Ducks Claim William Lagesson Off Waivers From Maple Leafs
The Ducks have claimed defenseman William Lagesson off waivers from the Maple Leafs, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports.
Lagesson has served as one of many depth defenders to fill in for injured Leafs this season, playing in 30 NHL games and recording four assists, 19 penalty minutes, and a +5. He’s still searching for his first NHL goal, failing to score in any of the 90 games he’s played, dating back to the 2019-20 season when he made his debut with the Edmonton Oilers. In fact, Lagesson hasn’t scored a goal in any of his last five seasons – save for a scoring explosion with the Chicago Wolves last year, when he managed a career-high 10 goals and 32 points in 65 games. But outside of that burst, Lagesson’s role has largely been on the defensive side of the puck, with his long reach and control along the boards helping to control transition up and down the ice.
The Ducks will likely lean on Lagesson as extra defensive depth behind current seventh-defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who has one goal and 12 points in the first 54 games of his career. Anaheim has seen a rotating door of defensemen this season, leaning on eight different blue-liners despite not bearing with substantial injuries. Their defense corp is also incredibly young, with rookies Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and LaCombe all earning routine roles.
Waivers: 3/5/24
March 7: Johansen, Lockwood and Moverare cleared waivers today, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. Anderson-Dolan was claimed off waivers by the Predators.
March 6: As trade deadline season is in full swing, so too is the NHL’s waiver wire. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff lists four players finding themselves on the wire today. Furthermore, Seravalli also notes that all players placed on waivers yesterday have cleared. The list for today is as follows:
Los Angeles Kings
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan
D Jacob Moverare
Florida Panthers
F William Lockwood
Philadelphia Flyers
F Ryan Johansen
For Los Angeles, the team will free up a bit of cap space leading up to the trade deadline on Friday. Both Anderson-Dolan and Moverare have been used as depth players for much of the season, and shouldn’t alter the continuity of the lineup moving forward in their absence.
After trading for Vladimir Tarasenko this morning, Lockwood’s roster spot fell victim to the chopping block. Whether or not Lockwood clears by tomorrow afternoon, the Panthers will now roll with 14 forwards on their active roster.
Lastly, this waiver placement will mark Johansen’s name in the second transaction today, as he was recently traded to the Flyers from the Colorado Avalanche in the Sean Walker trade a few moments ago. With 50% of his salary still being paid by the Nashville Predators, Johansen and his $4MM salary will be available to rest of the league for the next 24 hours.
Predators Claim Jaret Anderson-Dolan Off Waivers From Kings
The Predators have claimed forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan off waivers from the Kings, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.
Anderson-Dolan, 24, was a second-round pick of the Kings in 2017. Placed on waivers yesterday by Los Angeles in an effort to create roster flexibility ahead of the trade deadline, the Canadian forward had just four points in 30 games this season while averaging 10:57 per game.
For now, he’ll likely serve as extra forward depth for Nashville and aim to get into some games down the stretch as the Preds look to secure the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. He’ll be battling for ice time with newcomer Anthony Beauvillier, as well as depth skaters like Denis Gurianov and Mark Jankowski, as GM Barry Trotz performs a refresh of the team’s second, third and fourth lines. The team also shipped out Yakov Trenin to the Avalanche on Thursday, creating some more internal turnover.
The Calgary native was on a solid development path in the minors, churning out 47 points in 54 games for AHL Ontario in 2021-22, but he hasn’t been able to consistently elevate himself into a top-nine role in the NHL. The Kings briefly let him become a free agent last summer after not issuing him a qualifying offer, but they brought him back anyway on a one-year, $775K deal. Nashville will maintain his signing rights this summer if they opt to qualify him, as he’s a pending RFA with arbitration rights.
After today’s moves, the Preds are at a full roster of 23 players with $33.9MM available in cap space at tomorrow’s deadline.
Minnesota Wild Place Vinni Lettieri, Jacob Lucchini On Waivers
The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that the Minnesota Wild have placed forwards Vinni Lettieri and Jake Lucchini on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Iowa. Both players have spent time in both Minnesota and Iowa this season.
