Four Players Clear Waivers
Sunday: All four players have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Comrie was quickly sent to the AHL.
Saturday: Today is the first day that players can be placed on waivers following the roster freeze and it’s a busy day on the wire. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter links) that Markus Granlund (Edmonton), Brandon Manning (Edmonton), Andy Andreoff (Philadelphia), and Eric Comrie (Winnipeg) have all been put on waivers.
Granlund is in his first year with Edmonton after joining them in the summer when he was non-tendered by Vancouver. The hope was that he could provide some secondary scoring along with some positional flexibility and while he has given them the latter, he hasn’t produced much as he has just three goals and one assist in 31 games this season while averaging a career-low 11 minutes per night of ice time. Nonetheless, with a $1.3MM deal that expires at the end of the season, there could be some interest from a team looking for some depth.
As for Manning, this marks his second time on waivers already this season. He went unclaimed at the beginning of the season but was never sent down as instead, the Oilers kept him up in a reserve role. He has only played in nine games this year but since he has been up for more than 30 days since clearing waivers, he needed to be put back on the wire to be sent down. He carries a $2.25MM cap hit which is likely too high for anyone to want to add. Assuming he does clear, Edmonton would get $1.075MM in cap relief and the same would apply if Granlund clears which would give them a bit of cap relief.
Andreoff is also on waivers for the second time this season. He cleared early in training camp and was sent to AHL Lehigh Valley where he picked up eight points in 14 games, earning himself a recall in early November. He was shuffled back and forth a couple of times to free up some cap room but now that he has played in ten NHL games (where he collected an assist), he has to go back on waivers to be sent down. He’s in the first year of a two-year, one-way deal that pays him $750K per year.
Comrie is no stranger to the waiver wire himself. He was placed on waivers by the Jets at the end of training camp and was claimed by Arizona to serve as injury depth. He didn’t see any action with them aside from a four-game AHL conditioning stint before he was dealt to Detroit who needed a short-term backup option. He got into three games with them before being waived again and picked up by the Jets. If he makes it through this time, he’ll be able to be sent to Manitoba of the AHL. Comrie is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $700K AAV. This season is a two-way pact before converting to a one-way deal for 2020-21.
Five Key Stories: 12/16/19 – 12/22/19
The days leading up to the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze are always full of potential for big moves by teams looking to make a change before a stretch of mandatory inactivity. This year did not disappoint, as the biggest target on the rental market was dealt, highlighting a busy week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:
Taylor Hall Traded To Arizona: The week started with a bang, as the Taylor Hall saga came to an end with a trade to Arizona. The Coyotes sent a 2020 first-round pick, a conditional 2021 third-round pick, and prospects Nate Schnarr, Nick Merkley and Kevin Bahl to the Devils. New Jersey retained half of Hall’s $6MM cap as well. Hall was the top name in the rental market this season, but many were left underwhelmed by the trade return. The asking price may have been affected by Hall’s reluctance to negotiate an extension in-season, which he has maintained since arriving in the desert. Nevertheless, the Coyotes’ acquisition could make them the favorite to win the Pacific Division this year as they pursue the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Kings: Veteran Ilya Kovalchuk is on the move as well, but his destination is yet to be determined. He and the Los Angeles Kings came to a mutual agreement on a contract termination on Monday, with Kovalchuk clearing unconditional waivers on Tuesday. The former superstar never fit with the Kings after returning from the KHL and could be tempted to return to Russia after this failure. However, he is reportedly willing to sign a minimum deal to remain in the NHL as he too is pursuing his first Stanley Cup, without much time left in his lengthy career.
Eric Comrie, Stefan Noesen Claimed: Three players entered the waiver wire on Wednesday and two emerged on new teams. Both goaltender Eric Comrie and forward Stefan Noesen were claimed on waivers. For Comrie, he returns to the Winnipeg Jets, the team with which he began the season, after making stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Noesen only signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks ago, but is already on the move to the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most accomplished player waived on Wednesday, but also the most expensive, was not claimed and remains with the Calgary Flames.
The Injury Bug Bites: Injuries are not exactly an uncommon occurrence in the NHL, but this week in particular took a heavy toll across the league. Just how bad was it? Here is the list of players who were announced this week as being out long-term: Josh Anderson, Danny DeKeyser, Troy Terry, Derek Grant, Andrew Peeke, Ryan Murray, Darcy Kuemper, Jason Zucker, Josh Leivo, Brandon Saad, Cal Clutterbuck, Anthony Mantha, and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Chris Snow Diagnosed With ALS: Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager Chris Snow has been diagnosed with ALS, as disclosed by his wife in a public letter. As Snow begins this difficult battle, we here at PHR wish he and his family the best this holiday season.
