Dec 8: Both players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Dec 7: The Edmonton Oilers have activated Devin Shore from injured reserve, meaning someone needed to be moved off the roster to make room. That unlucky player is Brendan Perlini, who has been placed on waivers today. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Scott Harrington of the Columbus Blue Jackets has also been placed on waivers.
Perlini, 25, looked in the preseason like he was going to be a great find for the Oilers, after he spent last season playing in Switzerland. He was flying up and down the ice, contributing on offense and showing that same mix of power, size, and skill that made him the 12th overall pick in 2014. Unfortunately, once the regular season started Perlini reverted back to the disappointing, inconsistent player he has been throughout his NHL career. In 13 games with the Oilers, he has failed to register a single point while totaling fewer than nine minutes of ice time in ten different games.
There is still obvious upside in the 6’3″ forward–who had 45 goals in 199 games through the first three seasons of his career–but Perlini has never shown an ability to be a consistent top-six piece and disappears completely when given limited minutes. He’s registered just six shots on net this season, and appears to be on his way to the minor leagues. Perhaps that’s something that should have happened a long time ago, as Perlini never really did spend time in the AHL during his developmental years. He has just 17 appearances there since turning pro, all coming in 2016-17 with the Tucson Roadrunners.
Harrington meanwhile is an interesting waiver option as well, given his recent run in the NHL. The 28-year-old defenseman hasn’t suited up for an AHL club since the 2016-17 season, spending the last several years as the extra defensemen with the Blue Jackets. He has 209 regular season appearances in his career, but just six of those have come this season. A second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins, he would be an interesting pickup for a team needing a seventh defender at the NHL level.