Both Lettieri and Lucchini have surpassed their previous records of games played during a single season throughout their careers this year with the Wild. With multiple injuries up and down the lineup for the organization this year, Lettieri and Lucchini have both had the opportunity for more playing time at the NHL level.
Letteri has suited up in 32 games for Minnesota this season, averaging just under 10 minutes a game, scoring three goals and seven points overall. Suiting up in 10 games for Iowa earlier in the season, Lettieri played very well, scoring four goals and eight points in his limited time with the team.
In Lucchini, he has spent much more time in the AHL this season as compared to Lettieri. In 30 games for Iowa, Lucchini has scored 11 goals and 23 points overall, still sitting fifth on the team in scoring. At the NHL level, Lucchini has been able to play in 21 games for the Wild, scoring one goal and one assist in total while averaging just under nine minutes of ice time per night.
Calgary Flames Claim Joel Hanley Off Waivers
The Calgary Flames have claimed defenseman Joel Hanley off waivers from the Dallas Stars, per a team announcement. In now his 9th season in the NHL, Hanley has spent the last six years of his career in Texas.
Less than a week after trading pending unrestricted free agent Chris Tanev to the Stars, the General Manager of the Flames, Craig Conroy, has added a Stars defenseman to their arsenal. Primarily used as an extra defenseman throughout his tenure in Dallas, Hanley will now have the opportunity for more playing time, especially as Calgary continues to move out expiring pieces from the organization’s blue line.
A defensive defenseman through and through, Hanley has suited up in 32 games for the Stars this season, tallying three assists in the process. Averaging over 13 minutes a night for the fourth time in his career, Hanley regularly averages one blocked shot and one hit a game.
Until more trades are made in Calgary, Hanley will likely suit up on the bottom-pairing alongside fellow waiver claim, Brayden Pachal. Furthermore, Hanley may be able to replace either Noah Hanifin or Oliver Kylington on the left side of the team’s penalty-killing units if either is moved out before the trade deadline.
Washington Capitals Claim Matthew Phillips Off Waivers
The Washington Capitals have reclaimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. After spending 18 days with the Penguins organization, Phillips will return to Washington.
Signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Capitals on July 2nd last summer, Phillips was looking for a fresh start with a new organization. Unable to make his way up the depth chart with the Calgary Flames, Phillips was able to crack Washington’s active roster after an impressive preseason performance.
In his first four games with the Capitals, Phillips got off to a quick start, scoring one goal and three points overall. Unfortunately, in his next 23 games for Washington, Phillips was only been able to muster two assists, leading to his placement on waivers by the team only a few weeks ago.
Only suiting up in three games for Pittsburgh, the Capitals will now have the ability to send Phillips down to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, without having to place him back on waivers. As they attempt to defend their Calder Cup title, the Bears are well positioned to repeat, sitting in first place across the league in the AHL standings by a margin of 13 points.
Vancouver Canucks Place Guillaume Brisebois On Waivers
The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Abbotsford. Brisebois has been on the team’s long-term injured reserve for the entirety of the season after suffering a lower-body injury during training camp.
Drafted 66th overall by the Canucks organization back in the 2015 NHL Draft, injuries have prohibited Brisebois from becoming a full-time member of Vancouver’s defensive core. With month-long injuries keeping him out of action in 2021 and 2022, this recent injury to Brisebois has kept him away from the organization for five months.
Only accruing 27 NHL games under his belt in the last six seasons, Brisebois has been much more of a fixture in Vancouver’s AHL affiliates, playing for both the Utica Comets and Abbotsford Canucks over his career. In 241 games played for the Canucks’ AHL affiliates, Brisebois has scored 14 goals and 60 points overall, while also tallying one assist in seven career playoff games.
Although concern for another injury is at an all-time high for Brisebois, there may still be an avenue for him to become a depth defenseman in Vancouver. With limited cap-space mobility, the Canucks currently have four defensemen set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st, which may give Brisebois a pathway to make the full-time jump to the NHL.
Edmonton Oilers Place Sam Gagner On Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers have placed forward Sam Gagner on waivers for assignment to AHL Bakersfield, according to a team announcement. Gagner is now in his third stint with the Oilers after signing a one-year, $775K contract with the organization back on October 31st.
