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Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov Clears Waivers, Loaned To AHL

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3/3: Kuznetsov has officially cleared waivers and been loaned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, who shares that Kuznetsov is one of the league’s highest-salaried players of all time.

3/2: Earlier today, Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov was cleared to resume practicing with the team and has entered the follow-up phase of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, per a league announcement.  However, he won’t be getting that opportunity as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Washington has placed the veteran on waivers.

Notably, Kuznetsov has not been cleared to return to game action through the program yet which makes the timing of this placement a little surprising.  The 31-year-old entered the Player Assistance Program last month and hadn’t been counting against Washington’s books since then; that will be changing and his $7.8MM AAV will soon be back on their books.

In his prime, Kuznetsov was a legitimate top-line center and even just two years ago, he was hanging around the point-per-game mark.  However, his production dipped from 78 points to 55 points last season and this year, the drop-off has been even sharper.  Despite seeing his average ice time go up from a year ago, Kuznetsov has been limited to just six goals and 11 assists in 43 games with Washington while logging a little under 19 minutes a night.  Those numbers won’t be going up anytime soon as a result of this placement.

Kuznetsov has one year left on his contract after this one at that $7.8MM price tag so it’s hard to envision a scenario where he gets claimed.  Assuming he clears waivers on Sunday at 1 PM CT, he can be assigned to AHL Hershey, a move that would free up a pro-rated $1.15MM in salary cap space.

Speaking with reporters following the placement including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link), GM Brian MacLellan indicated that this move is about getting Kuznetsov a fresh start.  With a waiver claim being unlikely, that fresh start will either have to come through a trade or buyout.

Washington could look to move Kuznetsov where they could retain up to 50% of his cap hit and salary, a move that might get them some takers as a low-risk flyer.  If that doesn’t happen, buying Kuznetsov out would cost $3.8MM against the cap next season and $2MM in 2025-26.  With the buyout charge and cost at 50% retention being pretty much the same for 2024-25, it wouldn’t be surprising to see MacLellan push to get something done on the trade front with the buyout being a last resort.  Either way, it looks like Kuznetsov’s time with the Capitals is about to be over.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Philadelphia Flyers’ Cal Petersen Clears Waivers

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2/29: Petersen has cleared waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

2/28: The Flyers placed netminder Cal Petersen on waivers Wednesday, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

It’s been a tumultuous first season in Philadelphia for Petersen, who failed to make the Flyers out of camp but shuffled frequently between leagues in November and December with then-starter Carter Hart battling illness and injuries. He’s been rostered as the backup to Samuel Ersson over the past month after Hart took leave from the team to surrender to London, Ontario, police in connection with sexual assault charges against him and four other members of the 2018 Canadian national junior team.

This is Petersen’s second time on waivers this season, passing through unclaimed at the beginning of October when the Flyers assigned him to AHL Lehigh Valley to start the season. The 29-year-old once looked like the goalie of the future for the Kings, but they were forced to trade him, and his $5MM cap hit to Philadelphia last summer to clear cap space after a disastrous showing last year that saw him sent to the minors a few months into the season.

Things haven’t changed for Petersen in the City of Brotherly Love, as he’s been borderline unplayable through four starts and one relief appearance. While he has a 2-2-0 record, he’s posted a .864 SV% and 3.90 GAA, slightly worse than last year’s numbers with Los Angeles that got him demoted for the first time since 2020. His last appearance was Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the Penguins, in which he allowed all seven goals on 32 shots.

As such, he’s nearly guaranteed to pass through waivers again. The Flyers can give him a non-roster designation over the next 24 hours if they need a roster spot, otherwise, he can be assigned to Lehigh Valley and his cap hit can be reduced to $3.85MM after 1 p.m. CT tomorrow.

Avalanche Reassign Fredrik Olofsson

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Feb. 26: Colorado waited a day to do it, but they’ve officially assigned Olofsson to the minors, per a team announcement. They’re left with one open spot on the 23-man roster.

Feb. 25: Olofsson cleared waivers Sunday and can be assigned to the AHL, Friedman reports.

Feb. 24: The Avalanche placed left wing Fredrik Olofsson on waivers Saturday for the purposes of assignment to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

With no pending IR activations or corresponding roster moves, this is likely a performance-based demotion for the 27-year-old. He was a healthy scratch in Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Red Wings and is mired in a 12-game pointless streak.

If he clears waivers Sunday, assigning Olofsson to the minors will trim the Avalanche roster to 22 and create $775K in cap space. This is the first time he has been sent down in nearly a year; he was last assigned to the AHL on Mar. 5, 2023, when he was a member of the Dallas Stars, and was recalled the next day.

Olofsson has three goals, six assists, nine points, and a -3 rating in 55 games for Colorado after they acquired his signing rights from Dallas in June 2023 and subsequently signed him to a one-year, two-way contract. A fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2014, Olofsson never signed with Chicago and only made his NHL debut last season after signing with the Stars in free agency.

