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David Backes, Luke Schenn Placed On Waivers

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Saturday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that both Backes and Schenn cleared waivers. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin adds that Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Backes will be given the same break that all NHL players are getting for the all-star break before the team decides whether it will send him to the AHL.

Friday: The Boston Bruins have decided to place veteran forward David Backes on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the minor leagues. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds that Luke Schenn has also been placed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Backes, 35, has finally worn out his welcome with the Bruins. The former St. Louis Blues captain signed a six-year, $36MM contract with Boston in 2016 but was almost immediately a disappointment. He failed reach the 20-goal mark in his first season with the Bruins, a threshold he had met in each of his previous five full seasons (not counting the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign). Still, at that point he was still at least adding some secondary scoring and providing a physical presence in the lineup on a nightly basis.

Injuries started really affecting that contribution however, which made many look at the deal as a potential problem. By the time the summer of 2019 rolled around Backes was a buyout candidate, and now he finds himself on the way to the minor leagues.

Backes’ $6MM cap hit will not be entirely buried by heading to the AHL. Only $1.075MM is covered by sending him down, and the Bruins will still be on the hook for the entire actual salary. This transaction couldn’t have been done last year when Backes still had a no-movement clause, but this very well could be the end of his time in the NHL.

For Schenn, this the second time he’s found himself on waivers since signing a one-year deal with Tampa Bay. He cleared just before the season began, but now that teams are dealing with injuries there is a chance he gets grabbed for a short-term fix. The 30-year old has 749 games of NHL experience under his belt, though is obviously not an extremely effective option at this point in his career.

Brett Ritchie, Chris Stewart Clear Waivers

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Thursday: Both players have cleared waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Wednesday: The Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers have placed Brett Ritchie and Chris Stewart on waivers respectively, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Ritchie, 26, hasn’t been a good fit for the Bruins this season after signing a one-year, $1MM deal in the offseason. Unqualified by the Dallas Stars, the big-bodied forward was a free agent looking for a landing spot and the Bruins needed some secondary scoring and size on the wings. That scoring has been nowhere to be found when it comes to Ritchie, who has just two goals and six points in 27 games while bouncing all over the lineup. For a team expected to contend for a Stanley Cup, his play simply hasn’t been good enough.

Stewart meanwhile is beginning to look like a failed experiment of his own. After spending last season in the EIHL with the Nottingham Panthers, the veteran forward returned to the NHL and signed a one-year $750K contract with the Flyers in order to give them a little more physicality at the bottom of the lineup. He’ll likely play tonight for the team, but with just one point in 15 games there’s not a ton Stewart is providing the club at this point.

Like many of the names that grace waivers during the season, Ritchie and Stewart may find themselves unclaimed tomorrow and headed for the minor leagues. That is of course unless another team wants to add some size and will take a chance on one or the other. Both cap hits can be completely buried in the AHL.

Andreas Englund Clears Waivers

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Tuesday: Englund has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Belleville Senators of the AHL.

Monday: The Ottawa Senators have placed defenseman Andreas Englund on waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. This comes as the Senators are set to welcome Nikita Zaitsev and Mark Borowiecki back from injury.

Englund, 23, hasn’t quite established himself as the lockdown defender the Senators hoped for when they made him the 40th overall pick in 2014. Through four professional seasons in North America he has spent far more time in the minor leagues than the NHL, suiting up just 21 times with Ottawa and recording just two points. The 6’4″ Englund has 12 of those games this season, but will have to wait for his next opportunity.

That is of course unless he’s picked up off waivers tomorrow. Signed to a one-year, two-way $700K contract there may be some teams willing to take a chance on the big defenseman. He will be a restricted free agent again this summer.

Logan Shaw Clears Waivers

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Friday: Shaw has cleared waivers and was assigned to the minor leagues.

Thursday: The Winnipeg Jets have activated defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from injured reserve today, but to make room had to clear a roster spot. They’ve done so by placing Logan Shaw on waivers, with the purpose of sending him to the minor leagues.

Shaw, 27, has played 25 games for the Jets this season, recording two goals and three points. He averages just over seven minutes a game and hasn’t played since 2019, so this comes as little surprise. That small role and relatively ineffective play will also likely save him from claim, even if he does cost just the minimum $700K at the NHL level.

The Jets have worked with a revolving door of defenders this year, but still sit with a 24-16-4 record after last night’s win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kulikov actually returns as the team’s most expensive defenseman, with a $4.33MM cap hit this season. That doesn’t mean he’s the most important, but after averaging nearly 20 minutes a night through his first 25 games, he will give them an added boost for the stretch run. Kulikov hasn’t played since the end of November, but had four points in those 25 early contests.

