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Nick Holden, Liam O’Brien Clear Waivers

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March 31: Though Gostisbehere will still claim the headlines, Holden and O’Brien also cleared waivers today. Both players can be assigned to the taxi squad or, in O’Brien’s case, kept in the AHL.

March 30: While Shayne Gostisbehere got all the waiver attention, two more players were put on waivers Tuesday. The Vegas Golden Knights placed veteran defenseman Nick Holden on waivers again, while the Colorado Avalanche sent Liam O’Brien through waivers after signing him to a one-year deal earlier this morning, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Holden already cleared waivers earlier this season, but a player must pass through waivers again if he has played 10 games in the NHL. For Holden, the veteran is at 13 games and with everyday salary meaning so much, the team must attempt to pass him through waivers once again. Whether he will be claimed is a different story as more teams are eager to add to their ailing blueline. However, Holden is making $1.7MM AAV not only for this year, but for next year as well and many teams may want to avoid that second year, considering he is already 33 years old. Holden has one assist in 13 games for the Golden Knights, averaging 15:44 of ice time.

As for O’Brien, the Avalanche signed him and were forced to put him on waivers to either assign him back to the Eagles or put him on the taxi squad.

Philadelphia Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere Clears Waivers

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March 31: Gostisbehere has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or AHL.

March 30: The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have placed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere on waivers. While the career of the blueliner has been derailed in recent years due to injuries and on-ice struggles, Gostisbehere is still young at 27 years and only a few years away from his 65-point season in 2017-18.

With many teams successfully attempting to ease cap concerns by placing large contracts on waivers, this might seem to be something similar with Philadelphia hoping that Gostisbehere’s $4.5MM contract might dissuade most teams from claiming the defenseman. While that still might be the case, there are plenty of teams in desperate need of defensive help and while many of those teams are capped out, it wouldn’t be hard to suggest that a change of scenery away from Philadelphia could alter the career of Gostisbehere.

In fact, Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Philadelphia is trying to free up some cap room to make a major trade, perhaps even hoping a team might claim Gostisbehere.

His big season in 2017-18 (13 goals & 65 points) had many believing at the time that Gostisbehere would develop into a superstar, cornerstone blueliner. Instead, he struggled after that, posting just nine goals and 37 points the following year with injuries affecting his game as well. He scored just five goals and 12 points last season in 42 games and while Gostisbehere has been slightly better this year with five goals and 11 points in 25 games, the defenseman has not been able to come close to the star that Philadelphia thought he would be.

Of course, with the Flyers struggling significantly, which includes almost losing to the hapless Sabres Monday, general manager Chuck Fletcher might also be looking to just shake up the team. Moving out a player like Gostisbehere could send a significant message to the team.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that even non-playoff teams might be interested in Gostisbehere and could claim him. He is still just 27 years old and while he carries a $4.5MM AAV for the next two years, he is only actually drawing $3.25MM in salary. That could be attractive to teams like Ottawa, Buffalo, Detroit and the Los Angeles Kings who have the cap space to bring in Gostisbehere. Another possibility could be the Florida Panthers, who are in need of defensive help after the injury to Aaron Ekblad. In fact, Gostisbehere is from Pembroke Pines, Florida, not far from the Panthers’ home.

Any team interested in claiming him would have be required to have $1.525MM in projected cap space or $4.5MM in salary pool relief for clubs currently in LTIR, according to CapFriendly.

Artem Anisimov, Scott Harrington Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Both Anisimov and Harrington have cleared, according to Friedman.

Monday: Two veterans have hit waivers today, as Artem Anisimov of the Ottawa Senators and Scott Harrington of the Columbus Blue Jackets are available for claim, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Anisimov already cleared in February, but has bounced back and forth from the taxi squad to the active roster enough to need his waiver clock reset. Despite spending some of the time on injured reserve, the veteran forward has played ten games since he cleared, meaning if the team wanted to put him back on the taxi squad or in the minor leagues, he needed to go through the process again.

The 32-year-old Anisimov has played in just 14 games this season and has four points, totals that compare poorly even to his disappointing 2019-20 campaign. He at least scored 15 goals for the Senators last year, though he was still obviously a shell of his former self. Carrying a $4.55MM cap hit, there’s virtually no chance that another team claims Anisimov at this point.

Harrington meanwhile has continued to serve in a depth role for the Blue Jackets, playing just six games this season. The 28-year-old defenseman is closing in on 200 games in his NHL career, but doesn’t represent much more than an injury replacement or taxi squad filler at this point. For his cap hit of $1.63MM that’s not enough, meaning it should come as much of a surprise that he finds himself on waivers.

