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Lightning Place Oleg Sosunov On Unconditional Waivers

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Sunday: CapFriendly reports that Sosunov has cleared waivers.

Saturday: The Lightning have placed defenseman Oleg Sosunov on unconditional waivers, reports CapFriendly (Twitter link).  This would appear to be a step towards paving the way for his release assuming he passes through unclaimed.

The 22-year-old was a sixth-round pick of Tampa Bay (178th overall) back in 2016 out of Yaroslavl in Russia.  While his offensive numbers weren’t anything spectacular, his size (he stands 6’9) was deemed worthy of a late-round flyer.  He transferred to Moose Jaw of the WHL in 2017 and had a good season where which helped earn him an entry-level deal.

Unfortunately for the Lightning, the improvements made there haven’t translated to the pros.  After splitting his rookie season between AHL Syracuse and ECHL Orlando, Sosunov spent most of this season in Orlando, picking up just a single assist in 21 games.

At this point, it seems unlikely that Sosunov will be able to make it to the NHL and that he was probably heading for the ECHL again next season.  Terminating his deal which has one year remaining will give him a chance to catch on somewhere overseas while freeing up a contract spot for the Lightning.  That may not seem too important but right now, they’re at the maximum of 50 so his removal will give them a little bit of flexibility if they need to make a trade before the change to the 2020-21 calendar year in mid-October.

Niclas Westerholm Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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The Nashville Predators are clearing a contract slot for next season, placing Niclas Westerholm on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Westerholm’s current entry-level deal was set to extend through the 2020-21 season, but he will become a free agent should the termination go through tomorrow.

A 22-year old goaltender, Westerholm signed with the Predators in 2018 after playing in Finland’s top league. He stayed overseas for the last two seasons on loan from Nashville and posted an .890 save percentage in 40 games this year. With no obvious path to the NHL with the Predators, Westerholm will likely stay in Europe and continue his development. Technically he will be allowed to sign with another NHL team once his termination is official and he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The Predators already have 37 contracts on the books for next season (of their allotted 50) and have plenty of players to re-sign. Letting someone like Westerholm go will allow them to add someone else on an entry-level deal that may have a brighter future in the organization.

Coyotes Place Andy Miele On Unconditional Waivers

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Andy Miele’s time in North America appears to be coming to an end…again.  Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports (Twitter link) that the center has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

A prolific scorer at the college level, the 32-year-old has carved out a reasonable career for himself as a top producer at the lower levels but it has failed to materialize into much of an NHL opportunity as he has just 15 games under his belt, all with Arizona in his first stint with the team after he left Miami (Ohio).

Last July, he decided to make the trek back from the KHL and signed a two-year deal with the Coyotes that guaranteed him at least $350K per year.  However, he never made it past the AHL and while he was quite productive with the Tucson Roadrunners with 15 goals and 33 assists in 58 games, it sounds as if he wants to go back overseas as he was linked to return to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod where he spent the 2018-19 campaign.

Assuming he clears waivers at 11 AM CT on Sunday, the Coyotes will be able to release Miele from his contract with no salary cap penalty.

Former Colorado Prospect Igor Shvyrev Signs In The KHL

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June 12: Shvyrev has signed a two-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, the KHL team announced.

May 28: According to CapFriendly, Shvyrev has cleared waivers.

May 27: Though it won’t grab many headlines after the league’s announcement yesterday, there is a little bit of other hockey news today. The Colorado Avalanche have placed Igor Shvyrev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Shvyrev’s entry-level contract was scheduled to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The 21-year old Shvyrev was a fifth-round draft pick of the Avalanche back in 2017 and came over to North America after just one more season in the KHL. In 2018-19 with the Colorado Eagles he recorded 13 points in 57 games, but still showed enough flash and promise to excite Colorado fans. Unfortunately things stagnated this season, with Shvyrev often seeing only fourth-line duty with the Eagles. He scored just nine points in 49 games and now looks like he’s headed back home.

Technically he will become an unrestricted free agent allowed to sign with any other NHL organization for the 2020-21 season, but it seems likely that the young forward will return to the KHL. Colorado will not retain any exclusive rights but will gain a contract slot moving forward.

Ondrej Vala Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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The Dallas Stars have placed Ondrej Vala on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Vala’s entry-level contract was set to extend through the 2020-21 season, but after finding himself playing mostly in the ECHL the past two seasons he will likely pursue other opportunities.

Vala, 22, is a Czech-born defenseman who spent three seasons in the WHL before signing with the Stars as an undrafted free agent. During his time in the organization he has played just a handful of games at the AHL level, instead spending most of his time with the Idaho Steelheads. In 115 career ECHL games, the 6’4″ defenseman has 28 points and 85 penalty minutes.

A two-time representative for the Czech Republic at the World Juniors, he is likely headed back to Europe to continue his career.

New York Rangers Place Sean Day On Unconditional Waivers

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Sunday: Friedman reports that Day has cleared waivers and now will see his contract terminated.

Saturday: The New York Rangers have placed once-heralded top prospect Sean Day on unconditional waivers with the purposes of terminating his contract, according to CapFriendly. Day, who was given exceptional status to play in the OHL a year early in 2013-14, never was able to capitalize on his talent. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed the move.

