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.