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Penguins’ Colton Sceviour And Juuso Riikola Clear Waivers

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Sunday: Both Sceviour and Riikola have cleared, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Saturday: The Penguins are trying to give themselves a bit of roster flexibility heading into Monday’s trade deadline as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that forward Colton Sceviour and defenseman Juuso Riikola have been placed on waivers.

Sceviour was acquired from Florida back in September as part of the Mike Matheson-Patric Hornqvist deal but while he had been a capable secondary scorer during his time with the Panthers and Stars, that hasn’t materialized with the Pens.  Instead, the 31-year-old has just three goals and three assists in 31 games this season while averaging a career-low 9:30 per night of playing time.  This led to him clearing waivers back in early March and he has played in 14 games since then, requiring him to pass through waivers before he can be loaned back to the taxi squad.  Sceviour is in the final year of his contract which carries a $1.2MM AAV, meaning all but $125K can be buried on the taxi squad.  He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As for Riikola, the defenseman has had a limited role with Pittsburgh since signing with them back in 2018.  While he played in at least 36 NHL games in each of his first two seasons in North America, he has been limited to just two this season.  Part of that is due to an upper-body injury that cost him 22 games but as a result of the moves the Penguins made to add defensive depth when they were hit hard with injuries, he has yet to play since being cleared to return.  The 27-year-old has another year left on his deal after this one with a $1.15MM AAV and if a team is willing to absorb a low seven-figure cost next season to add some free defensive depth, there’s a chance he could be claimed.  If not, all but $75K of his cap hit can be wiped out by a taxi squad assignment.

Several Players Clear Waivers

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Saturday: All four players passed through waivers unclaimed, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

Friday: The Ottawa Senators have placed Clark Bishop on waivers in order to be able to place him on the taxi squad once again. He’s not the only one on the wire, as the Edmonton Oilers have placed veteran forward Kyle Turris and the Montreal Canadiens have placed Paul Byron on waivers. The New York Islanders have also signed Kenneth Appleby to an NHL contract, meaning he has to clear waivers to remain in the AHL.

For Bishop and the Senators, this is a simple move to regain the roster flexibility they have had for most of the season. After clearing waivers before the season began, Bishop was able to move freely between the active roster and taxi squad depending on need, saving the Senators some cash on off days. His exempt status expired earlier this month, meaning he needed to clear again to be assigned to the taxi squad. With just three points in 12 games, Bishop is likely to clear again.

Byron too should be used to this by now, given he has cleared waivers twice this season and is part of a near-daily rotation through the taxi squad. The 31-year-old forward was once an important part of the Canadiens attack but is limited to mostly fourth-line duties these days. Given his contract carries a $3.4MM cap hit through the end of the 2022-23 season, he will clear again.

Turris hasn’t cleared this season, but it won’t be a surprise if he does. The 31-year-old forward is a shadow of the player that once scored 64 points for the Ottawa Senators and is overpaid even at $1.65MM this season. Turris signed a two-year deal with the Oilers in the offseason that the team is probably already regretting after he registered just five points in his first 25 games this season. Moving his deal to the taxi squad could bury $1.075MM of it, giving the Oilers some added flexibility.

Appleby, the biggest unknown of the bunch, is a 25-year-old minor league goaltender that would need an NHL deal in order to serve as the taxi squad netminder. In two appearances with Bridgeport this season he has an .896 save percentage and there is no suggestion that he’ll ever see time in the Islanders net.  CapFriendly reports that Appleby receives a two-year contract, making him eligible to be exposed to Seattle in the upcoming expansion draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nikita Gusev Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: As expected, Gusev has cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, paving the way for his deal to be terminated.

Friday: The New Jersey Devils have placed Nikita Gusev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Notably, having his contract terminated tomorrow would give him time to sign a new deal (likely at a much lower salary) with another NHL team and be eligible for the playoffs. When the termination goes through, he will be an unrestricted free agent.

