Jan 13: Cramarossa has cleared waivers and his contract has been terminated.
Jan 12: The Minnesota Wild have placed Joseph Cramarossa on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. He is in the second season of a two-year, two-way contract signed in 2021 and will be an unrestricted free agent if not claimed. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Cramarossa has a deal with Mannheim of the DEL.
Cramarossa, 30, has played four games for Minnesota this season, scoring a goal while averaging fewer than eight minutes. Most of his year has been spent in the minors with the Iowa Wild, where he has nine points in 18 games.
Usually, contract terminations like this are a sign that the player received a better offer overseas, though Cramarossa doesn’t have any previous experience playing in Europe. A third-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, he has spent his entire career grinding in the minor leagues, only seeing significant NHL action in 2016-17.
If he is done in North America, his NHL career ends with 68 total games and 13 points.
This move opens up an additional contract slot for the Wild, though they already had five available to them. It is much more likely just allowing a player to pursue a different opportunity.
Pretty hard to tell what the expectations were. The Wild has plenty of interchangables.