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Leo Komarov Clears Waivers

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Saturday: As expected, Komarov has once again cleared waivers, Johnston reports.

Friday: According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the New York Islanders have placed Leo Komarov on waivers for the second time this year. The veteran forward cleared just before the season began, but the team needed to reset his clock in order to have the ability to place him on the taxi squad. Once a player clears, they must go through the waiver process again after spending 30 days on the active roster or playing in ten NHL games. Komarov only spent one day of the last month on the taxi squad, meaning his time was about to be up.

Frankly, it appears as though the end may be approaching for Komarov, who has failed to record a single point in six games this season. The in-your-face winger was always known for his physicality and defense, but even those skills have slipped over the last year. Once a participant in the All-Star Game, Komarov has scored just 17 goals since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, despite playing 210 regular season games over that stretch.

The fact that he is still signed through next season with a $3MM cap hit all but assures that Komarov will get through waivers unclaimed, but it is not clear where his role with the Islanders really lies.

Loui Eriksson, Artem Anisimov Among Those On Waivers

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Feb 11: All three players have cleared waivers. They can now be assigned to the taxi squad or AHL.

Feb 10: The Vancouver Canucks have placed Loui Eriksson on waivers again, after clearing just before the season began. Eriksson has played in just one game, but the team has decided to reset his waiver clock so that they can continue to move him to the taxi squad. He isn’t alone on waivers today. Artem Anisimov of the Ottawa Senators and Taylor Fedun of the Dallas Stars have also both been placed on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Seeing Eriksson there shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Despite carrying a $6MM cap hit, tied for the highest on the team, the 35-year-old forward is basically a practice player at this point in his career. He suited up 49 times last season for the Canucks but recorded just six goals and 13 points. Eriksson received an odd chance to skate beside Bo Horvat on the weekend, but was quickly moved back off that line and scratched the following game. He won’t be claimed, not at that price.

Anisimov’s story isn’t all that different. Now 32, Anisimov hasn’t been a regular in the Senators lineup this season and has just one point in four games. His contract carries a $4.55MM cap hit (though the actual salary remaining is very low) and he is a shell of his former self. There was a time when Anisimov could be relied on for 20 goals and forty points, but that seems to be in the past—at least while he remains in Ottawa.

Fedun is a much different kind of player, still scratching by for any chance he can get in the NHL. The 32-year-old undrafted defenseman has played in just 127 games over the course of his long professional career and none this season with the Stars. He does have some interesting possession statistics over the last two seasons and has recorded 20 points in 81 games, but it seems unlikely that anyone would claim him, given the other names that have slipped through waivers already this season.

 

Scott Sabourin Clears Waivers

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Feb 8: After signing an NHL contract yesterday, Sabourin has cleared waivers and can join Toronto’s taxi squad.

Feb 7: The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Scott Sabourin on waiver, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. That likely means the Maple Leafs have signed Sabourin to an NHL deal (although they have not announced that), considering he is currently signed to an AHL deal and wouldn’t require waivers. The move is likely a result of the injury to Wayne Simmonds, who is expected to miss four to six weeks due to a hand injury.

Sabourin, 28, made his entrance into the NHL last season when he won a spot on the Ottawa Senators’ fourth line as an enforcer and even had some run-ins with Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews. However, a horrible collision in early November with then-Bruins forward David Backes knocked the forward out for more than a month due to a concussion. He did eventually return to the lineup in December, finishing the season with two goals, six points and 33 penalty minutes in 35 games.

The forward then signed an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies during the offseason. Assuming he clears, he will likely be assigned to the team’s taxi squad to bolster the team’s forward depth as the team is now missing Simmonds, Joe Thornton (rib) and Nicholas Robertson (knee).

Kings Claim Troy Grosenick Off Waivers

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After just getting through quarantine protocols, Troy Grosenick is heading back to where his season began.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Kings have claimed the netminder off waivers from Edmonton.