By moving Harrington to the taxi squad or waivers, the Blue Jackets can bury $1.075MM of his cap hit. He also appears to be a potential buyout candidate for the summer when he will still have one year remaining on his deal. Despite the fact that he is a defenseman, Harrington also seems unlikely to be claimed given his cap hit.

Anton Stralman Clears Waivers

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Saturday: As expected, Stralman has cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.

Friday: The Florida Panthers are in a position to compete for the Stanley Cup, and now may be trying to clear a little cap room for the stretch run. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the team has placed Anton Stralman on waivers today. The veteran defenseman carries a $5.5MM cap hit through the 2021-22 season, $1.075MM of which can be buried if placed on the taxi squad.

Because of that contract, exposing Stralman to the rest of the league comes with virtually no risk. There aren’t any teams out there looking to bring in that much money for a veteran nearing the end of his career, even if Stralman does have plenty of playoff experience. In fact, even the Panthers aren’t playing him every night, and when they do he is receiving fewer and fewer minutes. After averaging more than 20 minutes in each of the last six seasons, Stralman has only cracked 18 once since the start of March. Last night in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, he played just 14:18.

The simple fact is that the Panthers have better options than the 34-year-old at this point and could even be potentially looking to bring more in at the deadline. The team recently sent Noah Juulsen to the AHL on a conditioning loan, meaning he is nearly back from injury, and there are other names more deserving of the nightly ice time.

Still, waiving Stralman doesn’t mean they’re cutting him. Once he clears, the team will be able to move him back and forth from the taxi squad between games to bank additional cap space while still using him whenever necessary. There’s also the chance another team could be interested if the Panthers retain salary, especially should he clear waivers.

It’s been a great career for the veteran defenseman, even if it is approaching the end. The 216th-overall pick in 2005 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Stralman proved everyone wrong when he reached the NHL as a regular just a few years later. Now, after 847 regular season games and 108 more postseason contests, he may be shifting to a part-time role with the contending Panthers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Christian Wolanin Clears Waivers

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March 26: Wolanin has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

March 25: The Ottawa Senators have placed Christian Wolanin on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The team recalled Braydon Coburn from the taxi squad earlier today, suggesting he’ll be in the lineup against the Maple Leafs tonight.

Wolanin, 26, made the Senators roster immediately after signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2018, but hasn’t been able to keep a grip on that spot in the years since. With just 58 games of NHL experience, he is heading towards an offseason where he will become a Group VI unrestricted free agent. That is unless he plays 22 games down the stretch, something that would require quite a bit of luck given the Senators only have 21 remaining. If he were claimed and quickly forced through the quarantine protocols it is possible, but very unlikely at this point.

The fact that the Senators allowed him to reach that status in the first place is puzzling, given how little they are playing for this season. The team is not in contention for a playoff spot and are basically letting an asset reach free agency unnecessarily. Still, perhaps they were not planning on giving Wolanin a qualifying offer anyway as he comes off a season where he is earning $1MM on a one-way deal.

The 6’2″ defenseman has never been mistaken for a top-pairing player, but he does have the ability to fit into an NHL lineup in a depth role. Given there is no commitment past this season he could potentially be claimed, though skaters have passed through waivers unscathed routinely this year.

Leo Komarov Clears Waivers

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March 24: As expected, Komarov has cleared waivers and can now bounce between the taxi squad and roster whenever necessary.

March 23: In what has become a monthly routine, the New York Islanders have placed Leo Komarov on waivers today according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The veteran forward has already cleared waivers twice this season, once on January 13 and once on February 13, but continues to suit up and play with the Islanders. Last night he even started on the team’s first line, but if they want to move him to the taxi squad he needed to clear again since more than a month has passed.

Komarov, 34, has just two points in 16 games for the team this season and hasn’t totaled more than seven goals in a single year since the 2016-17 campaign. The bang-and-crash winger is capable defensively, but the offensive output that once got him selected to the All-Star game has completely dried up. Still, he seems to still be a favorite of head coach Barry Trotz, who inserts him into the lineup on a regular basis to add some energy.

There is almost no way that Komarov is claimed this time around given how little cap space is available around the league. The veteran forward carries a $3MM cap hit through the end of next season, a number that far outstretches his on-ice contribution. More likely is he will clear and continue to play a part-time role on the Islanders down the stretch.

Vancouver Canucks Claim Travis Boyd

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If you don’t have depth, just take someone else’s. The Vancouver Canucks have claimed the second Toronto Maple Leafs forward in a few days, grabbing Travis Boyd off waivers today. Boyd will be following former linemate Jimmy Vesey to Vancouver, after the latter was claimed last week.

