For Zadina, it means he gets the fresh start he has been asking for since he requested a trade just before the NHL entry draft. For Detroit, it’s a brutal case of missing on a top-10 draft pick during a rebuild, not exactly ideal for a team that has built a good foundation of prospects and future NHLers. One benefit to the Red Wings is that they are no longer on the hook for the $4.56MM that Zadina was owed over the next two seasons.

One team that could check in on Zadina is the Vancouver Canucks, but Rick Dhaliwal of Chek Television tweeted that the Canucks haven’t reached out to Zadina’s representatives at this time, however, it is early. Zadina will come at a very low cap number which should interest many of the cash-strapped clubs around the league.

In Other Minor Transactions:

• Friedman is also reporting that Detroit Red Wings winger Andy Andreoff also cleared waivers this morning and he too will have his contract mutually terminated. Andreoff had a year left on his contract at a cap hit of $762.5K and at 32 years of age will likely finish his career outside of the NHL. Andreoff has accumulated 14 goals and 13 assists in 188 NHL games in parts of eight NHL seasons but has had a solid AHL career with 254 points in 403 games. CBS Sports is reporting that Andreoff will sign in the KHL with Sibir Novosibirsk.
• The Henderson Silver Knights have announced that they’ve signed nine-year NHL veteran Adam Cracknell to a one-year AHL contract. The 37-year-old forward is entering his 18th season of professional hockey after spending last season as captain of the Tucson Roadrunners where he posted AHL career highs with 21 goals and 32 assists in 64 games. A veteran of 210 NHL games, Cracknell posted 21 goals and 22 assists in a career that included stops with seven different NHL teams.
• The Rochester Americans have announced that they’ve signed center Graham Slaggert to a one-year AHL contract. The 24-year-old spent last season with the Toronto Marlies where he posted six goals and four assists in 63 games. It was his first professional season after he spent four years in the NCAA with the University of Notre Dame. In 143 career college games, Slaggert posted 27 goals and 42 assists and was also the captain of his club in his final season of eligibility.

Jul 5: The Detroit Red Wings are expected to place 2018 sixth-overall pick Filip Zadina on waivers again tomorrow, this time for the purpose of terminating his contract, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

There’s little reason to believe anyone would issue a claim if Detroit does opt to go the contract termination route, considering Zadina cleared just yesterday and was made available to all 31 teams via trade – yet he remains a Red Wing today.

The reason for that isn’t necessarily that no one wants to take him on as a reclamation project. It’s the financial commitment that comes with him – he’s got two seasons remaining on a backloaded $1.825MM AAV contract that would result in a costly gamble for a team claiming him if it doesn’t pan out. In real cash, he’s owed $4.56MM over the next two seasons.

It’s money that Zadina could willing to walk away from entirely to have a better chance of a successful NHL career, says Friedman. Although Zadina’s agent, Darren Ferris, declined to comment on the matter, Friedman’s reporting suggests Zadina has made it clear he would not report if assigned to the AHL next season, which would violate his contract and result in suspension without pay.

With both Zadina and Detroit cleared of any contractual obligation to each other, he would then be free to sign with any team in the league – giving him full control over his destiny, at least among the teams interested in adding him. Zadina had already requested a trade before the draft, which Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman expressed earlier in the week, but again cited Zadina’s contract as a significant obstacle in moving him.

Yzerman had expressed his reluctance to put Zadina on waivers, considering he’d signed the winger to a three-year contract just a year ago with the belief that he would continue to develop. It didn’t happen this season, as he posted just seven points in 30 games and averaged 13:05 per game.

All that being said, it’s fair to speculate now which teams could have interest in picking up the Czech-born winger, and where he could have success and ultimately develop into the top-six (or top-nine, at this point) forward he was projected to be.

Somewhat ironically, Zadina has some history with two teams that could make sense. Before falling to Detroit at sixth overall at the 2018 Draft, Zadina said regarding two teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, that “if they will pass on me, I’m going to fill their nets with pucks.” Montreal selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi third overall, while Ottawa selected now-captain Brady Tkachuk with the fourth selection. Both teams are looking to add some forward depth today, and Montreal has displayed a liking to taking on reclamation projects in recent years (Kirby Dach, Denis Gurianov, Alex Newhook).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Andreoff, 31, has played in three games so far this season, recording one assist in just 22 total minutes of ice time. The veteran winger has been mostly a minor league player for his decade-long professional career and has suited up just nine times with New York since joining the organization in 2021.

For the Bridgeport Islanders, though, he’s been a key player, scoring 20 goals in just 46 games this season. With Bridgeport entering a key three-in-four stretch over the next few days, he’ll be a welcome reinforcement.

