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Waivers

Joona Koppanen Clears Waivers

December 6, 2025 at 1:05 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Saturday: Koppanen has passed through successfully for the second time, Friedman reports.  The team announced that he was subsequently sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Friday: The Penguins placed forward Joona Koppanen on waivers Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He’ll be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he clears.

It’s Koppanen’s second time on the wire this season. He cleared during training camp and began the campaign in the minors before Pittsburgh recalled him in early November as the corresponding move for Filip Hallander’s blood clot diagnosis.

The 27-year-old played 10 games on his recall, just enough to require waivers again to return to the minors. Now in his ninth year in North America and third in the Penguins organization, he recorded one assist and a -1 rating with six shots on goal during his recent stint in the lineup. Those 10 appearances were consecutive after his recall; he was then scratched for their win over the Flyers last Monday and missed Thursday’s win over the Lightning with an illness.

Koppanen was a fifth-round pick by the Bruins back in 2016. He remained in the Boston organization until 2022-23, making his NHL debut for the B’s that year, before reaching Group VI unrestricted free agency and signing in Pittsburgh. He initially inked a two-year deal but re-upped with them on a two-way extension in June of this year.

The big 6’5″ center is a competent piece of organizational depth and a good middle-six producer in the minors, scoring 139 points in 365 career AHL appearances. He hasn’t been able to stick as a fourth-line piece in several NHL tries now, though. He averaged north of 12 minutes per game on this call-up and even received some penalty kill deployment – he also did in 11 games for the Pens last year. His possession impacts and lack of offense (one goal, three points in 30 career NHL games) haven’t offered enough justification to keep him in the lineup. Among 25 qualified Pittsburgh skaters this year, Koppanen’s 47.2 xGF% at 5-on-5 ranks 20th. After playing a physical brand with 40 hits in 11 games last season, he only recorded nine hits in 10 appearances this time around.

Teams who are in dire need of center depth could take a long look at placing a claim for Koppanen, but in all likelihood, he shouldn’t have much trouble clearing.

Pittsburgh Penguins| Transactions| Waivers Joona Koppanen

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Lightning Place Niko Huuhtanen On Unconditional Waivers

December 3, 2025 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Dec. 3rd: Although the Lightning have yet to make an announcement, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times confirms that Huuhtanen has cleared unconditional waivers, and his contract was terminated.

Dec. 2nd: The Lightning placed winger Niko Huuhtanen on unconditional waivers today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. He will have his contract terminated tomorrow if he clears, and will become an unrestricted free agent.

Huuhtanen’s stock as a prospect has resembled a bell curve. Tampa Bay selected the 22-year-old in the seventh round with the final pick of the 2021 draft out of his native Finland, where he’d scored 20 goals and 34 points in 37 junior league games in the Tappara organization. He came to North America to finish his junior career in 2021-22 as an import draft selection by the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. There, he exploded for 37 goals and 77 points in 65 games, leading the league in goals by a rookie. He returned home the following season to begin his pro career, where he again adjusted seamlessly, putting up a 17-13–30 scoring line in 48 games for Jukurit to win the rookie scoring crown and earn Liiga Rookie of the Year honors.

By that time, Huuhtanen was on the map as a potential NHLer. Elite Prospects tabbed him as the No. 11 prospect in Tampa’s system entering the 2023-24 season, noting that his skating mechanics were still an issue despite his gaudy production in juniors and overseas. They were onto something. While Huuhtanen remained in Finland and had continued success with Jukurit that year, notching 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games, that was the last time he looked like he had a legitimate chance of reaching the top level.

Huuhtanen signed his entry-level contract with the Bolts in 2024 and arrived last season to play out the year with AHL Syracuse. As forewarned, the production didn’t translate as either side had hoped. The 6’3″ winger was limited to eight goals in 51 appearances, although he did add 12 assists for 20 points and a respectable +13 rating.

This season, though, he’s seen a further reduction in role. He started the season on the non-roster list due to an undisclosed injury. When he got healthy and was assigned to Syracuse at the beginning of November, he had a two-assist game in his debut but didn’t stick in the lineup. After just five games with three assists, the Bolts sent Huuhtanen down to ECHL Orlando. He suited up once for them on Nov. 22 and hasn’t appeared since.