This may come as a surprise, given Gusev is forfeiting the $1MM remaining on his contract, but things had taken a terrible turn in New Jersey. The 28-year-old winger hasn’t played in a game for the Devils since March 20 and has just five points on the season. Made a healthy scratch many times by head coach Lindy Ruff, the two sides were heading to an obvious breakup in the offseason.

This move will expedite that estrangement but also gives Gusev a chance to land on his feet in a better situation. We saw almost the exact same scenario play out last season when Zach Bogosian terminated his contract with the Buffalo Sabres, only to sign a new deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning and win a Stanley Cup. While that is certainly a best-case scenario and not at all guaranteed in Gusev’s case, he could now sign a league-minimum deal with a contender to add some depth for a postseason run, while showcasing himself ahead of free agency.

After a long career in the KHL, Gusev finally came to North America at the end of the 2018-19 season, signing his entry-level deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. He never actually suited up for Vegas though, as an offseason trade took him to New Jersey with a new two-year, $9MM deal. As a rookie that looked like a steal; Gusev recorded 44 points in 66 games, finishing just one point behind team leader Kyle Palmieri. It hasn’t continued and now a $4.5MM average annual value looks like an impossibility on his next deal.

Still, for those teams looking at adding forwards before Monday, Gusev now becomes one of the most low-risk options available.

Buffalo Sabres Claim Drake Caggiula

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According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Buffalo Sabres have claimed Drake Caggiula off waivers, seeing the obvious value in an experienced forward that makes the league minimum.

Caggiula, 26, scored 41 goals and 76 points through the first 222 games of his career, playing an energy role in the bottom-six for Edmonton and Chicago. Unfortunately, that production didn’t follow him to Arizona, where he had just one goal and seven points in 27 games this season.

Though he could never really find a fit in the desert, Caggiula comes to a Buffalo team that is desperate for some work ethic and fresh energy. Not only will he likely receive more responsibility and ice time, but this will be a great way for Caggiula to audition for his next contract. He settled for a one-year deal at the league minimum of $700K in late December and hasn’t had a great showing so far. A good few weeks with the struggling Sabres could change all that and send him to unrestricted free agency with something to build on.

There is also potentially a chance that Buffalo flips him by the deadline, especially if they know that another team was going to claim him. Being in last place, the Sabres would have had waiver priority over every other team in the league, meaning Caggiula never even had a chance to go anywhere else.

Drake Caggiula Placed On Waivers

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The Arizona Coyotes have placed Drake Caggiula on waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. He has played just once since March 27, receiving fewer than 10 minutes of ice time in Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

It wasn’t so long ago that Caggiula was proving to be a capable bottom-six scoring threat, able to manufacture even-strength offense in limited minutes. Over the first four seasons of his career, he recorded 41 goals in 222 games, an 82-game pace of 15 despite averaging just 13 minutes of ice time a night. For a player that was seemingly never outworked and played with a physical edge, those numbers were more than good enough.

Unfortunately this season that offense has dried up completely, with Caggiula scoring just a single goal in 27 games for the Coyotes. His possession numbers have fallen off a cliff in the desert and despite still managing 49 hits on the year, hasn’t been the energy machine he had in years past.

Still, with an expiring $700K contract, perhaps someone feels that Caggiula can be a valuable depth add just ahead of the deadline. He does have 249 games of NHL experience, not something often found so cheaply on the waiver wire.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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April 8: All three players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 7: Three players have been placed on waivers today, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Richard Panik of the Washington Capitals, Nick Merkley of the New Jersey Devils, and Martin Frk of the Los Angeles Kings all find themselves available to the rest of the league.

Panik was scratched again last night for the Capitals, the third time he had been out of the lineup in the last five games. That is what happens when you are brought in for secondary scoring and record just three goals and nine points in 36 games. Panik hasn’t been close to effective enough in his role this season, failing to record a point in his last eight and only generating five shots on goal during that stretch. Remember that the 30-year-old forward is on a four-year contract he signed with the Capitals in 2019 and carries a $2.75MM cap hit. $1.075MM of that can be buried by putting him on the taxi squad, giving the Capitals a little more cap flexibility as the deadline approaches.

