James Neal Clears Waivers
Jan 3: Neal has cleared waivers according to Friedman meaning he can now be sent to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
Jan 2: The St. Louis Blues placed forward James Neal on waivers today, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Neal did have an impressive training camp with the Blues which led to a one-year, league-minimum contract, but he hasn’t retained that same magic in the regular season. The embattled former 40-goal scorer has just two goals and two assists through 17 games this season.
With the Blues continuing to get back to full health, there’s no clear spot for Neal at the NHL level anymore. He’s been surpassed on the depth chart by names like Logan Brown and Klim Kostin, making him expendable.
Teams have until 1 p.m. CT tomorrow to put in a claim for Neal.
Michael Sgarbossa Clears Waivers
Dec 29: According to CapFriendly, Sgarbossa has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.
Dec 28: The Washington Capitals have placed Michael Sgarbossa on waivers today, allowing them to move him to the taxi squad or minor leagues should he clear. He did just that in October, but after spending the last month on the roster he needed to again before being sent down.
Sgarbossa, 29, has played in seven games for the Capitals this season, joining them when injuries and illnesses started hitting hard at the end of November. He’s scored two goals and three points in those games, but with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom returning from the COVID protocol, wasn’t really needed on the active roster anymore.
The risk of a claim, however, seems to be much higher now given the situation many teams in the league find themselves in. With players entering the COVID protocol every day, Sgarbossa would certainly offer more than many of the inexperienced call-ups that have been used. The longtime professional has 62 games at the NHL level over his career and nearly 500 in the AHL.
Two Players Clear Waivers
Sunday: Both Sautner and Provolnev have cleared waivers, with the latter expected to return to Russia immediately.
Saturday: A pair of players are on the waiver wire today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Canucks have placed defenceman Ashton Sautner on waivers while the Coyotes have put blueliner Vladislav Provolnev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.
Sautner, whose previously-reported deal from earlier today is now official, was set to join Vancouver for their game tonight against Toronto. However, Vancouver announced (Twitter link) that both this game and Sunday’s contest against Arizona have been postponed so it appears they may not need the 27-year-old after all which likely has led to him being waived so quickly after being signed.
As for Provolnev, he signed a one-year deal with the Coyotes back in March after spending the past five years as a regular in the KHL. However, the 26-year-old was sent to AHL Tucson soon after the season started and hasn’t been recalled since. In 17 games with the Roadrunners, he has one assist along with 10 penalty minutes and a team-worst -17 plus/minus rating. The move suggests that he will likely head back to the KHL once he clears on Sunday and Arizona will free up a contract slot, bringing them to 45 out of the maximum of 50.
Fredrik Claesson Clears Waivers
Saturday: Claesson has cleared waivers, Friedman reports.
Friday: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Fredrik Claesson on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The veteran defenseman cleared waivers earlier this season but has spent enough time on the NHL roster that he needed to again before being assigned to the AHL.
Claesson, 29, has really never been much more than an injury replacement at the NHL level, but seems to find his way into a handful of games each season. He’s suited up four times for Tampa Bay this year after splitting last season between the Lightning and San Jose Sharks. In his career, he has 165 NHL games and 28 points.
It seems unlikely he’ll be claimed this time around, though teams are desperate for roster players given some of the COVID situations. The fact that he makes just $750K against the cap is important for that kind of situation, and could lead to a desperation grab.
Andreas Borgman Clears Unconditional Waivers
Dec 16: TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Borgman has cleared unconditional waivers, paving the way for his termination and return to Sweden.
Dec 15: The Dallas Stars have placed Andreas Borgman on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The defenseman has spent the entire season to this point at the minor league level.
When he does clear, Borgman is expected to return to the SHL, where Sportbladet recently reported he has agreed to a long-term contract. If the deal, which would extend through the 2025-26 season, is finalized, it would likely spell the end of Borgman’s NHL career. The 26-year-old came over in 2017 to join the Toronto Maple Leafs and played 48 games for the team, but has been limited to mostly minor league duty ever since.
In 2020-21 he suited up seven times with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but this year after signing a one-year deal with Dallas, he’s been stuck with the Texas Stars. A smaller defenseman who nevertheless plays like a big one, Borgman never was able to find a fit at the NHL level. Terminating his deal will cost him the rest of the $375K minor league guarantee but will allow him to play a bigger role back in the SHL. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News also tweets that Borgman has been dealing with a personal issue in Sweden, hopefully, one that can be resolved now that he’s heading home for good.
Joel Kellman Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Dec 15: Kellman has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated.
Dec 14: The San Jose Sharks are going to part ways with Joel Kellman, as the minor league forward has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Kellman, 27, is on the second season of a two-year deal signed in 2020 after an impressive transition to North American hockey. After going undrafted and playing for years in the SHL, he signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks in 2019 and played in 31 games during 2019-20. He had seven points and looked like he might be a valuable depth piece for San Jose moving forward.
The two-year contract he signed as an RFA carries a cap hit of just $750K but is one-way this season, meaning Kellman is earning $800K no matter where he plays. Given that has been exclusively at the minor league level, it makes sense for both sides to part ways. In 10 games with the Barracuda, he has four points and a contract termination will allow Kellman to return to the SHL or sign elsewhere overseas. Technically, he could also sign with another NHL team, but that seems unlikely in this case.
Anton Khudobin Clears Waivers
Dec 14: Khudobin has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL, according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic.
