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Detroit Red Wings Place Matt Luff On Waivers

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2/19: TSN’s Chris Johnston is reporting that Luff has successfully cleared waivers, and is now finally able to start his season with the Griffins.

2/18: The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Matt Luff on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Red Wings this past offseason, Luff has yet to play in any games for the organization this season, suffering an injury back in training camp.

Considering the injury history for much of the regular season, it is more than likely that Luff will pass through waivers unscathed, and make his way to Grand Rapids in short order. Although he managed nearly 20 games for Detroit last season, it will be much more difficult for Luff to crack this version of the Red Wings roster.

In those 19 games last season, Luff was a depth player for Detroit, averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time per game, scoring two goals and four points overall. In the AHL, Luff did manage 28 games for the Griffins last year, tying for sixth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 25 points.

Having one of their better seasons over the last several years, Grand Rapids is in the midst of a hotly contested playoff race in the Central Division. Sitting 24th in the league in goals for, Luff’s offensive capabilities in the AHL should help the Griffins improve in one area of weakness for the club.

Boston Bruins Place Oskar Steen On Waivers

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2/19: Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Steen has successfully cleared waivers and is now able to safely report to AHL Providence.

2/18: Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Boston Bruins have placed forward Oskar Steen on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. In the move, the Bruins will be able to parse their roster down to 22 players, one shy of the 23-man limit.

Unless claimed by another organization over the next 24 hours, Steen is likely headed for Providence, allowing the Bruins to call up a younger player such as John Beecher or Mason Lohrei to round out their roster. Recently overtaken by the Florida Panthers as the top team in the Eastern Conference, Boston may feel injecting youth into the lineup could give the team a boost over the home stretch.

For Steen in particular, it will be hard for him to find many positives coming out of this season for the Bruins. In 34 games played, Steen has averaged 9:04 a night, managing only one goal over the year. He has been physical and largely sound defensively, but he certainly was not earning a roster spot over a younger option.

It will not be the first time Steen has been sent down this year, as he was regularly shuffled in October and November. With his last call-up coming on November 17th, his passage through waivers became a requirement to get him back to Providence.

Because of his taxiing earlier in the season, Steen has only totaled five games for Providence, scoring two goals and five points overall. Thankfully, he will once again be finding himself in a playoff race in the AHL, as Providence holds a 29-15-3-2 record, good for second place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division.

Penguins Claim Matthew Phillips Off Waivers From Capitals

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The Penguins claimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Capitals on Friday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Washington placed Phillips, 25, on waivers yesterday after making him a healthy scratch in 15 of their last 16 games. The undersized winger had one goal and four assists in 27 appearances with the Caps after signing a one-year, one-way deal worth $775K last summer upon reaching Group VI free agency.

A member of the Flames organization for more than half a decade after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, Phillips developed into one of the best players at the AHL level over the past two seasons. He posted back-to-back seasons above a point per game with their affiliates in Stockton and Calgary in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and produced at a top-six pace for a pair of campaigns prior.

His 5-foot-7, 140-lb frame was always going to make life difficult for him in the NHL, however. He got off to a strong start this season, posting three points in his first four games, but he hasn’t recorded a point in over two months and has a poor 43.1% Corsi share at even strength.

Pittsburgh takes a chance on him with four regular forwards out of the lineup due to injuries – Noel Acciari, Jake Guentzel, Jansen Harkins, and Matthew Nieto. Despite his struggles this season, Phillips is a higher-ceiling scoring option than most of the minor-league call-ups they have occupying bottom-six roles in their absence, and he carries little to no financial impact on their deadline plans with a league-minimum cap hit.

The Penguins will maintain control of Phillips’ signing rights this offseason, as he’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights when his contract expires.

Pacific Notes: Labanc, Kallionkieli, Joshua

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Suffering from what is becoming a career-worst season, San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc is looking for a fresh start outside of the Bay Area. In an article today, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now confirmed that both Labanc and his agent made the request clear, and referenced that they would like a resolution by the trade deadline or the offseason.

The resolution will eventually come, as Labanc is in the last year of a four-year, $18.9MM contract signed with the Sharks, allowing him to sign with any of the other 31 teams regardless of San Jose’s desires. Unfortunately, with only seven points in 32 games, Labanc may find his market to be incredibly limited both at the trade deadline and when free agency eventually rolls around.

In the article specifically, Peng notes that the Vancouver Canucks had an interest in acquiring Labanc as recently as last offseason, but could not confirm if they still hold any desire for him, especially with some of their additions already this season. Nevertheless, if the Sharks are unable to find a taker for Labanc by the trade deadline, a strong finish to the season should certainly be a priority for him in the hopes of boosting his free-agency stock by the summer months.