Joseph Blandisi Clears Waivers

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Thursday: Blandisi has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the AHL.

Wednesday: For the third time, Joseph Blandisi has been placed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Blandisi previously cleared just before the season began and again at the beginning of December. Despite that, he has played in 21 games with the Penguins and needs to go through the process again in order to be eligible for assignment to the AHL.

Like the last two times, it seems unlikely that Blandisi will be claimed by anyone despite his NHL experience. The 25-year old has now played in 101 NHL games over parts of five seasons, most coming with the New Jersey Devils several years ago. A star offensive player in junior, Blandisi has 31 points at the highest level but is more of a threat in the AHL. He has seven points in his 13 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, where he may find himself again should he clear waivers this time.

The fact that he is on waivers could perhaps be another sign that Sidney Crosby is nearing a return, after taking practice and traveling with the team. The Penguins’ captain has been out since the beginning of November and has played just 17 games this season.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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Monday: According to CapFriendly, all three players have cleared waivers. Holm’s contract can now be terminated.

Sunday: There are three defensemen hitting the NHL waiver wire today, though none should come as much of a surprise. New Jersey’s Matt Tennyson, who cleared waivers earlier this season, has again been waived for the purpose of reassignment to the AHL. Meanwhile, Montreal’s Christian Folin is also on waivers after being a healthy scratch for more than two months.  Chicago’s Philip Holm, who has not seen any NHL action this season, has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

Folin, 28, played well down the stretch with the Canadiens last season after a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers and did enough to earn a one-year extension with the team this season. Signing a one-way deal to stay in Montreal, many expected that Folin could be a regular piece of the roster this season. However, he has hardly been utilized instead, playing in five games with the Habs, seven games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, and watching most games from the press box. After the Canadiens acquired Marco Scandella last week, it was clear that a re-shuffling of the blue line was in order and Folin is now headed back to the minor, pending safe clearance through waivers.

Tennyson, 29, has been a serviceable defender for the Devils this season, playing in 19 games already, which is equal to his past two seasons combined. Tennyson signed a two-year, two-way contract with New Jersey this summer and was expected to play the role of AHL veteran and deep depth option, but has already provided more value than that. However, he landed on the injured reserve back in early December and the Devils have gotten healthy and learned to play without him in the weeks since. Now healthy, Tennyson will return to the minors, unless another team was impressed enough with his early-season play to claim the affordable depth option.

Holm, 28, returned to North America this season after spending last year in the KHL. The former SHL standout took his time coming over initially, waiting until 2017 before signing with the Vancouver Canucks. Potentially as a result of his unfamiliarity with the NHL style, Holm has struggled to translate his ability. He played in one game with the Canucks early in the 2017-18, zero with the Vegas Golden Knights following a mid-season trade, and zero with the Blackhawks this season. His opportunity and thus his production has been better in Europe, making it far from a shock that he is abandoning his one-year, two-way contract with Chicago early to pursue other options. Expect his contract to be terminated tomorrow once he clears waivers.

Trade Rumors: Calgary, Baertschi, Sandin

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The Calgary Flames recently opened up significant salary cap space by trading away veteran forward Michael Frolik and his $4.3MM cap hit. The move occurred on Thursday and by Saturday the word was out that Calgary GM Brad Treliving was already on the hunt to fill that space. The Flames would like help up front and now have nearly $5MM to make and addition or perhaps even two. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Treliving and company are not interested in the rental market. The team’s preference is to add a player with term as opposed to using up their newfound cap space on a short-term commitment, especially as they continue to sit outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Friedman feels that, if the Flames are comfortable with Elias Lindholm remaining at center, their trade focus will be on adding a right wing. While it is often hard to predict which term players may be available, some top-six right wing options that Calgary can afford and may be available could include New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri, Montreal’s Joel Armia, Anaheim’s Ondrej Kase, or the Rangers’ Pavel Buchnevich. Of course, the team could also look into negotiating an extension with an available rental prior to making a deal, which would open up options like L.A.’s Tyler Toffoli or Florida’s Mike Hoffman or Evgenii Dadonov.