Koivula, meanwhile, has played just one game for New York, the 21st of his NHL career. The 24-year-old forward has 25 points in 45 games for Bridgeport and continues to bounce up and down whenever the organization needs an extra body at the NHL level.

Carolina Hurricanes

Ryan Dzingel
Maxime Lajoie
Lane Pederson
Stelio Mattheos
Mackenzie MacEachern

Minnesota Wild

Brandon Baddock

New York Islanders

Dennis Cholowski
Cory Schneider
Parker Wotherspoon
Hudson Fasching
Arnaud Durandeau
Cole Bardreau
Andy Andreoff

Philadelphia Flyers

Adam Brooks
Max Willman
Louis Belpedio

This page will be updated as more reports come in

Atlantic Division

• The Maple Leafs appear to have brought up goaltender Carter Hutton as TSN’s Mark Masters notes (Twitter link) that the veteran was at the morning skate today. Hutton was acquired from Arizona back in February but remained with their AHL affiliate in Tucson.  However, with Toronto’s AHL affiliate having three injured goalies plus Petr Mrazek out for the rest of the regular season, Toronto now has a use for the 36-year-old whose presence could eventually allow Erik Kallgren to go back to the minors where he’d get more playing time unless they eventually opt to send Hutton to the Marlies instead.

Metropolitan Division

• The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Hayden Hodgson from Lehigh Valley of the AHL. The 25-year-old was converted to an NHL contract just before the trade deadline and has played in five games since then, picking up a goal and an assist along with 11 penalty minutes.  He’ll take the place of winger Joel Farabee who is out with a non-COVID illness.
• The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned center Filip Hallander to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 21-year-old made his NHL debut on Thursday but with Jason Zucker returning to the lineup, Pittsburgh had to either send Hallander back or convert him to one of their four allowable post-deadline regular recalls.
• The New York Islanders announced (Twitter Link) that they’ve recalled forward Andy Andreoff from the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL. Andreoff has spent the majority of the season with Bridgeport, but did get into five games with the Islanders this season amid their COVID outbreak in late November and early December. The call-up comes with forward Casey Cizikas being suspended for one game after a hit on Carolina Hurricanes’ defenseman Brendan Smith last night. Andreoff will draw into the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues.

Central Division

Pacific Division

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Oct 6: It’s time for teams to pare down their training camp rosters to the last few battles, meaning waivers will be full for the next several days. Today, the list is 30 names long.

Alexander Volkov (ANA)
Steven Fogarty (BOS)
Aaron Dell (BUF)
Jimmy Schuldt (BUF)
Stefan Matteau (COL)
Roland McKeown (COL)
Kiefer Sherwood (COL)
Dylan Sikura (COL)
Michael Pezzetta (MTL)
Andy Andreoff (NYI)
Ken Appleby (NYI)
Cole Bardreau (NYI)
Austin Czarnik (NYI)
Grant Hutton (NYI)
Otto Koivula (NYI)
Paul Ladue (NYI)
Dmytro Timashov (NYI)
Mitchell Vande Sompel (NYI)
Parker Wotherspoon (NYI)
Connor Bunnaman (PHI)
Adam Clendening (PHI)
Gerald Mayhew (PHI)
German Rubtsov (PHI)
Kole Lind (SEA)
Max McCormick (SEA)
Joey Anderson (TOR)
Carl Dahlstrom (TOR)
Brennan Menell (TOR)
Brett Seney (TOR)
Jonah Gadjovich (VAN)

There are quite a few players who could be claimed today, including quite a few depth forwards. One interesting name is Dell, who appears to have lost the battle in Buffalo for playing time to Dustin Tokarski and Craig Anderson. Dell was waived at the end of training camp last season as well, only to be claimed and stuck on the taxi squad for the majority of the season. The 32-year-old posted an .857 in seven NHL appearances and is likely headed for the minor leagues this time around.

This is all well and good on its face, but the reality is that there are only so many roster spots to go around. Interestingly enough, the Islanders should be okay with the salary cap. CapFriendly currently projects the team to be over the cap, but using only $4.48MM of their $6MM in LTIR relief from Johnny Boychuk’s career-ending injury. While this projection does not include the undisclosed terms for Chara and Parise, it is based on a 23-man roster and those veterans are expected to have minimum base salary, incentive-laden contract. However, therein lies the problem. CapFriendly already has New York roster at the maximum 23 players, but that does not include Chara and Parise, nor does it include unsigned restricted free agent Kieffer Bellows. Something has to give.

