Waivers: 10/2/22
It’s expected to be another busy day on the waiver wire today as teams continue to trim down their rosters. We’ll keep track of the players being placed on waivers here.
Buffalo Sabres (via NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, awaiting team announcement)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
F Clark Bishop
F Ben Jones
F Matthew Phillips
D Colton Poolman
D Nick DeSimone
G Oscar Dansk
Carolina Hurricanes (via NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, awaiting team announcement)
Dallas Stars (via PuckPedia)
F Riley Tufte
F Marian Studenic
D Alexander Petrovic
Edmonton Oilers (via team release)
Florida Panthers (via Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, awaiting team announcement)
Los Angeles Kings (via PuckPedia)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
F Rourke Chartier
F Jake Luccini
D Dillon Heatherington
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
F Alexander Nylander
F Radim Zohorna
F Drake Caggiula
D Xavier Ouellet
G Dustin Tokarski
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
F Jesper Froden
F Cameron Hughes
F Kole Lind
F Max McCormick
F Austin Poganski
F Andrew Poturalski
F Brogan Rafferty
F Carsen Twarynski
D Gustav Olofsson
G Magnus Hellberg
St. Louis Blues (via team release, PuckPedia)
F Nathan Todd
F Will Bitten
D Luke Witkowski
D Steven Santini
Washington Capitals (via team release)
F Beck Malenstyn
F Garrett Pilon
D Gabriel Carlsson
D Dylan McIlrath
D Bobby Nardella
G Zachary Fucale
Waivers: 10/1/22
October 2nd: Per CapFriendly, all players placed on waivers yesterday, October 1st, have cleared (link).
October 1st: It’s expected to be another busy day on the waiver wire today as teams continue to trim down their rosters. We’ll keep track of the players being placed on waivers here.
Edmonton
Montreal
NY Rangers
St. Louis
D Steven Santini
F Nathan Todd
D/F Luke Witkowski
Tampa Bay
D Sean Day
Vegas
F Byron Froese
G Michael Hutchinson
D Brayden Pachal
F Sheldon Rempal
Winnipeg
F Michael Eyssimont
D Leon Gawanke
F Jeff Malott
D Ashton Sautner
All 22 players that were on waivers yesterday cleared.
Waivers: 09/30/22
After waivers opened yesterday, quite a few players have ended up on the wire today. Teams keep making cuts to their rosters, and any veteran player needs to clear before being assigned to the minor leagues. Here are the names on waivers today.
Dallas Stars
Riley Barber
Ben Gleason
Tanner Kero
Jerad Rosburg
Joseph Cecconi
Rhett Gardner
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
Tampa Bay Lightning
Daniel Walcott
Darren Raddysh
Maxime Lagace
Trevor Carrick
Washington Capitals
Michael Sgarbossa
Riley Sutter
Mike Vecchione
Hunter Shepard
Arizona Coyotes Claim Jonas Johansson
The Arizona Coyotes were waiting to see which goaltenders would end up on waivers at the end of training camp, and they’ve found one they like (for now). Jonas Johansson has been claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The other players from yesterday have all cleared.
Johansson, 27, had signed back with the Avalanche after playing this waiver merry-go-round last year, but will have to pack his things again. After being claimed by the Florida Panthers on December 13, 2021, he ended up playing in just two games for his new organization. He was being paid to stay in the NHL and serve as a backup, but the Panthers would routinely bring up Spencer Knight to actually play the games.
That’s sort of been the theme of Johansson’s career to this point. Since first being brought up in the 2019-20 season, he has just 32 appearances in the NHL, and no more than nine for a single team in a single season. Now, even as he goes to Arizona, he likely can’t unpack.
There’s no guarantee that Johansson is on the Coyotes’ roster by the time the season rolls around. As training camps close and roster crunches occur, they could just as easily select another netminder off of waivers. If he ends up back on, the Avalanche would have a chance to bring Johansson back and send him directly to the minor leagues, as long as they were the only team to put in a claim.
For now, he is part of the Coyotes organization and will potentially slot in as the team’s second NHL netminder. While many assumed Ivan Prosvetov would assume that role, he is still waiver-exempt and can play big minutes at the AHL level to continue his development, if they wish.
Waivers: 09/29/22
Waivers will officially open today, meaning teams around the league can start cutting eligible players with the purpose of sending them to minor league clubs. While the full list will come out at 2 pm ET, some have already started announcing their initial placements. You can see all of the day’s cuts here, but we’ll also keep track of just the waiver portion in this post.