Merkley is in a nearly opposite situation in New Jersey, where he is still just trying to establish himself at the NHL level. The 23-year-old actually has six points in 13 games this season but doesn’t have a consistent enough effort at the defensive end of the rink. A first-round pick in 2015, there is obvious offensive skill locked away in Merkley, but it’s hard to rely on him in a top-six role at this point in his career. The bottom-six isn’t a great fit for the 5’10” forward, meaning he’s stuck in a difficult situation. Just like New Jersey did when they included him in last year’s Taylor Hall deal, perhaps another team believes they can unlock the next level for Merkley and grabs him off waivers. Given he cleared in January though, that seems unlikely.

If Panik is an overpaid veteran and Merkley is a young player trying to find his way, Frk falls somewhere in the middle. The 27-year-old has been given countless opportunities to really establish himself at the NHL level and despite being an elite minor league contributor, can’t seem to keep his head above water when he moves up. Armed with an incredibly hard shot, Frk scores goals on a consistent basis in the minor leagues but has just 18 in 118 NHL contests. He’s played just one game for the Kings this season after spending most of it on injured reserve, and is likely headed for the taxi squad if he clears.

Jason Cotton, Kyle Rau Placed On Waivers

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April 7: Both players have cleared waivers. Rau can now be assigned to the taxi squad, while Cotton will see his contract terminated.

April 6: Another day, another two players on waivers. The Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild have placed Jason Cotton and Kyle Rau on waivers respectively, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Cotton, who is waiver-exempt and playing in the minor leagues, is likely on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.

Cotton, 26, signed a one-year contract with the Hurricanes last spring after his college career came to an end, but has seen mostly the ECHL this season. The 6’3″ winger has six points in 17 games for the Fort Wayne Komets and is unlikely to ever see time with the Hurricanes. A termination would make him an unrestricted free agent and allow him to pursue other opportunities.

Rau meanwhile has been a part-time NHL player for the Wild this season, following several excellent minor league campaigns. The 28-year-old has played in ten games for Minnesota, meaning his waiver clock needed to be reset if they wanted to move him back to the taxi squad or minor leagues. At this point, Rau almost certainly won’t be claimed given he has scored just six points in 52 NHL games.

Lucas Wallmark, Tanner Kero Clear Waivers

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April 6: Both players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 5: Two more players have hit waivers today, after Luke Johnson and Jacob de La Rose cleared today. The Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars have placed Lucas Wallmark and Tanner Kero on waivers respectively according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Wallmark, 25, still doesn’t have a goal this season for the Blackhawks and has been limited to just three points in 16 games. Once a regular with the Carolina Hurricanes, he has become a part-time depth player with Chicago and, with the recent acquisition of Vinnie Hinostroza, on the outside looking in. With a cap hit of $950K there is a chance he is claimed, but it seems much more likey that Wallmark will clear and find himself on the taxi squad.

The same can be said about Kero, even if he has been playing well of late. The 28-year-old has five points in 20 games for the Stars this season, his first taste of NHL action since 2017-18. Given that Kero has already cleared waivers twice this season, Dallas should feel comfortable about putting him through again. If he isn’t claimed, he can once again bounce back and forth between the taxi squad and active roster, saving the team some cap on off days.

Luke Johnson, Jacob de La Rose Clear Waivers

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April 5: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 4: A pair of depth forwards hit the waiver wire today, added by a couple of competing West Division contenders no less. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Minnesota Wild’s Luke Johnson and the St. Louis Blues’ Jacob de La Rose have been waived. Edmonton’s Joakim Nygard, the only player on waivers on Saturday, has cleared.