Sebastian Repo Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Friday: Repo has cleared waivers and will be joining Lukko back in Finland.
Thursday: The Florida Panthers have placed Sebastian Repo on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This designation usually precedes a mutual contract termination.
Repo, 23, signed his entry-level contract with the Panthers in 2017 after being selected in the sixth round, but hasn’t made it out of the AHL. In fact, he has played just 17 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season.
Though this makes him an unrestricted free agent allowed to sign with anyone in the league, Repo will likely return to Europe for the time being. The winger had 26 points in 71 games for his AHL career, but was a much more efficient offensive weapon playing in Finland.
Comrie, Noesen Claimed Off Waivers
The Winnipeg Jets have brought back their former goaltending prospect Eric Comrie, claiming him off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings today. Stefan Noesen is also about to get on a flight, after being claimed by the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most expensive of the three, cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues by the Calgary Flames.
Comrie returns to the Jets following stints with Detroit and the Arizona Coyotes. The 24-year old goaltender was originally claimed by the Coyotes on October 1st and spent nearly two months on their roster without playing in a single NHL game. A conditioning loan did get him into four minor league games, but it took a trade to Detroit before he saw any action at the highest level.
Unfortunately, backstopping Detroit is a difficult task these days and Comrie ended up going 0-2 with an .864 save percentage in three appearances for the Red Wings. His return to Winnipeg comes as Jimmy Howard is expected to suit up for the Red Wings this weekend after dealing with injury for the last while.
Noesen meanwhile only signed an NHL contract a few weeks ago, after starting the year on a minor league deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After inking his new contract he played in six games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored a goal, but will now travel to San Jose to try and give the Sharks a little more depth. Noesen has plenty of NHL experience and was actually a quietly effective option for the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 when he had 13 goals and 27 points in 72 games.
Three Players Placed On Waivers
NHL waivers is busy today, with three players available to the rest of the league. Austin Czarnik of the Calgary Flames, Eric Comrie of the Detroit Red Wings and Stefan Noesen of the Pittsburgh Penguins are all on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
If claimed, it would be the fourth organization of the season for Comrie, who was already claimed off waivers once this year. Starting with the Winnipeg Jets, he was nabbed by the Arizona Coyotes before being traded to Detroit when Jimmy Howard went down to injury. Now that Howard is nearing a return, the Red Wings don’t have room for Comrie on the roster and will have to hope they can sneak him through waivers.
Noesen was only signed by the Penguins earlier this month, meaning it is unlikely he’ll be grabbed by another team at this point. The 26-year old forward was lighting it up in the AHL when he inked his deal with Pittsburgh, but is still no more than a depth forward at the NHL level. In six games this season he has just one point.
Czarnik however is a different story from the other two. The 27-year old signed a two-year, $2.5MM deal with Calgary in 2018 after a dominant season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins and ended up playing 54 games for them in 2018-19. While he had just 18 points, there was enough success to believe he would be a regular in the bottom-six this season. That plan was derailed by an injury, meaning Czarnik has only played in eight games with the Flames and three in the AHL on a conditioning loan.
While the Flames have other options, a claim on Czarnik is a real possibility from elsewhere. For a team looking for a little more wing depth he is more than capable and at this point in the season isn’t breaking the bank even with his $1.25MM cap hit.
Vancouver Canucks’ Sven Baertschi Clears Waivers
Monday: Baertschi has cleared waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
Sunday: Just a day after requesting a trade, the Vancouver Canucks announced they have placed forward Sven Baertschi on waivers. This will be the second time this season the 27-year-old has been put on the waiver wire.
Baertschi was put on waivers back on Sept. 30th, just before the start of the season. The veteran of 291 NHL games cleared, most likely due to his $3.37MM cap hit for the next two years. He was sent to Utica for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Baertschi didn’t let that stop him, however, as he has dominated at the AHL level, but has failed to make much a difference with the Canucks. With the Utica Comets this season, Baertschi has played 16 games and has scored four goals and 19 assists for 23 points, well above a point-per-game average.