So who could be on the chopping block? It isn’t a long list. Many of the Islanders’ core players are returning from a run to the semifinals last season and are locked into a roster spot. In fact, the team may have its full group of 12 starting forwards already in place. Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Josh Bailey, Oliver Wahlstrom, Palmieri, Beauvillier, and Parise expect to be in top-nine roles, while one of the league’s best fourth lines of Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin, and Cizikas will stick together as well. On the blue line, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock will man the top pair and Scott Mayfield will be back on the second pair. Young righty Noah Dobson and the veteran lefties, Chara and Andy Greene, are at least locks for a roster spot, if not a starting role. In net, there is no question that Semyon Varlamov and Sorokin will be the NHL tandem.

This leaves three roster spots up for grabs and CapFriendly has five names currently projected for the roster: forwards Ross Johnston, Leo Komarov, and Richard Panik and defensemen Sebastian Aho and the recently-signed LaDue. They don’t expect veteran defenseman Thomas Hickey to crack the roster, but the oft-buried blue liner will have a chance to battle for a spot as well. There is also the unsigned Bellows to consider, as well as the potential for Gustafsson’s PTO to be successful. A top prospect like forward Simon Holmstrom or defensemen Robin Salo, Bode Wilde, or Samuel Bolduc may also force the Isles’ hand. While excellent depth is a good problem to have, the issue for the Islanders is that all of these players (minus the prospects) are not waivers-exempt. They have seven or eight good veteran players to evaluate for three roster spots and no guarantee that the four or five that do not make the cut will not be lost on waiver.

Bellows, especially, is a risk. Assuming the 23-year-old is eventually signed, the Islanders will be tempting fate if they try to sneak him through waivers. A 2016 first-round pick, Bellows NHL action has been limited, but the noted sniper does have five goals in his 22 games. A number of teams would be willing to take a shot on his scoring potential. Johnston and Komarov have cleared waivers in the past, but both are now in the final years of their current contracts making them more attractive on waivers. Johnston is a strong defensive forward and physical presence and Komarov is a streaky, but effective two-way presence; both of which have value. Komarov’s $3MM cap hit could make him the most likely to clear waivers though. Panik, who was just acquired by the Islanders this summer, has more recent scoring results than any of the other names competing for a forward spot and has half of his salary retained, making him another dangerous waiver exposure even with two years on his current contract. Of the three available roster spots, no more than two are likely to go to the forward position, so at least two of these forwards will either need to be tested on waivers – and potentially lost for free – or otherwise traded.

The situation on defense is slightly easier to manage. Aho, LaDue, and Hickey have all cleared waivers recently. In fact, LaDue spent all of last season in the AHL and is not much of a risk to be claimed on waivers. There is some more concern with Aho, 25, and Hickey, whose $2.5MM salary is more palatable to other teams in his final year. Both spent all of last season with the Islanders, but for both to do so again it would mean sacrificing one of the aforementioned forwards who are on the chopping block. If Gustafsson does earn a contract with New York from his PTO, that would likely mean that he is earning a roster spot, as the power play specialist would draw interest from a number of teams at a minimum salary, especially with a strong preseason performance.

While it has seemed like the Islanders have been loading up in recent weeks, Lamoriello still has some work to do. Lamoriello may need to explore the trade market for Bellows if he cannot re-sign him or cannot commit to a roster spot for the high-ceiling forward. He may then need to test the trade waters for several of his other players as well, lest he lose them on waivers for nothing. One way or another, as strong as the Islanders’ depth looks right now, it is highly unlikely that all of these players will still be with the organization when the season begins. Which are retained and which are lost could come back to play a big role in the team’s success this season.

The 30-year-old Andreoff actually has 179 games under his belt to this point in his NHL career, though just 20 of those have come since the end of the 2017-18 season. A former full-time member of the Los Angeles Kings, he’s been forced to spend most of the last few years in the minor leagues. In 2020-21, he played in six games with the Philadelphia Flyers, going scoreless and registering nine penalty minutes.

Timashov, 24, is perhaps more exciting, given his relative youth and offensive upside. The former Toronto Maple Leafs forward spent last season with the Islanders organization on a one-year, two-way deal, but was not extended a qualifying offer this summer. Timashov would have been arbitration-eligible but became an unrestricted free agent when he failed to receive a QO. Though he played in just one game at the NHL level and has just 45 under his belt to this point, the fifth-round pick is still a somewhat intriguing option because of the scoring numbers he has put up at the minor league level.

He had 11 points in 22 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season but scored 49 in 72 the last time he played a full season in the minor leagues. A Calder Cup winner with the Toronto Marlies, he could provide some interesting bottom-six depth for the Islanders this season.