While he was valuable in a fourth-line shutdown role for Dallas in 28 games, he hasn’t provided the same value to the Avs. Averaging 9:53 per game, Olofsson has a 39% faceoff win rate, a Corsi-for percentage at even strength of 45.8, and an expected rating of -1.6. He’s been tasked more at center in Colorado than in Dallas, potentially contributing to his significantly reduced possession impacts.

Without Olofsson, 32-year-old Chris Wagner is centering Colorado’s fourth line between enforcer Kurtis MacDermid and former Star Joel Kiviranta. Wagner has no points in three games after missing the first three months of the season while rehabbing an Achilles injury. He spent most of the last two months on assignment with the Eagles, readjusting to game pace, posting three goals and seven points in 11 games.

Olofsson will be paid at a $300K salary rate while in the minors, and his minimum guaranteed salary this season is $350K. He will be a UFA this summer.

Coyotes Waive Adam Ružička For Purposes Of Contract Termination

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Feb. 24, 1:04 p.m.: Ružička cleared waivers Saturday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The Coyotes will now terminate his contract. The NHLPA has 60 days to file a grievance on his behalf.

Feb. 23, 1:09 p.m.: In a statement Friday, the Coyotes confirmed they placed Ružička on unconditional waivers and will terminate his contract if he clears. The team declined to comment on the reasoning.

Feb. 23, 1:04 p.m.: Ružička is on waivers today, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic confirms. Teams will have 24 hours to issue a claim for the remainder of his $762.5K cap hit deal, which expires this summer. If he passes through unclaimed, he will have his contract terminated by the Coyotes on Saturday.

Feb. 23, 12:41 p.m.: The Coyotes are expected to place forward Adam Ružička on waivers Friday for the purposes of contract termination, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Friedman’s report comes hours after a screen recording began circulating on social media of Ružička’s Instagram story, which showed a video of him next to an unidentified white powdered substance. It is unclear if the video spurred the beginning of the termination process or if this is a mutual termination for Ružička to find other playing opportunities as a UFA.

In 2019, responding to an IIHF suspension handed down to Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov for a positive cocaine test, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that cocaine is “not a Prohibited Substance under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.” If the unidentified substance shown with Ružička is cocaine, and he has his contract terminated with Arizona as a result, he will likely not be subject to further discipline by the league based on precedent. Under league policy, cocaine is considered “a drug of abuse that is tested for and for which intervention, evaluation and mandatory treatment can occur in appropriate cases,” Daly said.

Ružička, 24, was claimed off waivers by the Coyotes from the Flames on Jan. 25. Work visa issues and multiple healthy scratches limited him to three appearances in Arizona, in which he recorded no points, a -1 rating, and one shot on goal while averaging 8:17 per game. A fourth-round pick of Calgary in 2017, Ružička has 14 goals, 26 assists, and 40 points in 117 NHL games since his debut in 2021.

Lightning Place Alex Barre-Boulet On Waivers

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Feb. 23: Barre-Boulet cleared waivers on Friday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Lightning may now assign him to AHL Syracuse at their discretion.

Feb. 22: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Alex Barre-Boulet on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. This move corresponds with their recalling of Cole Koepke this morning. Barre-Boulet has appeared in 36 games with Tampa this season, scoring six goals and nine points. It’s the first time that the 26-year-old has played in 20 or more NHL games in one season, with much of his career being spent in the minor leagues up to this point.

Barre-Boulet has earned an NHL role after an explosive season in the AHL last year that saw him score 24 goals and 84 points in 69 games. That mark ranked second among all AHL skaters in scoring, just one point behind Arizona Coyote Michael Carcone, who managed 31 goals and 85 points in 65 games. Barre-Boulet’s career-high productivity last year maintained a trend of scoring he’s established in the minors, totaling 283 points across 271 career AHL games.

This includes 68 points, split evenly, in 74 games during the 2018-19 season, Barre-Boulet’s first season as a pro. No AHL rookie has topped his rookie year production, though Buffalo Sabres forward John-Jason Peterka managed to tie the scoring in four fewer games in 2021-22. But unlike Peterka, who has 19 goals and 37 points in 56 NHL games this season, Barre-Boulet has yet to find his scoring groove at the top level. He’s managed just 18 points in his first 68 career games, dating back to his debut in the 2020-21 season.

Barre-Boulet is no stranger to waivers, with this move marking the fifth time he’s been waived in his career. He’s also not a stranger to changing teams as a result, joining the Seattle Kraken as a waiver claim for a brief two games before the Kraken waived him as well and Tampa reclaimed him.

Canadiens Claim Colin White, Assign Brandon Gignac To AHL

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Feb. 23: Gignac cleared waivers Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The AHL’s Laval Rocket confirmed that Gignac had been reassigned to them by Montreal.