Huuhtanen has still managed 23 points in 56 career regular-season AHL games. That might be enough for him to catch on with another NHL team on a two-way deal since he’s still relatively young, but in all likelihood, he’s angling for a return to Europe and will sign a new deal in the coming days.

Tampa Bay Lightning| Transactions| Waivers Niko Huuhtanen

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Mammoth Recall Daniil But, Reassign Dmitri Simashev

December 2, 2025 at 1:08 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

The Mammoth are swapping a pair of their top prospects. The team announced they’ve recalled winger Daniil But from AHL Tucson while sending down defenseman Dmitriy Simashev in a corresponding move. Center Kevin Rooney was also placed on waivers and will be assigned to Tucson if he clears.

But and Simashev were both top-15 picks in the 2023 draft, the last premier prospects drafted under the Coyotes moniker before the franchise’s hockey operations were sold and reestablished in Utah. Simashev went sixth overall, while But went 12th. The two spent their entire careers in Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s system in their native Russia, winning a Gagarin Cup championship together last year before signing their entry-level contracts and heading to the Mammoth for 2025-26.

While Simashev managed to wrestle a roster spot on the blue line, But was left on the outside as one of the Mammoth’s final roster cuts. He took the demotion in stride. After netting back-to-back 20-point seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Lokomotiv, he’s rattled off eight goals and 17 points in 19 games with Tucson to lead the club in scoring.

After a hot start to the season, Utah’s offense has cooled off. They’re now 19th in the league with 2.96 goals per game. Some of that can be attributed to a power play that’s languishing at a league-worst 13.2%, but their 10.3% finishing rate is also below average by a few ticks. Chance generation hasn’t been much of an issue – they’re 12th in shots per game and have the fifth-most scoring chances in the league at 5-on-5 – but the offensive output outside of their top five forwards leaves a little to be desired. Alexander Kerfoot’s persisting absence has been a contributing factor there, as well as underwhelming performances from middle-six centers Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain, who have five points each in 24 and 27 appearances, respectively.

But isn’t a guaranteed fix, but the 20-year-old’s smooth adjustment to North America shows he’s worth a shot. Most will see him listed at 6’5″ and 203 lbs and assume a high-ceiling power forward – he is not. Physical elements aren’t entirely absent from But’s game, but he’s a skill guy first and foremost. In their draft-year scouting report of But, Elite Prospects highlighted “his ability to chain difficult pass receptions into handling moves and handling moves into passes or shots” and praised his release as well. He’s another name in a star-studded Mammoth forward pool that’s now also gained Tij Iginla at sixth overall in 2024 and Caleb Desnoyers at fourth overall this year. Those two are viewed as slightly higher-ceiling talents, pushing But down to the No. 4-ranked prospect in Utah’s pool last offseason by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff and by NHL.com.

As for Simashev, the writing was on the wall regarding his demotion. He’s run into a recent string of healthy scratches following Sean Durzi’s return from injured reserve, sitting in the press box three times in Utah’s last eight games. His first NHL sample didn’t change his status as the Mammoth’s No. 3 prospect behind Iginla and Desnoyers and as their top young defenseman. Also of hulking stature at 6’4″ and nearly 200 lbs, he’s a shutdown man who’s never put up flashy point totals – he scored just once in 29 junior games in his draft year – but does have some good first-pass ability.

His initial audition, though, shows that some minor-league time wouldn’t be the worst thing. Rarely does a defender with his skillset make a smooth adjustment to the NHL at age 20. In 24 appearances, he notched one assist and a -9 rating while averaging 15:28 of ice time per game. He got some top-pairing deployment with countryman Mikhail Sergachev, but also saw significant time lower on the depth chart with Ian Cole. The lefty was outscored 15-7 at 5-on-5 and controlled 47.5% of shot attempts, 7.1% worse than how Utah fared without him on the ice. With Durzi back in the fold and veteran Nick DeSimone posting better possession impacts in a limited sample, it was hard to justify keeping Simashev in a regular role – at least for now.

Rooney’s waiver placement signals the end of his third stint on Utah’s roster this season without receiving much playing time. He finally made his Mammoth debut last week on Friday against the Stars, notching a goal in 9:44 of ice time. The 32-year-old has served as a No. 14/15 forward for much of the year after signing a two-way deal at the end of training camp. It’s his second time on waivers after he cleared them following his signing. Across a few brief loans to Tucson, the 6’2″ pivot has five goals and an assist in eight appearances.

Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Newsstand| Transactions| Utah Mammoth| Waivers Daniil But| Dmitri Simashev| Kevin Rooney

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Wild’s Tyler Pitlick, Flyers’ Adam Ginning Clear Waivers

December 1, 2025 at 1:04 pm CDT | by Bradley Keith 3 Comments

Dec. 1: Both Ginning and Pitlick have cleared waivers, per Friedman. Pitlick is expected to stay on Minnesota’s roster while Ginning is now eligible to return to Lehigh Valley.

Nov. 30: This afternoon, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet shared that Wild veteran Tyler Pitlick has been placed on waivers, along with Flyers defenseman Adam Ginning. 

Pitlick, 34, has been back-and-forth between the AHL and NHL so far this season, most recently being called back up two weeks ago. His status on waivers is mainly due to surpassing the 10-game threshold in the NHL, more than signifying a desire to move on. Signed to a two-year, two-way deal last summer, Pitlick provides depth since joining his hometown organization, as well as experience, as he was a regular NHLer from 2016-2022. Having cleared waivers already earlier in the season after not making the roster, it is most likely he will return to AHL Iowa, where he has scored three goals in five games, and vie for an NHL return again when needed, at a $775k cap hit. In 15 games with Minnesota so far, Pitlick has zero points, but has mixed it up with 22 penalty minutes. 

On the other hand, Ginning offers slightly more intrigue, soon to be 26, as a former second-round selection of Philadelphia in 2018. However, at this point, the 6’3” Swedish defenseman does not have much NHL upside, as he has been surpassed in the Flyers organization by Emil Andrae. This season is thought to likely be his last chance, especially under a new coach in Rick Tocchet, and with pending UFA status. Ginning has skated in five games for the Flyers so far, not recording any stats, and has one goal in 16 total NHL games.

While a team thin on the blueline could pick up Ginning for the short term, it is not likely he offers much more than their own internal options, and most likely, Ginning will rejoin AHL Lehigh Valley to continue his season.  At 11-6-1, the Phantoms would be eager to add such a player back to their lineup as a top defender. 

Minnesota Wild| NHL| Philadelphia Flyers| Waivers Adam Ginning| Tyler Pitlick

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Montreal Canadiens Claim Sammy Blais

November 27, 2025 at 1:21 pm CDT | by Bradley Keith Leave a Comment

Sammy Blais is headed back to Montreal, as insider Elliotte Friedman has shared that the Canadiens claimed the forward this afternoon. 

The 29-year-old forward, signed to a one-year deal with the Habs last July, was lost on waivers to Toronto in October, before finding himself back on the wire yesterday. Given the current injuries affecting their forward corps, Blais provides needed depth, and perhaps the Quebec native will appear with Montreal at some point after all, although for now he will join AHL Laval. 

GM Kent Hughes picks up Blais’ manageable one-year contract worth $775k at the NHL level. Marco D’Amico of Research Ground Media updated that the Canadiens were the only team to submit such a claim, meaning they can send Blais directly to the AHL without waiver clearance. Blais will likely finish 2025-26 with the Canadiens organization, one way or another. 

Although becoming a bit of a journeyman, Blais has carved out a very respectable career for a former sixth-round pick (2014). After winning a Stanley Cup with St. Louis, the forward was eventually a key piece sent to New York in the Pavel Buchnevich trade. Blais suffered a torn ACL 14 games into his Rangers tenure, an injury which certainly changed the trajectory of his career. Although he returned in the 2022-23 season, Blais had just five assists and no goals in 40 games, landing in the AHL, and eventually returning to the Blues as a spare part in the Vladimir Tarasenko deal.

Clearly more comfortable back with his original team, Blais had a resurgence, with 20 points in 31 games to conclude 2022-23, which also earned an extension. However, he did not maintain such performance in 2023-24, and landed in the AHL last year. Blais helped lead the Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup title, catching the attention of Montreal last summer who took a flyer on the 29-year-old. Unable to make the team, Blais rejoined his former coach Craig Berube in October as a depth option for Toronto. After posting three points in eight games, the Leafs are set to welcome back Auston Matthews and Nicholas Roy from IR. Blais became expendable, and now, finds himself back where he started the season.

With Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, and Patrik Laine all missing time, Montreal has had to call upon the likes of Florian Xhekaj and Jared Davidson to fill in. Although both have been respectable players in the AHL, and the team has continued to win games, adding a familiar face with 265 games of NHL experience from their rivals appealed to the club.

Montreal Canadiens| Newsstand| Waivers Sammy Blais

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Maple Leafs Place Sammy Blais On Waivers

November 26, 2025 at 1:36 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

The Maple Leafs announced that winger Sammy Blais has been placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Toronto. Since the move is in conjunction with injured reserve activations for Auston Matthews and Nicolas Roy, the Leafs can place him on the non-roster list during his 24-hour waiver period to stay at the 23-play limit. Jacob Quillan was also reassigned to the Marlies as previously reported.

Blais, 29, was claimed off waivers from the Canadiens at the beginning of the season. He’s since scored a goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs in eight appearances. He averaged just 8:17 of ice time per game. Despite his 41.3 CF% at 5-on-5 being the second-worst on the team, he graded out much better in other possession metrics (57.1 SF%, 56.7 xGF%, 58.8 HDCF%).

That’s a small sample but a nonetheless promising one for Blais, who didn’t appear in the NHL at all last season. He’s averaged nine goals and 23 points per 82 games in his eight-year NHL career. He’s shown the offensive utility to be a high-end bottom-six piece in a pair of previous stints with the Blues, including a 20-point run in 31 games after they reacquired him from the Rangers during the 2022-23 season. He only produced one goal and seven points in 53 games the following year before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He had to settle for a minor-league pact with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.

While Blais may not have gotten the NHL job or paycheck he wanted, it was a banner year for the 6’2″ winger in the Vancouver organization. He rattled off 14 goals and 40 points in 51 games for Abbotsford before adding 19 points in 23 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup championship. That was enough of a resurgence for Montreal to offer the Quebec native a league-minimum contract over the offseason, but the Leafs took advantage of his availability on waivers to reunite him with head coach Craig Berube, who oversaw his entrance into the league in St. Louis.

They’ll hope to retain him as minor-league depth, but his cheap cap hit, status as a pending UFA, and 265 games of NHL experience make him an attractive claim candidate for a team needing some interim help on the wings in their bottom six. It’s notable that Toronto opted to expose Blais to waivers rather than demoting the waiver-exempt Easton Cowan, signaling they’ve awarded their top prospect a full-time NHL job – at least for now. The Leafs will still have a fair amount of roster juggling to do in the coming weeks with Brandon Carlo, Anthony Stolarz, and Chris Tanev still on IR.

Since Montreal lost him on waivers earlier this season, if they submit a claim for him and are the only team to do so, they’ll be able to send him directly to the minors without waiving him again.

Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions| Waivers Sammy Blais

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Rangers’ Juuso Pärssinen Clears Waivers

November 26, 2025 at 1:04 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 7 Comments

Nov. 26: There were no takers for Pärssinen on waivers, per Friedman. The Rangers now have 30 days or 10 appearances from Pärssinen, whichever comes first, to assign him to Hartford before needing to waive him again to do so.

Nov. 25: The Rangers have placed forward Juuso Pärssinen on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. It’s unclear if he’ll be assigned to AHL Hartford if he clears. Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic implied today’s waiver placement is a substitute for a lack of suitable trade options, so it’s more about hopefully finding Pärssinen a change of scenery via a claim than a demotion to the minors.

Pärssinen has fallen out of a regular role for the Blueshirts, serving as a healthy scratch in six of the last eight games. He’d suited up in 11 straight before that, so that’s a notable reduction in usage. When dressed, the 24-year-old pivot has managed two goals and an assist in 14 appearances but has averaged just 8:56 of ice time per game.

The Rangers added Pärssinen via trade last season, picking him up from the Avalanche in the Ryan Lindgren deal in March. He played a modest role down the stretch, but after inking a two-year, $2.5MM extension in May, it looked like the 6’3″ Finn would get a crack at serving as New York’s third-line center from opening night onward. Instead, he wasn’t even in the lineup. A strong training camp from rookie Noah Laba bumped him from the slot, and instead, he’s been used as more of a 13th forward.