Arizona Coyotes
F Michael Carcone
F Jean-Sebastien Dea
Colorado Avalanche
F Charles Hudon
F Spencer Smallman
D Andreas Englund
D Brad Hunt
D Joshua Jacobs
G Jonas Johansson
Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
F Richard Panik
G Kenneth Appleby
New York Rangers
This page will be updated throughout the day
Waiver Watching: Sizing Up The Goaltender Market
With training camps on the horizon, there are still some goaltending situations around the NHL that are unsettled. Accordingly, those teams may be planning on picking up a second goaltender on waivers during the preseason as Montreal did with Samuel Montembeault last season. With that in mind, let’s examine who might be looking for a goalie and which teams have a netminder that could be of interest.
Potentially Looking
Arizona: The Coyotes have one of their two goalies locked up for three years in Karel Vejmelka but after that, there is nothing but question marks. Farmhands Jon Gillies and Ivan Prosvetov have some NHL experience but Gillies struggled last season with New Jersey and Prosvetov hasn’t posted a .900 SV% in the last two seasons in the minors. Cap space isn’t an issue for them so they can look at any of the options available on waivers or take on a bad contract for additional compensation.
Chicago: Right now, Alex Stalock is their backup goalie. He has missed most of the last two seasons battling his way back from myocarditis and struggled considerably in the minors last year. Granted, the Blackhawks certainly aren’t in win-now mode but in a perfect world, they’d like Arvid Soderblom to have an uninterrupted year with AHL Rockford. Currently, he’s third on the depth chart but if there’s a chance to bring in a low-cost second-stringer and push Stalock into the spot of being the one to be recalled if an injury arises, they might want to take it. The waiver wire could be the chance to add that.
Philadelphia: With Ivan Fedotov being blocked from going to North America this season due to a military commitment, the Flyers are going to have to turn to Plan B. Felix Sandstrom is currently their second option but he has just five career NHL appearances under his belt. They’re looking to be more competitive this season so this could be a spot for an upgrade. Granted, Sandstrom would then need to be waived to be sent back to Lehigh Valley but that would have been the case if Fedotov had been able to play so it’s a risk they might be comfortable with.
Of course, an injury or two during the preseason could add to the list of suitors in the coming weeks as well.
Teams That Could Lose A Goalie
For the purpose of this exercise, the focus is going to be on either young goalies that could be appealing or veterans with some recent NHL experience that could fill a gap.
Buffalo: Malcolm Subban was brought back to be the veteran to partner with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in AHL Rochester but he has 86 games of NHL experience under his belt and a deal that’s only $100K above the league minimum. He has been a full-time backup going back to his time with Vegas which would also bolster his chances of potentially being claimed.
Dallas: Right now, Anton Khudobin appears to be the odd one out again with Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood set to be the goalie duo for the Stars. Khudobin is now in the final year of his deal that carries a $3.33MM AAV. It wouldn’t be shocking if he cleared waivers but if Dallas wants to free up a bit of extra money for Jason Robertson’s contract, they’ll be calling Arizona to see what it would cost for them to take that contract on.
Los Angeles: Pheonix Copley has cleared waivers without any concerns the last couple of years but also was on a pricey contract for a third-string option. Now, he’s on a much more palatable deal ($825K) and is coming off an impressive season in AHL Hershey. The 30-year-old was the backup for the Capitals back in 2018-19.
Nashville: This is the most interesting one to keep an eye on. Although Connor Ingram held his own in the playoffs for the Preds, they still went and brought in Kevin Lankinen on a one-year, $1.5MM deal. That’s a lot to pay a third-string option so it could put Ingram in jeopardy. However, if they try to sneak Ingram through, there’s a very good chance he’ll be claimed, especially with an AAV that’s below the minimum. Carrying three goalies is a possibility but generally not ideal so something might have to give here.
New York (R): The Rangers went and brought in Louis Domingue on a two-year contract to be their insurance policy but he might appeal to some other teams as well. He did alright in the playoffs for Pittsburgh and has 142 games of NHL experience over parts of two seasons. Both years are one-way which was likely to try to deter other teams from claiming him but with an AAV of just $775K, he may attract some interest.
