Carrick (SEA)
D Cale Fleury (SEA)
D Gustav Olofsson (SEA)
F Tanner Kaspick (STL)
F Matthew Peca (STL)
F Nolan Stevens (STL)
G Maxime Lagace (TB)
C Otto Somppi (TB)
D Daniel Walcott (TB)
F Shane Gersich (WSH)
D Lucas Johansen (WSH)
D Dylan McIlrath (WSH)

A pair of young defensemen stand out among the long list of those available.  Clague played in 18 games with the Kings last season, recording six assists while logging over 17 minutes a night.  A productive scorer in junior, the 2015 second-rounder hasn’t been able to lock down a regular roster spot in the NHL yet but at 23, it wouldn’t be surprising if a team took a chance on him.  Fleury was selected from Montreal in expansion by the Kraken and while he didn’t see any NHL action last season, he played in 41 games with the Canadiens in 2019-20 on their third pairing.  With Montreal losing Sami Niku to a concussion on Friday night, they might be interested in a reunion.

Up front, Frk has had some success in limited NHL opportunities, notching six goals in 17 games with the Kings in 2019-20 and had a 25-point season with Detroit in 2017-18.  Poturalski led the AHL in scoring last season with 43 points in 44 games with AHL San Diego and had 70-point campaign with Charlotte in 2018-19.

Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on any of these players.

Canadiens Claim Samuel Montembeault Off Waivers

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The Canadiens have added to their goaltending depth as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is among those reporting (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed goaltender Samuel Montembeault off waivers from Florida.

The 24-year-old spent last season with Syracuse of the AHL on a split affiliation between the Panthers and Lightning.  As a result, he was limited to just 13 games, posting a 2.86 GAA with a .898 SV% in that span.  However, Montembeault does have some NHL experience under his belt, playing in 25 contests with Florida between 2018-19 and 2019-20.  He started as Florida’s backup in 2019 before Chris Driedger forced his way onto the NHL roster, pushing Montembeault down at that time.

The Canadiens are currently without starting goaltender Carey Price who is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and this move would suggest that Montreal is at least hedging their bets against him not being ready to start the season.  As things stand, Montembeault will back up veteran Jake Allen with prospects Cayden Primeau and Michael McNiven likely to be assigned to AHL Laval.

Montembeault is on a one-year, two-way contract that pays $750K in the NHL, $250K in the AHL, and has a guaranteed payment of $350K.  He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer.

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