Boyd, 27, signed a one-year, $700K deal with the Maple Leafs in free agency and actually received a pretty substantial opportunity at the NHL level. In 20 games he recorded eight points, mostly working on the fourth line whenever he did get onto the roster. The former Washington Capital has carved out a career as a “tweener,” stuck somewhere between being an AHL star and NHL depth player. In 105 NHL games he has 39 points, but is nearly a point-per-game performer in the minor leagues.

For the Canucks, this move and the Vesey one are reminiscent of a team that is preparing to sell at the deadline. Both former Maple Leafs can be either flipped or fill the holes left by other trades, rather than really impact the fate of the Canucks down the stretch. Vancouver is 16-16-3 at this point in the season and though the playoffs are certainly not out of the picture, really competing for the Stanley Cup would be extremely difficult without massive improvement.

For the Maple Leafs, they obviously would have liked to get Vesey and Boyd through waivers, but will take the added cap space that their departures come with. The team is expected to be a big player at the trade deadline as they attempt to win a playoff round, or even perhaps get all the way to the Conference Finals given their route through the North Division.

Toronto Maple Leafs Place Travis Boyd On Waivers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have put forward Travis Boyd on waivers once again, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. The 27-year-old was put on waivers at the start of training camp and cleared and now must go through the process once again. Boyd has appeared in 20 of the Maple Leafs 32 games this year, but has also spent a good amount of time on the team’s taxi squad.

The move is designed to maximize Toronto’s cap space before the upcoming trade deadline. Assuming Boyd clears, which isn’t necessarily a guarantee, the Maple Leafs can send him down to the taxi squad to accrue cap space. With no players currently on LTIR, the team can now save up some extra space before the trade deadline to potentially open up more opportunities for the team. Boyd makes the minimum, $700K salary, but having him on the taxi squad between games can save the team quite a bit.

Boyd has fared quite well since coming over via free agency during the offseason. The forward has three goals and eight points in 20 games this year, while averaging just 9:40 of ATOI.

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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Although we’re just two months into the season, the trade deadline is already less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Edmonton Oilers.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle standing between the Edmonton Oilers and their longest playoff run in the Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl era is not their North Division competition, but their lack of cap space. The Oilers are ready to be all-out buyers and compete for a Stanley Cup, but they lack the cap space to do much at all. They are already using Long Term Injured Reserve space and even most of that is already chewed up. Any trade will either have to see salary go the other way or be paired with another transaction to shed salary.

The Oilers have been bold in their waivers decisions this year, placing the likes of James Neal, Alex Chiasson, and Jujhar Khaira among others on the wire. Neal will require waivers again after two more games played, but is not a realistic waiver claim candidate anyhow. Plus, Neal’s off-roster status is currently reflected in their still-lacking cap space. Chiasson and Khaira though would require waivers again to be moved off the roster and there is reason to be believe that the Oilers may not risk it a second time. Could Zack Kassian be the next name they take a chance with? Signed to a long-term contract with a significant amount of salary, Kassian is probably unlikely to be claimed and could open up some space. He appears to have lost his top-six role and may be worth the risk.

The fact that a contender must consider risking their starting players on waivers to open up enough space to add different starting players just shows the dire cap situation in Edmonton. Add in the team’s lack of 2021 draft picks and an organizational philosophy that has been opposed to trading top prospects and it may be difficult for the Oilers to make a big move. With that said, they will find a way to make some sort of addition or two.

Record

20-13-0, .606, 3rd in North Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space (LTIR), 1/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: EDM 1st, EDM 4th, EDM 6th, PIT 6th, EDM 7th
2022: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th

Trade Chips

The Oilers’ best chance at adding an impact forward to their roster is by moving out salary to offset the addition. Although the Edmonton blue line may not seem like a top unit in the NHL, they are very deep which could make a roster defenseman expendable. Especially considering the impending Expansion Draft, which could cost the Oilers a young roster defenseman anyhow, there is some added incentive to deal from the blue line. 23-year-old Ethan Bear, who was trending upward heading into this season, has hit a wall in his development instead, recording just three points thus far, seeing a career low in ice time, and even sitting a few games as a healthy scratch. Bear still undoubtedly has value and could be the Oilers’ top trade chip, if they’re willing to move him. Competing for the No. 6 defenseman role for Edmonton this year has been William Lagesson, 25, and Caleb Jones, 23, who like Bear will each be restricted free agents after the 2021-22 season and are eligible for selection in the Expansion Draft. While Jones may have more upside, Lagesson has been the preferred player of the coaching staff due to his superior defense, even recently playing a top-four role. Jones’ contract is also slightly more expensive, which could be considered. Assuming the Oilers use the 7-3 protection scheme in the Expansion Draft and Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom (though not a lock) are protected, only one of these three young defensemen can join them. However, only one can be selected as well. That works out to one of the trio being expendable in a deadline move, especially with top prospects like Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg pushing up the pipeline as well.