Johnson, 26, cleared waivers early this season, but his most recent outing with Minnesota marked the ten-game limit that necessitated another go-round. The former Chicago Blackhawks prospect, now in his second season with the Wild, is unlikely to be claimed. Johnson has one point in 28 career NHL games and has yet to record a point with Minnesota in two years. While his minor league production has previously been impressive, he has only played in two games with AHL Iowa this season, spending most of his time on the Minnesota taxi squad. And that is where Johnson is likely to remain for much of the remainder of this season.

De La Rose, 25, could be more of a risk, albeit is still unlikely to be claimed. The 2013 second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens was claimed the very first time he was waived, snagged by the Detroit Red Wings back in 2018. Detroit then traded de La Rose to the Blues early last season in a one-for-one deal to land Robby Fabbri, a swap that has worked out nicely for the Red Wings. In St. Louis, de La Rose has failed to make much of an impact and has been slowed by injuries as well. While his offensive game has never reached his draft expectations, de La Rose’s physical contributions have also slipped this year, leading to a career-low in ice time. For the Blues, it likely no longer made sense to reserve an active roster spot for the Swedish forward. Whether another team sees enough ice time to make a claim remains to be seen, but it would not be a major loss for St. Louis if it does happen.

Overseas Notes: Komarov, Kadeykin, Nickl

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New York Islanders forward Leo Komarov is far from a free agent. Not only is the veteran still actively playing with the Islanders this season, who hope to have a long playoff run ahead of them as well, but Komarov also has one year left on his current deal. Yet, that hasn’t stopped European clubs from making their interest known, should Komarov be bought out by New York this off-season. After all, Komarov had landed on waivers thrice this season and has just four points in 21 games. The Islanders could easily see the upside in opening up more than $1MM in savings next season by buying out the remaining year and $3MM cap hit of Komarov’s contract. There would not likely be much NHL interest in the 34-year-old either if he hits the open market this summer, hence the push from European suitors already. Just how far has the early courting process already come? Finnish hockey insider Markus Nuutinen reports that Komarov actually has a handshake agreement in place for next season in the event he is bought out by the Islanders, but it isn’t in his native Finland. Instead, Komarov is expected to return to the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow, the same club he was with prior to beginning his NHL career back in 2012-13. There are obviously no terms available yet for this unofficial agreement, but it would come as little surprise if a Komarov reunion with Moscow does come to fruition.

  • Though most Detroit Red Wings fans have likely forgotten or are unaware of the name Alexander Kadeykin, the club is assuredly keeping tabs on him. Unfortunately, they will not have the opportunity to negotiate with the KHL forward for yet another year. Following a career year with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, in which he set new highs in goals and points, Kadeykin has signed a one-year extension to remain with Ufa, the club announced. It certainly didn’t hurt his extension chances that Kadeykin was second on the team in postseason scoring, as Ufa made it to the conference semifinals of the Gagarin Cup. Kadeykin, 27, was a seventh-round pick of the Red Wings in 2014 and since he has never made the move overseas, he remains under indefinite team control. One more year in the KHL does not completely rule out the chances that he will ever sign with Detroit, but with each passing year it grows more and more unlikely. Should Kadeykin finally decide to try his hand in the world’s top league, the 6’5″, 220-lb. center with ever-improving offensive numbers would certainly be a name to watch.
  • Anaheim Ducks defensive prospect Thimo Nickl returned to Europe this season after spending last year in the QMJHL, a decision that was likely spurred by numerous factors. The young blue liner initially signed with the U-20 club of Rogle BK, but that was a short-lived stint. After recording five points in his first nine games at the junior level, Nickl was recalled to the SHL squad and has never looked back. In fact, Rogle has been so impressed with the 19-year-old that they have signed him to a one-year extension on an SHL contract. This is unlikely to bother the Ducks at all; a 2020 fourth-round pick out of Austria, Nickl was not expected to push for a spot in the organization any time soon. Playing against pro competition in Sweden, and more so finding success, is surely a developmental path that Anaheim is content to let him follow. The next challenge for Nickl will be postseason play, with the SHL playoffs approaching and Rogle sitting pretty in second place.

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