That’s not the role Pärssinen hoped for at this stage of his career. A seventh-round pick by the Predators in 2019, he burst onto the scene with six goals and 25 points in 45 games for Nashville in 2022-23 – a 46-point pace over 82 games. Since then, however, he’s produced at about half that rate and is now potentially on his way to his fourth team in as many seasons.

While most teams wouldn’t have many qualms about picking up someone with Pärssinen’s offensive ceiling at a $1.25MM cap hit, the fact that he’s signed through next season – and he’s paid more in salary ($1.3MM) than what he’ll count against the books in 2026-27 – likely limits his interest and was why they couldn’t find any takers on the trade market.

New York Rangers| Transactions| Waivers Juuso Parssinen

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Sabres, Alexandar Georgiev Terminate Contract

November 24, 2025 at 1:05 pm CDT | by Bradley Keith 8 Comments

Nov. 24: Georgiev cleared unconditional waivers, per Friedman, meaning he’s had his contract with Buffalo terminated and is free to sign with Spartak.

Nov. 23: Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet shared this afternoon that Sabres goaltender Alexander Georgiev has been waived with the intent of contract termination. Georgiev is set to move on to Russia and join Spartak of the KHL.

Georgiev was waived last month, then cleared and joined the AHL’s Rochester Americans. There, the Sabres affiliate had a wealth of goaltending, arguably at a legitimate NHL level, with Devon Levi alongside Georgiev, as well as prospect Topias Leinonen. Before the season, Buffalo had significant question marks in net with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen banged up, and the respectable but not exactly standout Alex Lyon tasked with holding things down.

As it has turned out, Lyon has performed steadily, and waiver pickup Colten Ellis has also exceeded expectations. There was no real path forward for Georgiev in the organization. The Bulgarian native played in two games for Rochester, both ending in losses with a 3.57 GAA. He now seems to be in greener pastures, joining a solid Spartak club, which has needed help in net, where he will be a star at the KHL level.

Originally undrafted out of the Finnish Liiga, an unusual path for most Russian players, Georgiev made an impression with the Rangers, who signed him in 2017. Making his NHL debut in 2018, Georgiev has the distinction of serving as backup for franchise icon Hendrik Lundqvist in his final season as a Ranger, gradually taking a higher workload. With the emergence of star Igor Shesterkin, though, Georgiev’s future in New York became uncertain.

After the 2021-22 season, Georgiev was dealt to the freshly minted Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche for draft picks in order to replace Darcy Kuemper. Georgiev emerged as a low-stakes, affordable option for a team strong enough up front to make up for any shortcomings in net. Sure enough, Georgiev posted his best season as a pro, leading the NHL with 40 wins and becoming an NHL All-Star.

Unfortunately for Georgiev, despite twice leading the league in wins, all while still remaining under 30 years old, Colorado quickly pulled the plug in 2024-25 amidst his shaky play. While unusual for a team to do so with a former All-Star, it appeared the success was largely driven due to the team in front of him. Georgiev was dealt to the hardcore rebuilding San Jose Sharks, where Colorado brought back Mackenzie Blackwood in return.

In the thick of an aggressive rebuild, getting heavily outshot most nights, Georgiev naturally did not have as much success in San Jose in a role that is especially tough on any goaltender. GM Mike Grier let his contract expire after 2024-25.

Georgiev was signed in September by Buffalo, with an opportunity to re-establish himself as an NHLer; however, with the emergence of other netminders in the organization, doors shut quickly. Still just 29, it is not impossible he could make an NHL return, but for now, Georgiev will likely be eager to return closer to home as a major standout player in the KHL.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| Colorado Avalanche| KHL| Liiga| NHL| New York Rangers| Players| SHL| San Jose Sharks| Waivers Alexander Georgiev

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Olle Lycksell Clears Waivers

November 22, 2025 at 1:02 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Saturday: Lycksell has cleared waivers for the second straight month, Garrioch reports.  That will pave the way for him to be reassigned to AHL Belleville.

Friday: The Senators have placed winger Olle Lycksell on waivers, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports. He hasn’t played since Nov. 8 and has been on injured reserve while in concussion protocol, so today’s news indicates he’s been cleared to return. Because he was on IR, he won’t count against Ottawa’s active roster while on waivers and will instead carry a non-roster designation for the next 24 hours.