The 31-year-old was originally signed by Los Angeles early in unrestricted free agency in October to serve as their third-string option behind Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen.  Once Petersen was cleared shortly after the start of the regular season, Grosenick was waived for the purposes of sending him to the taxi squad but Edmonton claimed him with Mike Smith being injured though Grosenick had to serve a two-week quarantine period before he could suit up as Mikko Koskinen’s backup.

If Los Angeles was the only team to claim Grosenick, they will be able to send him to their taxi squad since they were the team that originally had and waived him.  Otherwise, he’ll have to remain on the NHL roster or go through waivers again if they want to send him down.

The veteran has just two games of NHL experience, both with San Jose back in 2014-15 and has effectively been an AHL starter since then.  Last year, he played in 33 games with AHL Milwaukee, posting a 2.29 GAA with a .920 SV% along with two shutouts which helped him earn a small raise at the AHL level in his one-year, two-way deal worth $700K in the NHL and $350K in the minors.

Meanwhile, Friedman adds in a separate tweet that Jets forward Dominic Toninato went through waivers unclaimed and that there wasn’t anyone placed on waivers today.

Troy Grosenick, Dominic Toninato Placed On Waivers

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The Edmonton Oilers have placed Troy Grosenick on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, just a few days after finally activating him. The Oilers claimed Grosenick off waivers on January 16, but he never did play a game for them. Joining Grosenick on waivers is Dominic Toninato of the Winnipeg Jets, who had previously been placed on long-term injured reserve.

This could suggest that Mike Smith is close to returning for the Oilers, who have leaned heavily on Mikko Koskinen in his absence. Koskinen leads the league in games played, shots faced and minutes this season (not to mention losses and goals against) as he operated as the only real NHL-caliber goaltender on the Edmonton roster. Smith’s return would take some of that pressure off, though it is still not certain that the 38-year-old can really contribute much at this point in his career. Smith has a .900 save percentage over his last two seasons, though has gone 42-28-8 in that time.

Toninato meanwhile was put on LTIR just as the season began after he failed his training camp medicals. He too could be approaching a return, though it’s not clear if he has a role on the Jets NHL roster at this point. The 26-year-old forward did play 46 games for the Panthers last season but seems ticketed for the taxi squad or minor leagues (whenever the Manitoba Moose get started, that is) whenever he is healthy enough to do so.

There hasn’t been a skater claimed since the start of the season, but Grosenick perhaps could be claimed once again. The 31-year-old has been a strong minor league option for many years, including posting a .920 in 33 appearances with the Milwaukee Admirals last season. For teams like Toronto, Carolina or Colorado who are dealing with injuries, claiming Grosenick could represent a chance to add some goaltending depth for the next little while.

Braydon Coburn Clears Waivers

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Feb 4: Coburn has cleared waivers. Almost immediately, the Senators moved him to the taxi squad and recalled Brannstrom.

Feb 3: The Ottawa Senators have placed Braydon Coburn on waivers today, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The veteran defenseman carries a cap hit of $1.7MM this season and was part of the cap-clearing package acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason.

Coburn, 35, is only a few months away from winning the Stanley Cup with the Lightning, though he certainly wasn’t a huge part of their postseason run. He suited up just three times during the playoffs and ended up traded along with Cedric Paquette and a draft pick as part of Tampa’s attempt to get cap compliant. In eight games this season with the Senators (which include seven losses), he has one point and has averaged just over 17 minutes a night.

In a corresponding move, it appears as though Erik Brannstrom may be getting his next NHL opportunity. The Senators have recalled the young defenseman to the taxi squad while sending Jonathan Aspirot back to the minor leagues. Should Coburn clear tomorrow, he could be swapped with Brannstrom and end up on the taxi squad as a depth piece.