The Oilers don’t have the same depth up front, but as previously mentioned have been willing to take risks on waivers this season to gain cap flexibility. If they feel Chiasson or Kassian are unlikely to clear waivers, they could shop either one to open up space or potentially in a swap. They could also look at moving some of their fringe forward to teams with a greater need for depth beyond their starting group.

Either as a sweetener to move another contract or as part of a return if they’re able to open up cap space, the Oilers will also have to consider moving some of their prospects. Tyler Benson, who has been more talk than walk as a pro prospect for Edmonton, may need a change of scenery after years of being unable to earn a full-time role with the NHL club. Cooper Marody, tearing up the AHL this year and having earned some NHL experience last year, could also be an attractive name. While Bouchard, Broberg, and Dylan Holloway are likely untouchable, would Edmonton consider moving other top prospects like Raphael Lavoie, Ryan McLeod, or Matej Blumel? Would they dip into their deep group of young goaltenders, such as Stuart Skinner, Dylan Wells, Olivier Rodrigue, or Ilya Konovalov?

Others to Watch For: D Dmitri Samorukov ($825K, 2022 RFA), D Markus Niemelainen ($817.5K, 2022 RFA), F Gaetan Haas ($915K, UFA), F Patrick Russell ($700K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Affordable Top-Six Forward – It may seem strange for the Oilers’ biggest need to be at forward. Edmonton is a top-ten team in goals per game, shots per game, and power play efficiency – arguably a top-five offense in hockey. Yet, that offensive production is heavily skewed towards just two players: McDavid and Draisaitl. A quick look at the depth chart also clearly shows that the team lacks quality top-six wingers, with players who should be above-average bottom-six players instead slotted as below-average top-six forwards. McDavid and Draisaitl deserve to have more talent around them, a need that has plagued the Oilers for years. Additionally, Edmonton faces a path to the NHL’s final four this season that goes through Winnipeg, a team with defensive issues, and Toronto, a team with goaltending issues. In a battle of three elite offenses, the North Division is likely to go to the team that can simply outscore the others. Right now, that isn’t Edmonton, but it wouldn’t take much to shift the scales.

The caveat of course is that without some cap gymnastics, the Oilers cannot be players for any of the high-priced forwards on the rental market (or any market for that matter). The focus must be on bargain buys, adding players who can produce at a high level while being paid at a low level. Among rentals, Bobby Ryan, Erik Haula, Carl Soderberg, or old friend Sam Gagner (yet again) could all fit the bill. Among players with an additional year of term, possibly more attractive anyway, Vladislav Namestnikov, Calle Jarnkrok, Rocco Grimaldi, Curtis Lazar, and Colin Blackwell are all intriguing options. If available, L.A.’s Alex Iafallo is likely the very best value addition.

2) Depth Forward – On the off chance that Edmonton has the cap space and a contract slot left, they could make another move and it should again be up front. Depth is key in the postseason and the Oilers simply don’t have it at forward. They could stand to add some playoff experience, defensive ability, and if possible top-six upside in an established veteran forward. While goaltending continues to be a major long-term need of the Oilers, solving that problem in-season given all of the factors working against such deal make it extremely unlikely.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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March 20: All three Michaels have cleared waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Amadio and Chaput can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues, while Houser remain with the Rochester Americans.

March 19: Bad day for Michael. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Michael Houser (BUF), Michael Amadio (LAK) and Michael Chaput (ARI) have been placed on waivers today. Houser only just signed a contract with the Buffalo Sabres today, meaning he needed to clear waivers to be assigned to the taxi squad or stay in the minor leagues.

Chaput has known these waters before, clearing waivers several times in his career so far. The most recent occasion was in January just before the season began, but now that he has played 10 games for the Arizona Coyotes, he’ll need to clear again to go back to the taxi squad. The 28-year-old forward hasn’t recorded an NHL goal since the 2016-17 season and has gone completely scoreless this season. He’ll likely go unclaimed once again, giving the Coyotes the ability to move him up and down.

It’s Amadio that may draw some interest out of this group, given his age and interesting history. The 24-year-old winger was the 90th overall pick in 2014 and played extremely well in the minor leagues, scoring at a near-point-per-game pace for the Ontario Reign. In 168 NHL contests, he has just 39 points, though 16 of those came last season in a limited role through 68 appearances. Unfortunately, Amadio has just two points on the season this time around and hasn’t even been able to generate many shots on net. Unless a rebuilding team sees him as a piece that could be salvaged, he will likely clear just like the others.

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