25 Players Placed On Waivers

Today marked the opening of the regular waiver period in the NHL and not surprisingly, there are quite a few players on the wire.  Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports (Twitter link) that the following 25 players are on waivers:

F Matt Moulson (Buffalo)
D Andrew Campbell (Chicago)
F Jordan Schroeder (Chicago)
F Mitch Callahan (Edmonton)
D Ryan Stanton (Edmonton)
D Ludwig Bystrom (Florida)
G Michael Hutchinson (Florida)
F Paul Thompson (Florida)
F Cole Bardreau (Philadelphia)
D T.J. Brennan (Philadelphia)
F Greg Carey (Philadelphia)
F Danick Martel (Philadelphia)
F Phil Varone (Philadelphia)
F Frederick Tiffels (Pittsburgh) (unconditional waivers, per CapFriendly)
G Jordan Binnington (St. Louis)
D Chris Butler (St. Louis)
F Brian Flynn (St. Louis)
F Joey LaLeggia (St. Louis)
F Jordan Nolan (St. Louis)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (St. Louis)
G Richard Bachman (Vancouver)
F Tanner Kero (Vancouver)
G Oscar Dansk (Vegas)
F Brett Gallant (Vegas)
D Zac Leslie (Vegas)

Moulson highlights the list although his placement should come as no surprise.  With another year at a $5MM cap hit remaining on his deal, he’s a lock to clear and is expected to find his way back to the Kings’ farm team for the upcoming season.  Among other notable forwards, Kero has spent time in the NHL in each of the last three seasons, spanning 72 games in that span.  Nolan last played in the AHL back in 2012-13 and has been a regular on an NHL roster since then.  Buffalo claimed him off waivers last year in training camp.  Schroeder is no stranger to being on the wire but he has played in at least 21 NHL contests in each of the last six seasons.

Among the more notable defensemen, Brennan has been a prolific scorer at the AHL level in recent years but hasn’t seen a lot of NHL action in that time.  Wotherspoon is coming off of a career year in the minors, posting 37 points in 67 games and has 30 games of NHL experience while Butler has played in at least one game with St. Louis for three straight years and is six games shy of 400 for his career.

Hutchinson is by far the most well-known goaltender of the group.  The Panthers signed him to a $1.3MM deal at the beginning of free agency to give them a capable number three in case of injury.  He spent most of last year in the minors and with the higher price tag, he’s a fairly safe bet to clear.  Dansk made his NHL debut last season when Vegas was hit hard with injuries and did quite well, posting a 1.78 GAA and a .946 SV% in four appearances.

With the exception of Tiffels, the other 24 players will be eligible to be assigned to their respective minor league teams if they aren’t claimed by 11:00 AM CST tomorrow.  In Tiffels’ case, his contract will be terminated if he goes unclaimed as expected.