That’s likely where he should be as the Senators try to develop their young core, but it certainly isn’t what he was hoping for. Coburn was a very well-liked teammate in Tampa Bay, even wearing an “A” as an alternate captain at times. Where his career goes from here isn’t clear, though he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Trade Rumors: Bennett, DeAngelo, Goaltending

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Following up on a report yesterday that the Calgary Flames were “blindsided” by rumors of forward Sam Bennett’s discontent with his current situation, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported during this evening’s edition of “Insider Trading” that the club is in no rush to trade the young forward. Of course, Bennett has not formally requested a trade anyhow and the Flames are not feeling any pressure to rush into a move. Instead, Dreger states that this is a matter of “if” rather than “when” as it pertains to a Bennett deal. Calgary will only trade Bennett, the 2014 fourth overall pick, if they can find a perfect fit. Otherwise, they expect to retain the forward. Dreger notes than many within the organization still feel that Bennett can be an impact player and would rather work through the issues of his role on the team rather than move him, especially at discount price. One way or another, the time is coming for the Flames to make a decision on Bennett; if he is not traded this season then the team will need to fully commit by protecting him in the upcoming Expansion Draft. If not, they risk a strong chance of losing him for nothing to the soon-to-be division rival Seattle Kraken.

  • While he may have cleared waivers on Monday, and amidst some ugly rumors at that, there is no shortage of interest in New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. While he may not play for the Rangers ever again, per the team’s own pronouncement, he most certainly will continue to play in the NHL. Dreger reports that there is “a ton of interest” in DeAngelo on the trade market. He feels that a resolution to his fall out with the Rangers is imminent, expecting a trade within the next few days. DeAngelo’s ability, especially in the offensive aspects of the game, are clear, but some felt that his clearance on the waiver wire might have indicated that teams were hesitant to take on the alleged behavioral issues. Instead, it seems teams were more inclined to DeAngelo clear waivers to gain that extra layer of flexibility, as well as to gain the possibility of receiving additional trade capital or possibly some retained salary in a trade with the Rangers.
  • Most NHL teams prepared for an unusually dense schedule this season by ensuring that they had a concrete goalie tandem and in many cases additional depth in net. However, for those with remaining concerns or those who have been impacted by injury, the need for multiple options at net minder is about to become even more crucial. Dreger reports that with the growing frequency of COVID-related postponements across the league, the NHL is going to have little option but to hand a number of teams very difficult make-up schedules toward the latter half of the season. Specifically, Dreger notes that there is a real chance that teams will face five games in a seven night span, perhaps even on several occasions. A capable No. 2 and a reliable No. 3 in case of injury will be absolutely necessary with no starter being able to handle such a heavy workload. With few options remaining on the free agent market, trade talks will likely heat up for those contending teams who need the wins more than others with goalies to spare.

Alex Chiasson Clears Waivers

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Feb 2: Chaisson has cleared, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The veteran forward can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

Feb 1: The Edmonton Oilers have placed veteran forward Alex Chiasson on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Chiasson has been a healthy scratch at times this season and played just 11 minutes last night in Edmonton’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

It wasn’t so long ago that Chiasson arrived in Edmonton after winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals and put up a career-high 22 goals. During that first year with the Oilers in 2018-19, he played a pivotal role on the powerplay, banging in eight goals and adding another seven assists with the man-advantage. Last season his numbers dropped to just 11 goals and 24 points in 65 games, while his even-strength ice time was also slashed considerably. That trend has continued this season where he currently ranks ahead of only Devin Shore and Jujhar Khaira in average 5-on-5 time.

If he’s not being used, it doesn’t make much sense for the Oilers to keep Chiasson and his $2.15MM contract on the active roster while they deal with a tight cap situation. If moved to the taxi squad or minor leagues, $1.075MM of his cap hit would be buried.

That is of course unless another team takes him, which could be an interesting move for a rebuilding club that has some extra cap room. Chiasson is scheduled become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning he could potentially be a deadline trade chip that a Cup contender would be interested in. For those like the Ottawa Senators or Detroit Red Wings, who are already likely out of the playoff race after long losing streaks to begin the season, claiming Chiasson with the intention of flipping him down the road could result in an extra asset, even if it’s not a substantial one.

More likely though is that Chiasson clears waivers like every other skater since the start of the season, allowing the Oilers to keep him as some valuable depth.

