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Zack Smith, Marko Dano Clear Waivers

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Jan 5: Both players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the AHL.

Jan 4: Two veteran forwards have been placed on waivers today, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Zack Smith of the Chicago Blackhawks and Marko Dano of the Winnipeg Jets have both hit the wire.

Smith, 32, was recently ruled healthy for the Blackhawks after undergoing back surgery in March, but may not end up on the opening day roster after all. Placing the veteran on waivers already suggests that Smith is headed for the AHL or taxi squad, though even if he clears he may not necessarily be sent down right away.

Normally a player with 662 games of NHL experience would be a likely candidate to be claimed on waivers, but in Smith’s case, it seems very unlikely. Not only is he coming off a major injury and saw his play deteriorate last season, but he is also set to earn $3.25MM this season in the final season of his four-year contract. That cap hit is high enough, but given that it is all due in salary, it’s also probably too pricey even for rebuilding clubs that may need some more veteran experience in the lineup.

Dano meanwhile is just trying to hold onto an NHL career that barely ever existed in the first place. The 27th overall pick in 2013 has played just 141 games at the NHL level, including just three last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets in November and had been playing overseas, but suffered an injury and was limited to just two games with Trencin Dukla of the Slovakian league.

After going up and down, traded back and forth, and clearing waivers previously, it seems very unlikely that anyone would take a chance on Dano at this point. But if he can get his game back on track (and remain healthy), perhaps he can still be a useful taxi squad player for the Jets in a condensed season.

Florida Panthers Place Ethan Prow On Waivers

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Jan 4: Prow has cleared waivers.

Jan 3: Only one player was placed on waivers on Sunday, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Florida Panthers have put Ethan Prow on waivers.

With a shortened training camp, expect the waiver wire to be quite active in the next week. Prow will be one of many to be placed on waivers as teams begin to sort out their rosters over camp. The 28-year-old has never made an appearance in the NHL, but has proven to be a solid presence on an AHL blueline.

The undrafted free-agent originally signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2016 after four years at St. Cloud State University, playing three years with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins team in the AHL. He posted impressive numbers in his third year (2018-19) in which he scored 18 goals and 50 points in 74 games. He then opted to sign with Florida for a chance to break into the NHL, scoring nine goals and 32 points in 42 games last season, but did not join the Panthers in the bubble.

The blueliner will hope to find his way on the team’s taxi squad or more likely leading the way for their AHL squad.

David Warsofsky Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Warsofsky has cleared waivers, CapFriendly reports.

Friday: The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed David Warsofsky on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The minor league defenseman was included in the Kasperi Kapanen trade earlier this summer, coming to Toronto from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Warsofsky, 30, actually has 55 games of NHL experience under his belt, but likely won’t be seeing the league this season as he finds himself quite a way down the Maple Leafs depth chart. The veteran minor leaguer served as captain for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season, recording 33 points in 51 games, and will likely serve a leadership role with the Toronto Marlies whenever the AHL gets underway.

That is of course unless he is claimed for whatever reason, something that potentially could happen a little more often this year once the season gets underway. Teams will likely be scrambling for depth throughout the condensed schedule, even with the added benefit of taxi squad players. Warsofsky, who last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season, could be a valuable emergency option for Toronto or someone else.

Clark Bishop, Alexandre Alain Clear Waivers

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January 1: Both players have cleared waivers. Alain’s contract can now be terminated.

December 31: Two more players have been placed on waivers today, though the reasoning is a bit different for each. Clark Bishop has been placed on regular waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, while Alexandre Alain of the Montreal Canadiens has hit unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Alain has decided to pursue full-time studies and reconsider his future in professional hockey. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin released a glowing statement of the prospect, even if he is about to become an unrestricted free agent:

Alexandre embodies several values that are important to our team. Besides having an impeccable attitude and being a proud competitor, he is an excellent teammate appreciated by all. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.

The 23-year-old Alain signed an entry-level contract in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has spent the last two seasons playing with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. In 60 games last year, he recorded 11 goals and 24 points. His decision today may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time that academic achievement has been attached to Alain’s hockey career. In 2018, he won the QMJHL Scholastic Player of the year award and was given the Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence and Merit by the Canadiens, which is presented to amateur hockey players who best combine hockey performances and academic achievement.

Bishop meanwhile is a 24-year-old depth forward for the Hurricanes, who played five games at the NHL level last season but spent most of the year in the AHL. That’s likely where he’s headed once again, though the early waiver placement is interesting and could suggest that he has a chance to play overseas like Roland McKeown who cleared waivers today. At any rate, his chance of being a full-time player for the Hurricanes this season is low.

