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Louis Domingue Traded To Vancouver Canucks

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After clearing waivers recently it was clear that Louis Domingue would be on the move if the New Jersey Devils could find a taker, and today they have. The Vancouver Canucks have acquired Domingue according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Domingue can report directly to the Utica Comets to serve as depth for the Canucks in net. Zane McIntyre will go back to New Jersey in the deal.

It’s an important move for the Canucks, as Jakob Markstrom is expected to miss some time with an injury he sustained against the Boston Bruins. The star goaltender has flown back to Vancouver to have an MRI done, meaning Thatcher Demko and Domingue are the tandem for the time being.

There is no telling what kind of a performance they would get from Domingue if he was forced into the net, but at least he has plenty of NHL experience. For a team like the Canucks who have their eyes set on a long playoff run, a third goaltender was a necessity.

Five Players Placed On Pre-Deadline Waivers

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Monday: The Anaheim Ducks have claimed Andrew Agozzino off waivers, while the Detroit Red Wings have claimed Dmytro Timashov. The other three have cleared.

Sunday: It will be a loaded waiver wire today, as the list features five different names. Two of those players were on AHL contracts until today, as the New Jersey Devils announced that they have signed defenseman Julian Melchiori to an NHL deal for the rest of the season, while the Ottawa Senators have done the same for defenseman Hubert Labrie. Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrew Agozzino, Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Dmytro Timashov, and recently-acquired L.A. Kings forward Tim Schaller round out the list. Goaltender Kevin Poulin has cleared waivers after signing with the Kings yesterday.

Melchiori, 28, has 30 NHL games to his credit over three years with the Winnipeg Jets, but has not played at the top level since 2016-17. Nevertheless, he has been a productive member of the AHL’s Binghamton Devils this season and provides New Jersey with another NHL option, given that Sami Vatanen and potentially others could be traded away by tomorrow’s deadline.

Similarly, the 28-year-old Labrie has proven to be a dependable defender and a locker room leader for the AHL’s Belleville Senators this season and has earned the chance to appear with Ottawa down the stretch if needed. Labrie is a career minor-leaguer, but the Senators are without many options given injuries at both levels, the recent departures of Dylan DeMelo and Cody Goloubef, and the potential that names like Ron Hainsey and Mark Borowiecki could still be moved.

The Penguins and Leafs are both in the market for additional help at the deadline and need roster flexibility where they can get it. Although Agozzino is actively in the Pittsburgh starting lineup, the 29-year-old veteran is expendable if it means opening up roster space for the Penguins, who are always active at the trade deadline. Timashov, 23, has played a very limited role in 39 games this season for Toronto and this move signals that the team feels he is worth losing if it avoids other more difficult roster decisions.

Schaller, a salary cap offset in the recent Tyler Toffoli trade, was never expected to play a regular role in Los Angeles. The Kings are well out of the playoff race and focused on working their younger players into the lineup, and the 29-year-old impending free agent is not part of that movement. Schaller has previously shown to be a good bottom-six depth option, and while a claim is unlikely, he could be flipped tomorrow after gaining the extra flexibility of clearing waivers.

Kings Sign Kevin Poulin, Place Him On Waivers

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Earlier this month, goaltender Kevin Poulin signed a PTO deal with the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of Los Angeles.  Evidently, he did enough to make an impression as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that he is on waivers today which means that the Kings have signed him to an NHL contract.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Poulin spent last season with Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL but despite putting up strong numbers there (a .915 SV% in 43 regular season games), he was without a playing home for this season until late December where he signed a tryout deal with Detroit’s farm team when they were dealing with injuries between the pipes.  However, when Jack Campbell was traded to Toronto which forced the promotion of Cal Petersen, the Kings had a vacancy to fill and he left the Griffins to join the Reign.

The 29-year-old has 50 games of NHL experience over parts of five seasons with the Islanders but he last saw NHL action back in the 2014-15 season.  Given how long he was unsigned to start the season, it’s unlikely that he’ll be claimed but teams will have until 11 AM CST on Sunday to place a claim if they so desire.

Zach Bogosian Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Saturday: Bogosian has cleared waivers as expected, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic which will pave the way for his release.  TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests that Toronto, Carolina, Winnipeg, and Pittsburgh will be among those interested in him as a free agent.