Lycksell, 26, was a sixth-round pick by the Flyers back in 2017. He remained in the Philadelphia organization until last summer, when he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent and signed a two-way contract with Ottawa. In parts of three seasons on the Flyers’ NHL roster, he churned out a 1-10–11 scoring line in 45 appearances with a -6 rating. On the whole, he had underwhelming possession impacts with a 49.2 CF% at 5-on-5 and averaged 10:53 of ice time per game. Combined with a relative lack of physicality, he wasn’t much of a fit in a bottom-six role and struggled to land a consistent spot despite some high-end scoring numbers in the minors. Over his three seasons with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley, he was nearly a point-per-game player with a 52-76–128 scoring line in 134 appearances.

Since he signed a two-way deal with the Sens and he wasn’t viewed as a threat to grab a top-nine job on the wings, many expected him to land on waivers during training camp. He did just that, but wasn’t assigned to AHL Belleville, at least not immediately. He’s remained on Ottawa’s active roster for the vast majority of the season, aside from a four-day demotion to Belleville in October and his recent IR placement.

Lycksell was used sparingly as an extra forward, though. He hasn’t appeared in more than two consecutive games this season and has just six total appearances, including just one since Oct. 28. His showing was a mixed bag. He did average a shot on goal per game and recorded his second career NHL tally, but his possession impacts weren’t good in sheltered fourth-line minutes. At 5-on-5 with Lycksell on the ice, the Senators have been outscored 4-2, outshot 33-23, and outchanced 34-30. That’s despite Lycksell receiving just one defensive zone start this year.

Given his minor-league success, Lycksell might generate some interest on the waiver wire, but his poor defensive impacts this season and lack of demonstrated upside at the NHL level point toward him clearing. Since they’re comfortable enough to expose him to waivers, he might be in line for a lengthier stint in Belleville, where he went without a point in two appearances last month.

Ottawa Senators| Transactions| Waivers Olle Lycksell

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Sabres Reassign Mason Geertsen

November 21, 2025 at 2:00 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

Nov. 21: Geertsen has cleared waivers and was reassigned to AHL Rochester, per a team announcement.

Nov. 20: The Sabres have placed enforcer Mason Geertsen on waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Thursday. Once he’s removed from the active roster tomorrow, that will make way for Buffalo to activate winger Jason Zucker from injured reserve, as head coach Lindy Ruff said yesterday would be the case (via Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550).

Geertsen, 30, signed a two-year, two-way contract with Buffalo over the offseason, paying him $775K in the NHL and $425K in the AHL each season. Most expected him to land on waivers during the preseason. The 6’4″ heavyweight only had 25 NHL games to his name entering training camp. All of them came in a limited role with the Devils in the 2021-22 season. While his primary position is defense, the left-shot played as a winger to get into the lineup, recording five fights and 58 hits while averaging 6:57 of ice time per game.

The Devils waived Geertsen the following season, spending the year with AHL Utica before reaching unrestricted free agency in 2023. He signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Golden Knights but spent the entirety of it in the minors. Across his last three AHL campaigns with Utica and Henderson, the former 2013 fourth-round pick of the Avalanche had just 10 goals and 19 points in 150 games, playing about as pure an enforcer role as today’s era allows.

That made Geertsen’s inclusion as depth muscle on Buffalo’s opening-night roster all the more surprising. Modern-day enforcers at the NHL level are still usually able to put up respectable point totals when skating in the minors – Zack MacEwen and Scott Sabourin, to name a pair. Geertsen doesn’t fit that bill. As expected, his role was incredibly limited as a result. He only got into five games for Buffalo, including four of their first six contests, but has now been a healthy scratch in seven straight games – even as injuries to Zucker, Zach Benson, and others have piled up.

In those five appearances, Geertsen remained without an NHL point and recorded a -1 rating with eight hits while averaging 4:07 per game. He managed just two shot attempts and didn’t get into a fight, only logging a tripping minor and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for 12 total PIMs. Geertsen shouldn’t have any trouble clearing waivers and will play a fourth-line role, if he sees much ice time at all, in Rochester after he clears.

Buffalo Sabres| Transactions| Waivers Mason Geertsen

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