  • While one might assume that the Montreal Canadiens, currently in 13th in the Eastern Conference, would be sellers this season, the team proved otherwise this week by acquiring defenseman Marco Scandella and signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk. Friedman reports that the team was also considering Vancouver Canucks forward Sven Baertschi before pulling the trigger on Kovalchuk, although continued interest cannot be completely ruled out. It’s easy to forget about Baertschi’s availability, as the Canucks have kept him buried in the AHL for all but six games this season and have performed fine without him, currently riding the league’s longest winning streak in fact. Baertschi, who recorded 106 points in 216 games with the Canucks over the past four seasons, has been slowed by injuries in his career but productive when healthy. He has shown as much this year, scoring at an elite pace in the AHL. The risk-reward winger cleared waivers earlier this season, but as he continues to stay healthy and score in the minors, the Canadiens will not be the only team with interest. If Vancouver is willing to retain part of Baerstschi’s $3.367 cap hit through next season, that will only increase the likelihood that another team opts to take a chance on him.
  • While there has been some speculation that the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs could turn to the trade market to add depth on the blue line, especially in light of recent injuries, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston believes that the team may opt to fill the void internally instead. With Rasmus Sandin excelling overseas at the World Junior Championship, Johnston believes that Toronto’s opinion on playing the young defenseman this season has changed. Johnston does not believe that keeping Sandin under ten games of NHL action, so as to allow his entry-level contract to slide one more year, is a priority anymore for the team. He believes that when Sandin returns to Toronto, he will become a viable option for the remainder of the season. Sanin has already played in four games this season, so it would not take much time for him to burn the first year of his contract, but it may be worth it if the Leafs can solidify their back end.

Dalton Smith Clears Waivers

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Friday: Smith has cleared waivers, but was still at practice with the Sabres today.

Thursday: After 86 seconds of ice time and two penalty minutes, Dalton Smith has been placed on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Buffalo Sabres forward earned himself an NHL contract recently and played in one game for the team, but could now be on his way back to the minor leagues.

Smith, 27, was actually selected 34th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010 but failed to bring any sort of offensive game to the professional level. The physical forward has 54 points in 340 career AHL regular season contests, but still earned a deal with the Sabres and a chance to finally make his NHL debut.

Though he didn’t play much, Smith was an obvious message to other players including Evan Rodrigues, who was made a healthy scratch and asked for a trade out of the organization.

There is almost no chance that Smith gets claimed at this point, given he didn’t even have an NHL contract at this point last week. He will be a recall option for Ralph Krueger and Jason Botterill down the road however, if they ever need a little extra toughness in the lineup.

Aaron Ness Clears Waivers

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Wednesday: Morgan reports that Ness has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners.

Tuesday: According to Craig Morgan of The Athletic, the Arizona Coyotes have placed Aaron Ness on waivers. The defenseman already cleared waivers just before the season began, but needs them again in order to go back to the minor leagues.

Ness, 29, has played in 18 games so far this season for the Coyotes, registering one point and 16 hits. The depth defender has actually never played more than 20 NHL games in a single season, with just 65 contests in his entire career. That lack of experience should probably get him through waivers without a problem, along with the fact that he is signed through next season.

There’s no guarantee that he is sent down, but with the Coyotes expecting Niklas Hjalmarsson back soon there won’t be much room in the NHL. Ness has played in just four games for the Tucson Roadrunners this season, but was outstanding for the Hershey Bears last year, scoring 55 points.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Kailer Yamamoto, William Lagesson

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When the Edmonton Oilers placed Markus Granlund on waivers yesterday, it raised some questions over who would be recalled to fill his spot on the active roster. Those questions were answered today after Granlund cleared and was assigned to the minor leagues. Kailer Yamamoto, one of the team’s top prospects, will get another chance at the NHL level after being recalled today along with William Lagesson. Brandon Manning, who was also waived yesterday, has also been sent to the AHL.

The 21-year old Yamamoto has had short stints with the Oilers in each of the last two seasons, but is still looking to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. Selected 22nd overall in 2017, he has just five points in 26 games with the Oilers but has been better of late in the minor leagues. Due to injuries he has been limited to just 50 AHL contests in his short career, scoring 34 points.

While there are still high hopes for Yamamoto, the question now becomes whether he can develop into the kind of top-six option the team desperately needs to find. Edmonton has relied so heavily on their top few forwards this season and are still getting almost nothing from the rest of the roster. Zack Kassian’s 26 points in 38 games are good for third on the team in scoring, while other names like Alex Chiasson have been extremely disappointing.

It’s not just Yamamoto that will bring some excitement to the NHL team though. Lagesson too has become an interesting prospect for the Oilers after being selected in the fourth round way back in 2014. After a year in the USHL, two at UMass and one in Sweden, it was a long road for Lagesson to join the Oilers’ organization before last season. He was worth the wait though, as he recorded 27 points in 67 games for the Bakersfield Condors, while racking up a +25 rating (the highest among defensemen).

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