• Joachim Blichfeld has been returned to the minor leagues by the San Jose Sharks after failing to get into a game during this call-up. Blichfeld has just two NHL games under his belt at this point, and needs to keep playing to continue his development.
• The Philadelphia Flyers have decided to call up Mark Friedman, sending Andy Andreoff back to the minors in the process. Friedman, 24, made his NHL debut last season and has ten points in 28 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year.
• Barrett Hayton has been officially added back to the Arizona Coyotes roster after winning gold at the World Juniors. Hayton suffered a shoulder injury during the tournament, but played through it and scored the tying goal for Canada in the final.
• With Robin Lehner ready to return to action for the Chicago Blackhawks, Kevin Lankinen has been returned to the minor leagues. Lankinen didn’t get any NHL action in his recent call-up, but did get a little extra money and some experience from being up at the highest level.

Saturday: Today is the first day that players can be placed on waivers following the roster freeze and it’s a busy day on the wire.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter links) that Markus Granlund (Edmonton), Brandon Manning (Edmonton), Andy Andreoff (Philadelphia), and Eric Comrie (Winnipeg) have all been put on waivers.

Granlund is in his first year with Edmonton after joining them in the summer when he was non-tendered by Vancouver.  The hope was that he could provide some secondary scoring along with some positional flexibility and while he has given them the latter, he hasn’t produced much as he has just three goals and one assist in 31 games this season while averaging a career-low 11 minutes per night of ice time.  Nonetheless, with a $1.3MM deal that expires at the end of the season, there could be some interest from a team looking for some depth.

As for Manning, this marks his second time on waivers already this season.  He went unclaimed at the beginning of the season but was never sent down as instead, the Oilers kept him up in a reserve role.  He has only played in nine games this year but since he has been up for more than 30 days since clearing waivers, he needed to be put back on the wire to be sent down.  He carries a $2.25MM cap hit which is likely too high for anyone to want to add.  Assuming he does clear, Edmonton would get $1.075MM in cap relief and the same would apply if Granlund clears which would give them a bit of cap relief.

Andreoff is also on waivers for the second time this season.  He cleared early in training camp and was sent to AHL Lehigh Valley where he picked up eight points in 14 games, earning himself a recall in early November.  He was shuffled back and forth a couple of times to free up some cap room but now that he has played in ten NHL games (where he collected an assist), he has to go back on waivers to be sent down.  He’s in the first year of a two-year, one-way deal that pays him $750K per year.

Comrie is no stranger to the waiver wire himself.  He was placed on waivers by the Jets at the end of training camp and was claimed by Arizona to serve as injury depth.  He didn’t see any action with them aside from a four-game AHL conditioning stint before he was dealt to Detroit who needed a short-term backup option.  He got into three games with them before being waived again and picked up by the Jets.  If he makes it through this time, he’ll be able to be sent to Manitoba of the AHL.  Comrie is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $700K AAV.  This season is a two-way pact before converting to a one-way deal for 2020-21.

• The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Mitchell Stephens from the minor leagues as they deal with a minor injury to Nikita Kucherov. Stephens made his NHL debut this season and has played in four games for the Lightning.
• The New Jersey Devils have sent Evan Cormier back to the minor leagues, bringing up Gilles Senn in his place. Senn, 23, is in his first season in North America after signing out of Switzerland and currently carries an .896 save percentage through 13 AHL games. Neither Cormier nor Senn have made an appearance at the NHL level.
• Brian Lashoff has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, as they place Jonathan Ericsson on injured reserve. The team also placed Jimmy Howard on long-term injured reserve in order to send him on a conditioning stint to the AHL. Howard, injured last month against the Toronto Maple Leafs, is getting closer to a return and will get in some game action in the minors.
• The Philadelphia Flyers have swapped Carsen Twarynski and Andy Andreoff, with the latter coming up to the NHL. Twarynski has played in 15 games with the Flyers this season but will have to spend some more time in the minor leagues.
• Though Trevor Moore was originally expected to return for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, he suffered a slight setback after being bumped in practice. Instead, the Maple Leafs have recalled Adam Brooks from the minor leagues under emergency conditions to serve as some insurance for the forward group.
• Similarly, Adin Hill has been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes under emergency conditions to fill in for Antti Raanta, who is sick. Hill will backup Darcy Kuemper tonight, but likely won’t see any action on this recall.
• The San Jose Sharks have sent Joachim Blichfeld back to the minor leagues, recalling Jacob Middleton in the process. Blichfeld played in two games with the Sharks but didn’t score, and will have to wait for his next NHL opportunity.