Friday, 10:55am: The Sabres have confirmed the placement of Bogosian on unconditional waivers, and their intention on terminating his contract.

9:45am: After failing to report to the Rochester Americans earlier this month, Zach Bogosian was suspended without pay by the Buffalo Sabres. That took him off the books in regards to the team’s cap, but still didn’t solve anything for the player. According to Darren Dreger of TSN, Bogosian will now be placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. While that will void the remaining money on his current contract, it does make Bogosian an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with another team.

The timing of this is important, as Bogosian would need a new contract filed with the league before the trade deadline in order to be eligible for the playoffs. It’s hard to know exactly who might be interested, though Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Toronto Maple Leafs “at least checked in.”

The 29-year old Bogosian became a regular healthy scratch for the Sabres this season after a career marred by injury. Selected third overall in 2008 he has only played more than 71 games in a season on one occasion, and has just 194 points in 636 games. The 6’3″ defenseman currently carries a $5.14MM cap hit that will be terminated tomorrow, should the process go smoothly.

Detroit Red Wings Claim Cody Goloubef Off Waivers

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The Detroit Red Wings have added some NHL experience today, claiming Cody Goloubef off waivers from the Ottawa Senators according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Brian Lashoff will be returned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in a corresponding move.

Goloubef, 30, will at least give the Red Wings a body to use on the back end down the stretch, especially if they trade off some of their other expiring pieces. He won’t bring a lot of upside, but 158 games at the NHL level is more than some of the other players the team has run out there this season.

For Ottawa, the defensive cupboard is looking awfully thin. The team has just five healthy bodies at the NHL level and four players in the minor leagues eligible for recall. If things get really dire the team could bring Olle Alsing back from Sweden, but there may be other moves in the works in Ottawa.

Cody Goloubef Placed On Waivers

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Along with Louis Domingue, who is being held out by the New Jersey Devils, Cody Goloubef has been placed on waivers today. The Ottawa Senators defenseman has played fewer than ten minutes in three of his last four games.

Goloubef, 30, has played in 23 games this season with the Senators, averaging just over 15 minutes a night and recording two points. The former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman is just depth at this point and given his expiring contract could potentially even be trade bait in the coming days.

Placing a player on waivers sometimes can increase their value at the deadline, as an acquiring team could immediately stash them in the minor leagues. Whether that is the plan with Goloubef isn’t clear, especially given that the Senators may want to just hand over some minutes to their young defense.

Cole Bardreau, Taylor Leier Clear Waivers

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Both Cole Bardreau and Taylor Leier have cleared waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The New York Islanders had placed Bardreau on waivers after acquiring Andy Greene over the weekend, while Leier had to clear in order to stay in the minor leagues after signing an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bardreau, 26, made his NHL debut this season after toiling in the minor leagues for several years. The Cornell grad had two points in ten games for the Islanders, but was never expected to spend the rest of the season on the active roster. After clearing waivers in September, he needed to clear again to be sent back to the minor leagues.

Leier meanwhile is just celebrating a new NHL contract, signed yesterday with the Sabres after settling for an AHL deal in the summer. He became a group VI unrestricted free agent in July after failing to get a full-time opportunity with the Philadelphia Flyers, suiting up just 55 times in the NHL through his first four professional seasons. The fourth-round pick can be called up at any point by the Sabres, but will stay in Rochester for the moment.

Ottawa Senators Claim Jayce Hawryluk Off Waivers

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There seemed to be a fair amount of anticipation that now-former Florida Panthers forward Jayce Hawryluk would be claimed off waivers today. The 24-year-old has struggled with injury setbacks this season and has been unable to carve out a role for himself in Florida, but was a point-per-game player in the AHL last season before being called up an playing at a 24-point pace in the second half of the season with the Panthers. It seems that the expectations that teams would look beyond this season and grab Hawryluk for his previous displays of potential were well-founded. The young forward only lasted until the No. 3 waiver priority, as the Ottawa Senators announced that they have claimed Hawryluk.