Feb. 22: The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Colin White off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team has placed Brandon Gignac on waivers in order to make space for White’s arrival. This move marks a reunion between White and general manager Kent Hughes, who represented White as a player agent before moving into a team role.

White will be moving to his fourth NHL franchise with this move, after just 11 games with the Penguins. The 27-year-old centerman signed a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the Penguins before the season, earning the deal after signing a professional try-out. But his only scoring this season has come in the AHL, where he’s scored 10 points, split evenly, in 21 games. White was placed on waivers on October 8th and remained in the minor leagues until January 13th.

White has fallen a long way since being drafted 21st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He lived up to the high selection quickly, scoring 76 points across 72 games with Boston College before playing his rookie season in the 2018-19 season. And he looked the part in his rookie season as well, scoring 14 goals and 41 points in 71 games. But he has only broken 20 points one time since then, seeing a gradual decrease in his production every season since. He will likely step immediately into the Montreal lineup, in place of Gignac who was operating as the team’s fourth-line center, though injuries to Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Christian Dvorak could offer a chance for White to see expanded opportunity.

Montreal faces the Penguins on Thursday evening, giving White the rare chance for a revenge game on the same day as his team-change. The Canadiens also have Michael Pezzetta recalled to the NHL roster, offering depth in the event that White isn’t ready to go. Either way, he’ll kick off his search for the first point of his season, and his Canadiens career, when he slots into the lineup.

Sharks Assign Jacob MacDonald To AHL

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Feb. 21: MacDonald cleared waivers Wednesday, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. The Sharks subsequently assigned him to the Barracuda, per a team announcement.

Feb. 20: The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Jacob MacDonald on waivers, per a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Not only will this mark MacDonald’s first waiver placement of the season, but also represents the first time the Sharks have attempted to move MacDonald down to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.

A versatile player for the Sharks, MacDonald will more than likely offer the same versatility to the Barracuda in the coming days as they stay committed in their playoff hunt. Over 22 games for the Sharks this year, MacDonald has scored six goals and seven points overall while averaging a touch over 12 minutes of ice time per game.

Even though he’s played in about half as many games as his peers on the roster, MacDonald sits tied for eighth on the team in total goals and tied for third on the team in powerplay goals. Due to the playing time he has been offered in San Jose, MacDonald has scored 13 points over 47 games with the Sharks, two more points than he achieved with the Colorado Avalanche, even with 27 more games played.

At the AHL level, MacDonald has produced at a solid rate, scoring 68 goals and 121 assists over 271 career games. If he does clear waivers, it will mark his first action in the AHL since the 2021-22 season, when he scored 10 goals and 25 points in 33 games for the Colorado Eagles.

Chicago Blackhawks Place Zach Sanford On Waivers

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Feb. 21: Sanford passed through waivers unclaimed, Friedman reports Wednesday.

Feb. 20: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Chicago Blackhawks have placed forward Zach Sanford on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. It will not be the first time that Sanford has found himself on the waiver wire this season; he originally came to Chicago by way of a waiver claim from the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 6th.

Serving as organizational depth in Arizona, Sanford was brought to the Blackhawks organization for the same purpose. During a stretch in January, Chicago experienced a plethora of injuries up and down their roster, creating a need for a viable injury replacement to eat minutes.

With the organization now returning to some semblance of a healthy roster, the Blackhawks no longer required Sanford at the bottom of their roster. Over 15 games in Chicago, Sanford averaged 11:45 a night, tallying three assists overall.

Although Sanford can no longer be relied upon as a regular bottom-six option for most teams, the number of organizations now experiencing injury concerns may lead Sanford to his third organization of the year. Already claimed on waivers once this season, a team like the Vegas Golden Knights or San Jose Sharks could use Sanford’s services to eat minutes while their other players return to health.

Penguins Place Colin White On Waivers

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The Penguins placed forward Colin White on waivers Wednesday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

White, 27, has no points in 11 games since Pittsburgh recalled him from WBS on Jan. 13. The former Senators and Panthers forward played less than 10 minutes in each of his last two games and was likely to come out of the lineup with Noel Acciari expected to return from a concussion tomorrow against the Canadiens.

The 2015 first-round pick signed a PTO with the Penguins after being cut loose by Florida after their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. A decent training camp resulted in him earning a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $500K in the minors, but he did not crack the team’s opening night roster and was waived prior to the start of the season.

White remained with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for over three months, underwhelming on the scoresheet with five goals, 10 points and a -2 rating in 21 games. It was his first AHL action since a one-game conditioning stint in the 2019-20 campaign after holding down a fourth-line role with the Panthers for much of last season.

Given his performance, it’s unlikely White will get claimed off waivers, and it’s looking additionally unlikely that he’ll receive an extension from the Penguins before reaching UFA status this summer. He’s still getting paid $875K per season by the Senators, who bought out the last three seasons of his six-year, $28.5MM contract in 2022, for the next four years.

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.

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