Other Pacific notes:

  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported today that the Vegas Golden Knights have placed forward Marcus Kallionkieli on waivers for the purpose of contract termination. Having been drafted 139th overall by Vegas back in the 2019 NHL Draft, Kallionkieli has only managed 11 games in the Golden Knights under his belt with six of those coming in the AHL, and other five coming in the ECHL. Currently rostered for Kiekko-Espoo of the Finnish Liiga, Kallionkieli has scored one goal and five points in four games.
  • For their game tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, the Vancouver Canucks will be without valuable depth forward Dakota Joshua (X Link). Supplementary reporting indicates that Joshua has injured his hand by way of a fight coming on Tuesday against Mackenzie Entwistle of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Washington Capitals Place Matthew Phillips On Waivers

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The Washington Capitals have placed forward Matthew Phillips on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The 25-year-old winger is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and currently carries a $775K cap hit.

Phillips made headlines this fall when he made the Capitals roster out of training camp. This season has marked his official rookie year, after playing in three games spread across the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons with the Calgary Flames. But Phillips has yet to find his scoring at the top level, netting just one goal and five points this season – the only scoring of his NHL career. He’s been much more productive in the AHL, where he scored 36 goals and 76 points last season. That mark ranked Phillips fifth in the league in scoring. He accomplished a similar feat two seasons ago as well, ranking ninth in the AHL with 68 points in 75 games.

This season marks Phillips’ first outside of the Calgary Flames organization. The team originally drafted the winger in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft – taking him in the same round that featured players like Jesper Bratt and Brandon Hagel. Phillips made his professional debut during the 2016-17 season but didn’t play out his full AHL rookie season until 2018-19. He scored 38 points in 65 games that season.

Phillips will now be exposed to the entire league for the second time in his career. He was previously waived by the Flames ahead of the 2021-22 season, passing through and getting assigned to the AHL.

Blackhawks Place Luke Philp On Waivers, Jarred Tinordi On IR

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Feb. 14: Philp cleared waivers on Wednesday and can head to Rockford, Friedman said.

Feb. 13: The Blackhawks have activated forward Luke Philp off season-opening injured reserve and placed on waivers with the intent to assign him to AHL Rockford, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Tuesday.

Philp, 28, did not participate in training camp with Chicago after undergoing Achilles surgery in August. He’s now close to resuming game action after making his NHL debut last season and will do so with Rockford.

With the Blackhawks’ near-consistent rash of injuries on offense this season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Philp get another NHL look before the 2023-24 campaign wraps up. He’s been a consistent top-six presence in the minors since graduating from the University of Alberta in 2019, capping things off with a career-high 29 goals and 53 points in 60 games with Rockford last season.

He recorded one assist in three games with Chicago in 2022-23, averaging 11:41 per game through a pair of appearances in January and one in March. The Canmore, Alberta native is slated for unrestricted free agency this summer after completing a one-year, two-way extension with a minimum guaranteed salary of $425K.

His spot on IR has been taken by veteran defenseman Jarred Tinordi, whose placement is retroactive to Feb. 7 with a groin injury, per NHL.com’s Tracey Myers. The 31-year-old missed Friday’s game against the Rangers and has been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Canucks. Signed to a one-year, $1.25MM extension, Tinordi has six assists and a -19 rating in 30 games.

Rangers Assign Tyler Pitlick To AHL

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Feb. 14: Pitlick cleared waivers and can be assigned to Hartford, Friedman said Wednesday.

Feb. 13: The Rangers placed winger Tyler Pitlick on waivers Tuesday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Hartford, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Pitlick, 32, hits the waiver wire after being scratched Monday against the Flames in favor of rookie Adam Edstrom. He’s only played in six of the Rangers’ last 17 games due to a handful of healthy scratches and a lower-body injury.

Rangers GM Chris Drury acquired Pitlick in free agency last summer, signing him to a one-year deal worth $787.5K. He was brought in to provide a solid defensive presence in New York’s bottom six and to aid their penalty kill, but it hasn’t quite worked out.

Pitlick is averaging only 17 seconds per game on the penalty kill, and his 41.8% Corsi share at even strength ranks near the bottom of the team. However, his line with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey has a respectable 51.2% expected goals share in over 230 minutes of action together, per MoneyPuck.

Still, it’s clear the Rangers would like to try a higher-ceiling option offensively as they try to jumpstart their secondary scoring outside of their top six. Pitlick had one goal and three assists in 34 games.