Tony DeAngelo Clears Waivers

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4:45pm: At a press conference this evening, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton made it clear that DeAngelo “has played his last game for the Rangers.” As Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press relays on Twitter, Gorton felt that DeAngelo “wasn’t able to move on” from being a healthy scratch earlier in the season and if anything else happened, the team was ready to move on instead. DeAngelo will not be around the team, despite currently being on the taxi squad, while they search for a trade. At this point, the Rangers are not looking to void his contract.

11:05am: New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo has cleared waivers today, meaning he can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues. DeAngelo was waived after an incident occurred following Saturday’s overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which he and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev had a physical altercation in the hallway outside the locker room. As Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports, the altercation was broken up by rookie defenseman K’Andre Miller.

DeAngelo, 25, signed a two-year, $9.6MM contract just a few months ago after his breakout 15-goal, 53-point 2019-20 season. He received Norris Trophy votes for the outstanding campaign but was still overshadowed by assistant captain Jacob Trouba and young star Adam Fox on the right side in New York. This is not the first time DeAngelo has been involved in altercations with teammates. In 2014, he was suspended by the OHL for violating the league’s harassment, abuse, and diversity policy by directing a slur at one of his Sarnia Sting teammates. It was the second time he had been suspended for violating the league’s policy. DeAngelo has also been suspended in the NHL for the abuse of an official, serving a three-game ban in 2017.

As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets, the Rangers are now still determining what the next step is for the organization and DeAngelo. They are working with his agent Pat Brisson on the matter, though a trade seems very unlikely at this point. Putting DeAngelo on the taxi squad or minor leagues would bury $1.075MM of his cap hit, while an offseason buyout would require the Rangers to only pay out one-third of the remaining salary owed because he is still under the age of 26. That would mean relatively minuscule cap penalties moving forward, though they would have to wait until the end of the year.

Rangers Place Tony DeAngelo On Waivers

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1:45 p.m.: The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) reports that an incident between DeAngelo and Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev that occurred immediately after the team’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins Saturday is the cause for DeAngelo being placed on waivers.

The scribe reports that three sources confirmed that the two players got into it in the tunnel on the way to the Rangers’ locker room. The altercation was quickly broken up and Georgiev was given a maintenance day Sunday due to the incident. The Rangers neither confirmed or denied the altercation.

1:00 p.m.: The Associated Press’ Steven Whyno talked to Rangers’ coach David Quinn after the move to put DeAngelo on waivers:

“Things happen in pro sports and that was a decision the organization made,” said Quinn. “It’s part of the business. It’s a decision we made. We’ll see how it plays out. I don’t want to get into specifics.”

Quinn added that DeAngelo was held out of practice Sunday to protect the waiver process, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. The coach said it was an organizational decision to keep him off the ice today.

“This isn’t about one incident, it’s not about one thing,” said Quinn. “This is a situation that the organization felt was best at this current time and we’ll see how the situation plays out.”

11:06 a.m.: The New York Rangers surprised some people Sunday when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that defenseman Anthony DeAngelo was placed on waivers. The 25-year-old, who just signed a two-year, $9.6MM deal during the offseason, is coming off a breakout 15-goal, 53-point season in 68 games. He has played six games under that new contract, but his struggles this season could be a sign that his time with the Rangers has come to an end.

The blueliner had an impressive campaign in 2019-20 with that offensive breakout. He received five votes in the Norris Trophy voting (the same number that Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen received). He put up a 30-point campaign in 2018-19 season and looked to have turned a corner last season after having spent time with three different organizations over his short career, including the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes.

What makes the move even more interesting is the fact the team gave him quite a raise in salary during the offseason. He has only played in five of the team’s eight games for the Rangers, who are currently sitting in last place in the East Division. He has averaged more than 20 minutes in his last three contests with New York, which includes his first point of the season Saturday in a overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, his minus-six rating could also be a reason for the move. On top of that, DeAngelo has been asked to move to his opposite side this year and has also lost some power play time to Adam Fox this season, both which likely have played a part in his offensive struggles so far this year.

Several teams are on the lookout for defensive help and could be candidates to grab DeAngelo, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins, although DeAngelo’s AAV could be an issue for some of those teams.

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