Nearing the end of his career, Gagner is on his fourth straight contract paying him under $1MM a season. Primarily used as nothing more than a bottom-six forward, Gagner continues to add decent value to whichever organization he finds himself in.
In his last full season back in 2021-22 with the Detroit Red Wings, Gagner put together a 13-goal, 31-point performance over 81 games, finishing seventh on the team in scoring while playing on a one-year, $850K contract. However, it was not enough to earn him a raise on the free agent market, as Gagner had to wait until September 2nd to sign a one-year league minimum contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Unfortunately, Gagner was used sparingly by the Jets as he only averaged a little more than 12 minutes of ice time per game. Scoring eight goals and 14 points in 48 games, Gagner had his season cut short on March 16th after going down with a hip injury.
Now back in Edmonton for the first time since the 2019-20 season, Gagner got off to a hot start, scoring five goals and 10 points in his first 20 games. Unfortunately, Gagner has now gone scoreless in his last seven games, seeing his average ice time drop by a full minute. With 12 other forwards currently on the active roster, the Oilers are likely preferring more cap space leading up to the deadline rather than Gagner’s recent play.
Penguins Place Matthew Phillips On Waivers
The Penguins placed forward Matthew Phillips on waivers Monday for the purposes of assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
This is Phillips’ second time on waivers this season. He’s been claimed once, heading to Pittsburgh from the Capitals last month.
Once an AHL standout in the Flames organization, Phillips has struggled to adapt in his first shot at a full-time NHL role this season. He had one goal and four assists in 27 games with Washington before landing on waivers, and he was a healthy scratch in five straight games for the Penguins after making three consecutive appearances post-claim. He didn’t record a point in Pittsburgh and averaged 11:20 per game, slightly up from his 10:16 average with Washington.
Phillips, 25, inked a one-year, one-way deal with the Caps last summer. He was coming off a second straight AHL season in which he produced over a point per game, notching 36 goals and 76 points in 66 games with the Calgary Wranglers in 2022-23. It appears unlikely he’ll be claimed off waivers a second time this season after failing to impress with two organizations, although he could get a chance to rebuild his value with a strong stretch of play in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Phillips will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the season, although it seems unlikely Pittsburgh will issue him a qualifying offer to retain his rights. The Calgary native was a sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2016.
Kings Sign, Waive Aaron Dell
3/5: The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Dell has successfully cleared waivers, meaning that Los Angeles can assign the goaltender to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
3/4: The Kings placed veteran goaltender Aaron Dell on waivers Monday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He was not signed to an NHL contract, so the news means the Kings have signed him to what’s likely a one-year, two-way contract to ride out the season. Friedman later confirmed it was a two-way deal.
Dell, 34, attended training camp with the Blue Jackets on a professional tryout contract but was not signed. After sitting unsigned for the first few months of the season, Dell signed another unsuccessful PTO with the Hurricanes, during which he represented Canada at the Spengler Cup with a .906 SV% and 2.59 GAA in four games.
Finally, Dell found somewhere to get professional playing time in January, signing a tryout with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, the Kings’ primary affiliate. He’s logged five appearances there over the past few weeks, posting a .906 SV% and 2.63 GAA with a 2-3-0 record. He logged his first shutout of the season on Friday, making 24 stops in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Gulls.
With Pheonix Copley done for the season after injuring his ACL in December, Dell sits fourth on the Kings’ goaltending depth chart behind Cam Talbot, David Rittich, and top prospect Erik Portillo. The Kings acquired the signing rights to the former University of Michigan standout in a trade with the Sabres last March, and he’s responded with a sparkling .923 SV%, 2.38 GAA, two shutouts, and a 16-8-3 record in 28 games for the Reign.
Dell provides L.A. with a more veteran option in case of an injury to either Rittich or Talbot if they so choose. An undrafted free agent signing by the Sharks out of the ECHL in 2015, Dell has worked his way up the ranks to make 106 starts and 24 relief appearances over a seven-year career with San Jose, the Devils, and the Sabres. He has a 50-50-13 record with five shutouts, a 2.92 GAA, and .905 SV%.