Dec 13: The Dallas Stars looked like they were going to have four healthy NHL goaltenders, but after Ben Bishop‘s comeback bid ended in further injury, that logjam seemed to be relieved. Still, the team has decided that there needs to be room for Jake Oettinger in the NHL, and has placed Anton Khudobin on waivers.
It’s a surprising fall from grace for a goaltender that just over a year ago was helping lead the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals, appearing in 25 games for Dallas during the 2020 playoffs. Khudobin was signed to a new three-year, $10MM contract after that performance but could now find himself on the way out of town before the second season is even complete.
That $3.33MM cap hit will likely scare off plenty of teams around the league, especially because the 35-year-old netminder has an .873 save percentage in seven appearances this season. But for some–perhaps the Buffalo Sabres, who have been linked to the goaltender in trade rumors recently–Khudobin’s long history of success could be enough to swallow the rest of his contract. After all, this is a veteran that has a .916 save percentage in 257 career appearances. In fact, this is the first time in his career that Khudobin has posted a save percentage under .900 or a goals-against average over 2.72, a career that spans 13 years.
There’s also a chance that clearing waivers would improve Khudobin’s trade value for the Stars, as any acquiring team would then have the ability to stash him in the minor leagues. Of course, that only buries $1.125MM of his cap hit and the fact that he’s still signed for next season makes it more difficult for contenders.
If it’s the end of his run in Dallas, it’ll go down as his most impressive stop so far. Whether he can replicate it elsewhere still remains to be seen.
Florida Panthers Claim Jonas Johansson
The Florida Panthers have grabbed a bit of extra goaltending depth, claiming Jonas Johansson off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
It’s obviously an interesting decision for a team that already has Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight on the roster, but with the latter struggling in his last game, perhaps the team believes he needs some time in the minor leagues. Knight has never suited up in the AHL, stepping right from the NCAA to the NHL last season for the Panthers after developing into one of the top goaltending prospects in the world. The 20-year-old has played in 12 games this season and has a .904 save percentage.
With Bobrovsky taking the bulk of the work so far–and looking rejuvenated after a pair of underwhelming seasons–allowing Knight to play games at the AHL level might not be the worst thing for his development. There also could be a nagging injury for one of their goaltenders or just another plan that requires Johansson’s services for the time being.
The Panthers have plenty of cap space thanks to the long-term injured reserve placement of Markus Nuutivara and Noel Acciari, but they will need to make a roster move to open a spot for Johansson. The team is currently at 23 bodies, including 14 forwards and seven defensemen.
For Colorado, losing Johansson certainly isn’t ideal. The team does have Pavel Francouz coming back, but they’re now quite thin at the position. Justus Annunen was forced to make his NHL debut recently when Darcy Kuemper suffered an injury, but the young netminder doesn’t appear ready for the highest level. Should Kuemper or Francouz suffer a setback, the team will be scrambling for help once again.
Jonas Johansson Placed On Waivers
Per TSN’s Chris Johnston, the Colorado Avalanche have placed netminder Jonas Johansson on waivers.
The move isn’t surprising in the least bit after the team recalled Pavel Francouz from his conditioning loan today. Francouz is gearing up to dress for an NHL game for the first time in over a year.
After a decent end to last season when Colorado acquired him from the Buffalo Sabres, Johansson’s struggled mightily this year. Behind an injured but still sound Avalanche team, he’s posted just a .880 save percentage in nine games played.
Considering his historical struggles at the NHL level, it’s unlikely Johansson gets claimed on waivers. However, he’s one of the better third-string goalies in the league and he does now have 30 NHL games under his belt.
Michael Del Zotto Clears Waivers
Saturday: Del Zotto was not claimed, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.
Friday: When the Ottawa Senators recalled Jacob Bernard-Docker, it seemed likely that someone was going to find themselves on waivers soon after. That someone is Michael Del Zotto, who was placed on waivers today according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Del Zotto, 31, signed a two-year contract with the Senators in the summer, one that carries a cap hit of $2MM. The team has received just ten games for their money to this point, scratching him several times instead of putting him in the lineup. The coaching staff obviously doesn’t trust the veteran defenseman, as several other options have been inserted over him and now kept as he is placed on waivers. Dillon Heatherington, for instance, could still have been sent down without having to clear waivers again.
So the question is now what does Del Zotto’s future look like in Ottawa? The team has already buried Matt Murray in the minor leagues for the time being, paying his full salary despite the goaltender suiting up for the Belleville Senators, not the ones in Ottawa. Will they do the same with Del Zotto, who is owed a salary of $1.75MM this season and $2.25MM next?
Part of that $2MM cap hit will be removed from the books for the Senators–$1.125MM to be exact–but for a team nowhere near the ceiling, that doesn’t really provide much benefit. The team will still be paying Del Zotto his full salary regardless of where he is assigned. A trade seems to make the most sense, though it is. unlikely that any team is going to give up a legitimate asset, even if he does clear waivers. In this case that would increase his value, as the acquiring team could put him in the minors, but there’s still not going to be much of a return on investment for Ottawa.
Interestingly enough, Del Zotto has still put up points even in his limited showings. With six points in ten games, he’s shown once again that he can contribute offensively, even if his defensive play leaves something to be desired. A veteran of more than 700 NHL games, perhaps a contender will feel as though he can help their depth down the stretch.