Day’s name will always be synonymous for being granted exceptional status of an under age player, an honor that has only been awarded to six players in the CHL, including John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Joe Veleno, Shane Wright and Day. Most of those players went on to be NHL stars with Veleno having finished a solid rookie season in the AHL, while Wright is considered to be a top candidate to be the top-overall pick in the 2022 draft. Day, however, has been the one player which looks like a mistake and this move only further emphasizes that.

Day, who was considered to be an elite skater, didn’t dominate in the OHL like many expected, although he was still good enough for the Rangers to select the blueliner in the third round back in 2016. However, after two pro seasons in the AHL and ECHL, Day wasn’t close to getting an opportunity with the NHL squad. In fact, the 22-year-old’s play decreased. He played 46 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and 19 games with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners in 2018-19, but ended up playing more in Maine this past season (36 games), compared to Hartford, where he appeared in just 16 games with a goal and four points.

Pittsburgh Penguins Place Linus Olund On Unconditional Waivers

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Friday: Olund has cleared waivers according to CapFriendly.

Thursday: The Pittsburgh Penguins are clearing a contract slot today, placing Linus Olund on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Olund’s entry-level contract extended through 2020-21, but he will be allowed to pursue other opportunities should he clear waivers tomorrow.

This move comes without much surprise, given that Olund played this season in Sweden on loan from the Penguins anyway. The 22-year old forward spent the 2018-19 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after signing his deal, but managed just 15 points in 61 games and returned to the SHL this year.

A contract termination would technically make him an unrestricted free agent able to sign with another NHL organization, but it seems more likely that Olund will be spending the foreseeable future in Sweden’s top league.

Kiefer Sherwood Clears Waivers

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Monday: Sherwood has cleared waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Sunday: The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Kiefer Sherwood on waivers, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. While the timing of the transaction is unusual, Sherwood was on the roster of the AHL’s San Diego Gulls on Feb. 24, which means he is eligible to play in the AHL playoffs, if they resume at some point.

CapFriendly notes that Sherwood can remain on the roster for 10 games or 30 days before having to pass through waivers again. With the season currently suspended, Sherwood is likely to remain on the NHL roster and then be reassigned to San Diego immediately if play resumes. Anaheim is just trying to stay ahead.

Sherwood has struggled at the NHL level this year. He has just one assist in 10 games for the Ducks, but the 24-year-old has been a key contributor in San Diego, posting 16 goals and 23 points in 37 games. The Gulls are tied for third place in a struggling Pacific Division and if play resumes, will need Sherwood to help guide them into the playoffs.

Troy Brouwer, Aaron Ness Clear Waivers

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Wednesday: Both Brouwer and Ness have cleared waivers and can be sent to the minor leagues.

Tuesday: Even though the season is almost over, teams are still making tweaks to their rosters. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that both Troy Brouwer and Aaron Ness have been placed on waivers.

In Ness’ case, Craig Morgan of The Athletic tweets that the Arizona Coyotes are expecting Jakob Chychrun back this week. Even though teams no longer have a roster limit, Ness is eligible to play for the Tucson Roadrunners and can continue to get some game action in the minor leagues.

For Brouwer, things are a little different. The veteran forward was not recalled until after the trade deadline, meaning he is eligible for AHL playoffs, but he actually hasn’t played a single game at that level this season. It’s unclear if the St. Louis Blues would send him down to the minor leagues in the event he clears waivers.

When it comes to post-deadline waivers, it is important to remember that any claim comes with some restrictions. As CapFriendly pointed out recently, a team changing reserve lists after the deadline is not eligible to play in the regular season or playoffs for his new club. That means even if a playoff team claimed Brouwer or Ness to give them a little more depth, they could not play.

Evening Notes: Marleau, Stamkos, Timashov, Merzlikins

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Just a handful of months ago, veteran winger Patrick Marleau made it clear he only wanted to play for the San Jose Sharks after he was bought out of his previous contract. He did eventually sign with them, but with Marleau’s approval, the Sharks traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline in hopes he might be able to chase a Stanley Cup.

However, with just 51 games remaining before he breaks Gordie Howe’s games played record, many wonder if Marleau might opt to re-sign with the Sharks this summer. When asked, Marleau admitted that might be a possibility, according to Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka.

“Yeah, I think the door’s open maybe to come back,” said Marleau. “I definitely would like to play another season, so that would be good.”

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that the decision to allow forward Steven Stamkos to undergo muscle core surgery was a tough one, but was the result of multiple tests and discussions with Stamkos and doctors, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. Stamkos will have the surgery on Monday and will miss six to eight weeks, meaning he is likely to miss some of the playoffs. The timing is tough, but Cooper added, “Good thing is when it gets done, it’s done, and now we never have to worry bout it again.”
  • Detroit Red Wings forward Dmytro Timashov, claimed off waivers last Monday, will make his debut with the Red Wings Saturday in Ottawa. However, the forward will not travel with the team back home, however, as the forward is still dealing with visa issues and can only play with Detroit because they are in Canada at the moment, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. “He’ll have to stay in Canada here,” head coach Jeff Blashill said. “He has to pick up his passport. So he’s hoping to get that Monday and get back for the game Monday night.”
  • The Athletic’s Alison Lukan reports that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who left last Monday’s game after colliding with Ottawa’s Anthony Duclair, is out with a concussion. The scribe writes that the head injury is considered to be minor, but Columbus is taking the injury cautiously. Merzlikins has a 2.53 goals against and a .922 save percentage in 32 appearances. However, with Joonas Korpisalo back in the fold, the team doesn’t have to rush Merzlikins back quickly.

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