• The Ottawa Senators have recalled J.C. Beaudin and Maxime Lajoie for their game tonight, as Vladislav Namestnikov is not expected to play. Beaudin is actually taking up residence as the fourth-line center, with Colin White moved over to the wing for the time being.
• Christian Djoos is back with the Washington Capitals, after starring with the Hershey Bears for the first month of the season. The 25-year old defenseman has played 108 games in the NHL over the last two seasons but due to cap restraints had to go down to start the year. Tyler Lewington has been returned to the AHL in his place.
• It is a day that ends in “Y” so Charles Hudon has been involved in a transaction once again. This time he’s back up with the Montreal Canadiens as they prepare for the weekend action.
• Matt Luff is heading back to the minor leagues, assigned to the Ontario Reign today by the Los Angeles Kings. The 22-year old forward played in four games during this most recent recall, after spending 33 games with the team last season.
• Givani Smith has been activated from injured reserve by the Detroit Red Wings, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to suit up for the NHL club. Smith was immediately reassigned to the minor leagues where he has played most of this season.
• The Nashville Predators have sent Steven Santini back to the minor leagues, as they prepare for a game tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues. Santini has played two games for the Predators this year after being acquired in the P.K. Subban this summer.
• Nicolas Roy has been moved to the AHL by the Vegas Golden Knights, who have been doing this consistently all season to save some cap space. The team is banking room by having fewer than 23 players on the roster on non-game days.
• With Scott Laughton activated from injured reserve, the Philadelphia Flyers have sent Andy Andreoff back to the AHL. Andreoff has played in six games for the Flyers this season.
• The Colorado Avalanche have returned Jayson Megna to the minors.  He has played in eight NHL games this season but has averaged less than seven minutes per night.  The move suggests that Tyson Jost may be nearing a return.

• Last night the Detroit Red Wings sent Joe Hicketts back to the minor leagues, ending his short run in the NHL. The 23-year old defenseman averaged just over 18 minutes a game in four contests, but will have to wait for his next opportunity at the highest level.
• The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled veteran forward Andy Andreoff while loaning Mikhail Vorobyev back to the minor leagues. Andreoff, 28, hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2017-18 season with the Los Angeles Kings, but does have seven points in 10 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
• After clearing waivers, Tomas Jurco and Nic Petan have both been assigned to the minor leagues by their respective teams. Martin Marincin has avoided that fate for the time being, though the Toronto Maple Leafs are still expected to clear a few more bodies before Zach Hyman returns next week.
• Otto Koivula is back up from the minor leagues for the New York Islanders, which could mean their injured forwards aren’t quite ready to return just yet. Jordan Eberle and Leo Komarov both practiced in regular jerseys today, but aren’t guaranteed to be ready for tomorrow’s afternoon game.
• Jalen Chatfield has received his first call-up of the season and is on his way to join the Vancouver Canucks. The 23-year old defenseman has yet to make his NHL debut and will serve as insurance for Chris Tanev who is dealing with injury.
• Kyle Capobianco has been sent back to the AHL, meaning Jordan Oesterle may be ready to go for the Arizona Coyotes. The 22-year old Capobianco has to be used to this by now after being involved in six transactions since the start of the season.
• Gavin Bayreuther has been recalled by the Dallas Stars, giving the team an extra defenseman as they deal with injuries on the back end. The 25-year old played 19 games for Dallas last season, scoring five points and recording 10 penalty minutes.

Anaheim Ducks

F Justin Kloos
F Blake Pietila
D Patrick Sieloff
D Chris Wideman
G Anthony Stolarz

Montreal Canadiens

F Riley Barber

New York Rangers

F Phillip Di Giuseppe

Philadelphia Flyers

F Andy Andreoff
F Kurtis Gabriel
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel
D Chris Bigras

St. Louis Blues

F Nathan Walker

Boston Bruins (per team release)

G Dan Vladar (to Providence, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

F Jacob Pritchard (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Spencer Smallman (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Fredrik Claesson (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Alex Lintuniemi (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Hunter Shinkaruk (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Cavan Fitzgerald (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Derek Sheppard (to Charlotte, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (per team release)

F Mikey Anderson (to Ontario, AHL)
F Martin Frk (to Ontario, AHL)
G Cal Petersen (to Ontario, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per Sam Carchidi, Philadelphia Inquirer)

F German Rubtsov (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Mikhail Vorobyov (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mark Friedman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Andy Andreoff (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Kurtis Gabriel (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Chris Bigras (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

Toronto Maple Leafs (per team release)

G Michal Neuvirth (released from PTO)