Baertschi, who has been quite injury prone over his career, has struggled at the NHL level since signing a three-year extension back in the summer of 2018. He appeared in just 29 games last season due to injuries again, scoring nine goals and 14 points. This year, Baertschi has managed just two assists in six games. Known as a scoring, top-six player, the team doesn’t see him as such and don’t see him as a bottom-six option.
Joe Morrow Headed To KHL
Monday: After clearing waivers and seeing his NHL contract terminated, Morrow has signed a two-year contract with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL.
Saturday: The Devils have decided to part ways with defenseman Joe Morrow. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they have placed the blueliner on unconditional waivers, paving the way for the team to terminate his contract if he clears on Sunday. It’s worth noting that New Jersey is only at 46 contracts out of the maximum of 50 so this move doesn’t appear to be made with freeing up a contract slot in mind.
Morrow spent last season with Winnipeg where he got into 41 games but needed to go the training camp tryout route to land a contract. He spent camp with the Rangers but did well enough for the Devils to sign him early in the season, inking him to a one-year, two-way contract that paid the league minimum $700K in the NHL and $250K in the minors with a total guaranteed salary of $300K.
However, he has not fared particularly well with AHL Binghamton this season. Through 16 games, he has just a goal and three assists along with a -9 plus/minus rating, the second-worst on the team amongst defensemen. With a recall not likely on the horizon, this move will give him a chance to catch on somewhere else although it’s quite possible that he may wind up heading overseas.
Lukas Radil, Giovanni Fiore Placed On Waivers
Saturday: Both Radil and Fiore have cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Friday: According to CapFriendly, the San Jose Sharks have placed Lukas Radil on waivers, another change in the days since they fired Peter DeBoer and installed Bob Boughner as head coach. The Arizona Coyotes have also placed Giovanni Fiore on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
Radil, 29, will be a very interesting name to watch on the waiver wire after being so highly sought after in the summer of 2018. The Czech and KHL star decided on the San Jose Sharks that year, signing a one-year deal with them. Fresh off a stint at the Olympics, Radil came to the Sharks as an intriguing power forward that was known for his puck possession skills. GM Doug Wilson was excited about landing him at the time, and Radil would end up playing in 36 games for the Sharks last season.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone exactly according to plan. The 6’4″ forward has just 11 points in 50 games and has been a complete non-factor this season. Still, with a $700K cap hit he could easily be snatched by another team that believes a bigger role could lead to some improved production.
Fiore meanwhile will become an unrestricted free agent when his contract is terminated, and could test the overseas leagues. He had been dominating the ECHL this season with the Rapid City Rush, but was likely offered a better opportunity elsewhere. The termination of his deal will open a contract slot for the Coyotes.
Ville Meskanen Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Thursday: Meskanen has cleared waivers and will see his contract terminated.
Wednesday: The New York Rangers have placed Ville Meskanen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Meskanen is in the second year of the entry-level contract he signed with New York in 2018 after going undrafted. He would become an unrestricted free agent should the termination go through.
Meskanen, 24, earned himself the NHL deal with an impressive 44-point season in Finland during the 2017-18 campaign, one that was highlighted by a third-place finish in the goal scoring race. That kind of success in Liiga obviously isn’t a guarantee of it in North America, but Meskanen seemed like he was on a strong development path when he put up 34 points with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season.
Unfortunately, through 20 games this year the young forward has yet to score a goal and has just four assists. Hartford is a deep, talented team that has other top prospects to develop, meaning Meskanen may not have felt like he had the best opportunity. If the termination is completed, it seems likely that he will return to Europe.
Madison Bowey Clears Waivers
Tuesday: Bowey has cleared waivers and will report to the Grand Rapids Griffins, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.
Monday: The Detroit Red Wings have placed Madison Bowey on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He is expected to be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins should he clear tomorrow.
Bowey, 24, was the player the Red Wings acquired along with a second-round pick in exchange for Nick Jensen last season. Though obviously the pick was important to the rebuilding franchise, Bowey too was expected to handle an increased role with the Red Wings and perhaps be a core player to build around. Instead, he has been an adventure in his own end this year and is now available for the entire league.
Through 22 games Bowey does have eight points, but has been destroyed (like many other Red Wings players) in the defensive end. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year but currently carries a $1MM cap hit, which could end up saving him from claim. Even if he does make it through however, there is a real chance the Red Wings wouldn’t extend him a qualifying offer at the end of the season, given it would have to be equal to that $1MM salary (at the NHL level).