The Senators are again heading toward a trade deadline in which they are expected to move a number of roster players. By claiming Hawryluk, the team adds a young player who can move into a regular role in the place of some of those absences. An increase in ice time should also give Ottawa a better idea of Hawryluk’s identity at the NHL level. A dynamic scorer in his junior days, Hawryluk has flashed that ability briefly in the minors but it has yet to show at the top level. Perhaps an expanded role could help him to re-discover that scoring touch. On the other hand, Ottawa may also be looking toward next year as the true test for Hawryluk, as he is an impending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and the cost-sensitive Senators may be hoping to re-sign him at a low cost before trying to inflate his stats.

Joining the waiver wire today are the Sabre’s Taylor Leier, who just signed a two-way NHL contract with the team today, and the Islanders’ Cole Bardreau, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Neither is expected to be claimed, but Bardreau has at least seen NHL action this year. The 26-year-old has skated in ten games with New York and another 29 with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but has five points combined and is not likely a threat to be claimed. His waiving does indicate that the Islanders are opening up a roster spot for some other corresponding move, however.

Sabres Sign Taylor Leier To NHL Contract

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Last January, the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers swapped prospects, with Justin Bailey heading to Philly and Taylor Leier going to Buffalo. The duo had remarkably similar numbers at both the NHL and AHL levels and were each headed to restricted free agency, but the teams hoped a change of scenery might help to push them into NHL roles. However, when the time came for qualifying offers, both players found themselves as free agents rather than sticking with their new teams. The reasons however were very different.

Bailey got an immediate tryout with Philadelphia last season, skating in 11 games with the Flyers down the stretch. Unfortunately for the big winger, he failed to impress with just one point in that span and was not much of a difference-maker in the AHL either. The Flyers let him walk and he signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks this summer, which has so far paid off with immense minor league production and even a pair of NHL appearances.

Leier, on the other hand, spent the remainder of last season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and was a valuable asset. By all accounts, the Sabres had planned to re-sign him. However, the young forward suffered a freak accident while training in May that completely changed the status quo. While practicing his stickhandling on rollerblades at a local tennis court near his Saksatoon home, Leier fell and put his arm out to break his fall. His shoulder popped out, tearing his labrum. Suddenly, his future was in doubt. With a long road ahead of him, including surgery and rehab, Leier knew that an extension with Buffalo was likely no longer an option. Yet, finding employment anywhere else was likely even more unlikely. The team and player agreed that staying where he was, that being AHL Rochester, was the best course of action, and so Leier signed a one-year AHL deal with the Americans.

Leier returned to game action in late December, finally having healed from his accident. In the 17 games since, the skilled forward has recorded seven goals and eight points, among the team’s scoring leaders. Regardless of whether they need him this season or not, the Sabres have decided to reward Leier’s hard work and dedication. The team announced today that they have signed him to an NHL contract for the remainder of the season. While it is a two-way deal worth the minimum $700K, the move is more of a symbolic gesture anyhow that shows Leier that the club continues to support him. It will also keep him under team control into next season as a restricted free agent.

Of course, Leier will have to clear waivers today before he can be re-added to the Rochester roster. If he continues to produce in the AHL, the Sabres could finally give him an NHL look down the stretch as well, especially if they move out current roster pieces at the trade deadline. Leier has 55 NHL games and seven points under his belt and after working hard to return from injury and earn an NHL contract, the hope is that the young forward will have the chance to build upon those totals moving forward.

Florida Panthers Place Jayce Hawryluk On Waivers

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The Florida Panthers have placed forward Jayce Hawryluk on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. The forward has been injured for most of the season, but has struggled to establish himself in Joel Quenneville’s lineup.

Hawryluk, 24, was a high second-round pick in 2014, but needed a few years in the AHL to develop his skills. It looked like he turned the corner last year when he posted 32 points in 31 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds, prompting a promotion to Florida where he became a regular, appearing in 47 games, scoring seven goals and 12 points.

This year, he appeared in eight games for Florida before suffering an upper-body injury in late October that kept him out of the lineup until mid-December. He was sent on a conditioning stint to Springfield where he played six games, but only chipping in one assist. However, with his conditioning stint time having run out, Florida was forced to recall him where he has failed to register a point in seven games. His playing time dropped to just 7:43 on Feb. 10 and he has been a scratch for the past three games, although Quenneville said that was due to illness.

The team is hoping they can slip Hawryluk through waivers so he can get more time in the minors with the hope he can find his game last year.

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