Roland McKeown Clears Waivers

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December 31: McKeown has cleared waivers and can continue to play overseas.

December 30: The march to the regular season continues, this time with the Carolina Hurricanes placing a depth defenseman on waivers. Roland McKeown finds himself there today, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, just a few days after signing his new one-year, two-way deal. McKeown has been loaned out to the SHL for the season and needed to clear waivers to remain overseas.

In a normal year, McKeown might be in danger of being claimed by a rebuilding team around the league. The 24-year-old defenseman has put up several successful seasons in the AHL after being a second-round pick in 2014, even spending ten games with the Hurricanes in 2017-18. In this unique campaign though, it seems unlikely that anyone would use a claim that would force him back from Sweden.

The fact that Carolina decided to send McKeown overseas in the first place is a bit ominous, at least when considering the AHL’s future. In the loan release, GM Don Waddell explained that it was “important that [McKeown] get back on the ice” even though he was a strong performer in the minor leagues. That suggests that there is still some doubt the AHL will get off the ground, at least not right away.

If that’s the case, he certainly won’t be the last player somewhere between prospect and depth that ends up on waivers. If a player requires waivers to play in the AHL, they’ll also need it to head overseas, as both are ways off the NHL roster. Those waiver placements would normally happen at the end of training camp in a regular season, but at least in McKeown’s case, the Hurricanes have decided to pull the trigger early in order to get him on the ice in the SHL.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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December 30: All three players have cleared waivers.

December 29: Another day, another minor league forward on waivers. The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed Calvin Thurkauf on waivers for the purpose of a loan to EV Zug in Switzerland for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that Michael Carcone and Frederic Allard of the Nashville Predators have also been placed on waivers.

Thurkauf, 23, was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets back in 2016 that slowly worked his way through the minor leagues and made his NHL debut last season. Though he failed to score a point in three games, even making it that far was an impressive accomplishment for the young Swiss forward. This year in 19 games with Zug EV, he has four points and will continue his development overseas should he clear tomorrow.

Carcone, 24, was only just acquired by the Predators earlier this month in a minor trade with the Ottawa Senators. The career minor leaguer had 27 points in 59 games with the Belleville Senators last season and is likely ticketed for the Milwaukee Admirals whenever the AHL season gets underway.

Allard meanwhile is already playing in Austria, where he will likely continue should he clear waivers. The 23-year-old defenseman has played three seasons for the Admirals but is still waiting for his first NHL opportunity. A third-round pick from 2016, he has three points in 11 games for EC VSV in the Austrian professional league this season.

Minor Transactions: 12/29/20

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Training camp is just a few days away and things are heating up in the hockey world. With waivers open and rosters being announced, minor transactions will come fast and furious all across the league. We’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Jordan Schmaltz will be attending training camp on a professional tryout with the Arizona Coyotes according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Schmaltz, 27, last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season, suiting up for 20 games with the St. Louis Blues. The 25th overall pick in 2012, he was never able to really translate his game to the NHL level.
  • Speaking of the Blues, the team has announced that Alexei Toropchenko and Nikita Alexandrov have both been loaned overseas. Toropchenko will stay with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL where he has been playing, scoring eight points in 25 games so far this season. Alexandrov will head to KooKoo in Finland, where he will spend the season at the Liiga level. The Blues’ release notes that both players could be recalled when their European seasons end.
  • Spencer Abbott, who played two games at the NHL level before heading overseas, will continue his playing career in Germany during the upcoming season. The 32-year-old winger has signed in the DEL after spending the last two seasons playing in the SHL.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Gabriel Fortier has been traded in the QMJHL. The slick forward, in his final season of junior eligibility, has been moved by the Moncton Wildcats to the Shawinigan Cataractes, the team announced. The return is only a conditional pick, as Fortier could join the Lightning or more likely a minor league affiliate this season, in which case Shawinigan would get their pick back. If Tampa opts to return him to juniors though, then the Wildcats would receive at least a 2022 third-round pick but it could grow as high as a 2021 first-rounder depending on production. Fortier is no stranger to change after initially being acquired by Moncton midway through last season, only to finish the year with better than a point-per-game pace, earning the team’s captaincy to begin this year.
  • Defenseman Ty Murchison of the U.S. National Team Development Program has made his college choice. The young blue liner announced his commitment to Arizona State University today, continuing the program’s pipeline from California. The former L.A. Jr. King is a talented two-way defenseman who plays an aggressive style, currently leading the USNTDP U-18’s in penalty minutes. Murchison is expected to be a middle round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft before beginning his NCAA career next year.

