The Calgary Flames have placed veteran defenseman Nicklas Grossmann on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 31-year-old has played in only three games thus far for the Flames and has yet to record a point. It seems likely that Grossmann will clear waivers and report to the AHL’s Stockton Flames, but a team has a chance to scoop up the experienced defensive defenseman today.
Grossmann joined the Flames in training camp this fall on a PTO, but was rewarded with a one-year minimum contract in early October for the 2016-17 season. His time in Calgary may already be over though, as he has failed to make an impact in limited time so far. The entire Flames squad has gotten off to a disappointing start in the new campaign with a 5-8-1 record and offensive, defensive, and special teams numbers near the bottom of the league. Recently, Flames president Brian Burke called out his team for their lack of performance and is now acting on his frustration with the waiving of Grossmann.
A veteran of nine NHL seasons, spent mostly with the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers, Grossmann has never been much of an offensive juggernaut, but has built a career around being reliable in his own end. A second-round pick in Dallas back in 2004, Grossman was a starter for parts of five seasons with the Stars before being traded to the Flyers in 2011-12, where he also played major minutes. However, a trade to the Arizona Coyotes prior to last season in a salary dump for Philadelphia saw Grossman become more of a part-time player. He then needed a PTO to find a home this season, and with this demotion it could be the last of Grossman in the NHL.