If he clears waivers and suits up for Hartford, it will be his first AHL stint since 2015-16 as a member of the Oilers organization. Since entering the league with Edmonton in 2013, Pitlick has 56 goals, 53 assists, 109 points, and a -6 rating in 420 games.

Pitlick will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and given today’s news, it seems unlikely he’ll extend his time in New York.  The Rangers are Pitlick’s eighth team of his NHL career and his fourth in the past three years.

Blackhawks Place Rem Pitlick On Waivers

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The Blackhawks placed forward Rem Pitlick on waivers Wednesday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Rockford, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports.

Chicago acquired Pitlick from the Penguins on Jan. 6 in exchange for a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick. Since the trade, the 26-year-old has played in nine games, failing to record a point and posting a -7 rating while averaging 15:35 per game.

Pitlick is in the second season of a two-year, $2.2MM contract signed with the Canadiens in July 2022. After splitting the 2022-23 campaign between Montreal and AHL Laval, Pitlick was included in the three-way deal between the Canadiens, Penguins and Sharks that saw 2023 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson head to Pittsburgh.

Despite recording 21 goals and 52 points in 112 games over the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, Pitlick did not crack the Penguins’ roster out of training camp and was waived in September before being assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. After posting eight goals and 16 assists in 32 minor-league contests, the Blackhawks acquired Pitlick to add some forward depth in the wake of a rash of injuries around the New Year.

The team is slowly getting healthier, though, and names like Connor Bedard and Anthony Beauvillier are nearing returns. As such, Pitlick has been a healthy scratch in four of Chicago’s last five games after failing to make an impact on the scoresheet. In his lone recent appearance, a Feb. 9 game against the Rangers, he played fourth-line minutes and recorded a -1 rating without getting a shot on goal.

With a $1.1MM cap hit and a disappointing call-up, the likelihood of Pitlick being claimed on the waiver wire is nearly nonexistent. The University of Minnesota product will be a UFA this summer.

Senators Assign Zack MacEwen To AHL

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Feb. 13: MacEwen passed through waivers unclaimed, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. The team assigned him to AHL Belleville later on Tuesday.

Feb. 12: The Senators placed Zack MacEwen on waivers Monday, per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. This is the veteran grinder’s second time on the wire this season.

MacEwen, 27, is in his first season with the Senators after signing a three-year, $2.325MM deal in free agency. His $775K cap hit is fully buriable in the minors, where he’ll likely spend a significant amount of time during his tenure in Canada’s capital.

The waiver placement comes ahead of netminder Anton Forsberg’s pending return to action from a groin injury that’s kept him out for the last month, per Garrioch. Forsberg will likely dress Tuesday against the Blue Jackets, and the Senators need to clear $1.55MM in cap space to take him off long-term injured reserve. Assigning MacEwen to AHL Belleville, plus returning backup netminder Kevin Mandolese to Belleville from his emergency loan, will clear the necessary space.

MacEwen has played in 22 games with Ottawa, scoring twice and adding an assist while averaging 6:23 per game. He hasn’t been a significant defensive liability in his limited minutes, although his point-producing ability at the junior- and minor-league levels still hasn’t translated to the NHL.

Prior to landing on waivers, MacEwen was a healthy scratch in six of Ottawa’s last eight games, including five straight.

Devils Place Max Willman On Waivers

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Feb. 12: Willman has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to Utica, per Johnston.

Feb. 11: The Devils placed forward Max Willman on waivers Sunday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Utica, according to Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.

Willman, 28, has been a fourth-line fill-in as necessary as injuries weakened New Jersey’s forward group over the past few months. He cleared waivers once already this season when he was cut from the team during training camp, but after playing more than ten games (and no longer being on an emergency loan), he needs them again to return to Utica.

With Jack Hughes and Tomáš Nosek recently returning from long-term absences, though, there’s no longer a need for Willman in the team’s bottom six. He was a healthy scratch in the team’s last two games and is the second healthy extra forward on the active roster alongside Chris Tierney.

Willman has a goal and an assist in 13 games with the Devils, his most in a single season since playing in 41 contests for the Flyers in 2021-22. The Devils struggled to maintain puck possession with Willman on the ice in his limited role, posting a Corsi share of 42.9% at even strength while he averaged less than 10 minutes per game.

The Massachusetts-born winger has enjoyed his highest level of offensive success when in the AHL this season, posting nine goals and 16 points in 20 games. A draft choice of the Sabres in 2014, he remains a top-six AHL presence at this stage of his career and is slated for unrestricted free agency this summer.

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