Kalle Kossila, Jean-Sebastien Dea Clear Waivers

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December 29: Kossila and Dea have both cleared waivers.

December 28: Today is the first day for the playing season waiver period and two teams have already taken advantage of it. Kalle Kossila of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Jean-Sebastien Dea of the Buffalo Sabres have both been placed on waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Kossila was recently loaned to EHC Munchen by the Maple Leafs, where he has played two games so far. The fact that he has now been placed on waivers likely confirms that he will not be returning to North America for training camp, at least not until things start up for the AHL. The 27-year-old forward has played in 19 NHL games over the years, all of them coming with the Anaheim Ducks. Last year he was limited by injury to just 12 appearances for the Toronto Marlies, meaning this season is something of a comeback for the former St. Cloud State star.

Dea meanwhile signed a two-year, one-way deal with the Sabres in 2019 but played just three NHL games with the team last season. With some new faces coming into Buffalo his chance to make the roster always seemed slim and this move likely confirms he will not be there when games start in a few weeks. The 26-year-old did have 39 points in 57 games for the Rochester Americans last season, so he would still be an asset to the AHL organization if minor league games get underway.

Both players will be available to the rest of the league, but neither seems likely to be claimed at this point.

Snapshots: Voluntary Opt-Out, Senators, Stepan, Schneider

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The first significant day of the NHL’s new calendar for the upcoming 2021 season is upon us as today is the deadline for NHL players to voluntarily opt-out of the season, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli.

If a player wants to opt-out of the season, they must provide written notice to the league seven days before training camp starts, which means that the deadline has already passed for the seven non-playoff teams which start their training camps on Thursday. However, the rest of the league has until the end of the day today, if they don’t want to participate in the upcoming season.

Waivers are next, with it beginning Monday for the new season.

  • With many teams struggling to move out salary this year without requiring to include a sweetener to get the deal done, there were quite a few people surprised when the Ottawa Senators took on the contract of Derek Stepan last night and instead of receiving some type of sweetener, sent a second-round pick to Arizona instead. Quite a high price to pay. However, Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch points out that the move is very Ottawa-like as Stepan might have a $6.5MM cap hit for the upcoming season, but is only due $2MM in salary, as the Coyotes have already paid Stepan a $3MM salary bonus. The Senators have been well known to take on players who have less salary to be paid out than their cap hit. This trade is one of them.
  • Speaking of Stepan, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that there is going to be a bit of a delay for Stepan to report to training camp in Ottawa. Besides the 14-day quarantine that will require him to miss part of training camp, Stepan is also waiting for the pending birth of his child, meaning that the 30-year-old could very well miss the start of the regular season. LeBrun reports, however, that Stepan’s agent, Matt Oates, says that the veteran is excited about joining Ottawa’s team as a team leader and is eager to arrive.
  • The IIHF will have a disciplinary committee hearing regarding the illegal hit to the head by Team Canada’s Braden Schneider vs. Germany’s Jan-Luca Schumacher, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. A decision is expected before Canada’s game vs. Slovakia later today. Schneider, a 2020 first-round pick of the New York Rangers, could be suspended, considering the IIHF has a no-tolerance policy on hits to the head. He was issued a game misconduct after the incident. McKenzie adds that Austria’s Philipp Wimmer is also expected to receive a hearing after his hit against USA’s Patrick Moynihan. UPDATE: Schneider received a one-game suspension for the hit, according to the IIHF.

Danil Yurtaykin Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Friday: Yurtakin cleared waivers, CapFriendly reports, paving the way for the Sharks to release him.

Thursday: The San Jose Sharks have placed Danil Yurtaykin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Yurtaykin had one year remaining on his entry-level contract but will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow.

Signed out of the KHL in 2019, Yurtaykin played in four games for the Sharks during the 2019-20 campaign but spent most of his time in the minor leagues with the San Jose Barracuda. The 23-year-old winger was never drafted, but caught the eye of scouts when he scored 10 goals and 19 points for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in 2018-19.

Since he wasn’t expected to be a full-time member of the Sharks NHL roster, terminating his contract makes a lot of sense for Yurtaykin. The AHL season is still clouded in uncertainty and he hasn’t played a competitive game since March. This will allow him to return to the KHL if he chooses, getting his hockey career back on track. Down the line, remember the name as a potential option for another NHL club.

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