Seattle: With Martin Jones joining the Kraken as their backup, that’s going to push both Joey Daccord and Magnus Hellberg to the waiver wire. Daccord was viewed as a possible NHL option not long ago and at 26, there could still be some upside after a strong season with AHL Charlotte. Hellberg, meanwhile, has been dominant in the KHL the last few years which prompted Detroit to give him a brief look down the stretch last season. Other teams might want to take a look as well depending on how things go over the next few weeks.
Winnipeg: Mikhail Berdin is the one goalie on this list that doesn’t have any NHL experience but at 24, he’s also the youngest in this group. If a rebuilding team wants to take a look at a younger backup to see if there’s something there, this is the type of goalie they’d probably want to go for.
Of course, there will be other goalies that will hit the waiver wire in the coming weeks that could be of interest to teams as well depending on what transpires over the preseason. There won’t be a ton of waiver activity between the pipes – there rarely is – but one or two of these players could be changing teams in the coming weeks.
Brett Connolly Signs In Switzerland
Another NHL veteran has opted to sign in Europe to continue his professional career. Swiss club HC Lugano announced today that the team has signed winger Brett Connolly to a one-year contract for the 2022-23 season.
Connolly spent the last season and a half in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, where he ended up playing just 19 NHL games compared to 37 AHL games for the Rockford IceHogs. Connolly had just a goal and two assists in those 19 games across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, while faring much better in the AHL with 35 points in 37 games in 2021-22 for Rockford.
This past season, Connolly’s NHL time was limited in part due to a four-game suspension for interfering with Dallas Stars forward Tanner Kero. With his bloated seven-figure cap hit, Connolly also cleared waivers multiple times. Connolly was bought out this summer with one season remaining on a four-year, $3.5MM AAV deal signed prior to the 2019-20 season.
At the age of 30, this could very well be the last we’ve seen of Connolly in the NHL. The sixth overall pick in 2010 currently has a career total of 101 goals, 94 assists, and 195 points in 536 games.
He’ll be strong offensive reinforcement for Lugano, who also fortified their goaltending by bringing former Edmonton Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen back to Europe. They’ll look to make it out of the National League quarterfinals for the first time since losing the championship series in 2018.
Alexander Khovanov Clears Unconditional Waivers
July 27: Khovanov’s contract has been terminated and he will play with the Ak Bars program this season, starting in the VHL.
July 24: The Minnesota Wild announced that they have placed forward Alexander Khovanov on unconditional waivers today. A third-round pick of the Wild in 2018, Khovanov made his North American professional debut in 2021-22, but struggled to make a real impact, putting up six points in eight games with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL and just five points in 22 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. Khovanov had one year remaining on the ELC he signed with Minnesota in the spring of 2019.
Once an intriguing prospect for the Wild as a dynamic offensive weapon, Khovanov hasn’t lived up to the promise he had shown in the junior levels in both Canada and Russia. A standout in the Ak Bars development program, Khovanov came to North America prior to the 2017-18 season, spending three seasons with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL. Khovanov’s best performance came in 2019-20, where he scored 32 goals to go with 67 assists in just 51 games for Moncton. With questions about who would play and when due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Khovanov headed home for the 2020-21 season, once again playing in the Ak Bars organization. The forward spent the majority of that season in the VHL where he again impressed with 24 points in 30 games and was even able to finally make his KHL debut, getting into seven games.
After the 2020-21 season, Khovanov announced he was heading back to North America, splitting this season between the AHL and ECHL in the Wild organization. It’s unclear what the plan is for Khovanov now that he has been placed on unconditional waivers, though a return to the KHL could be likely given his production in the VHL and Ak Bars’ willingness to have him play games at the KHL level just two years ago.
Yauheni Aksiantsiuk Clears Unconditional Waivers
July 27: After clearing and seeing his contract terminated, Aksiantsiuk has signed with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL.
July 23: It will be one-and-done for Yauheni Aksiantsiuk‘s time with the Stars as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the Stars have placed the winger on unconditional waivers for the purposes of terminating the remainder of his contract.
The diminutive 21-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Dallas back in 2020 after an impressive season with OHL Flint that saw him put up 33 goals and 45 assists in 58 games. He spent the 2020-21 campaign playing back home in Belarus where he struggled and then decided to return to North America, signing a three-year, entry-level deal back in June of 2021.
Aksiantsiuk spent most of last season with ECHL Idaho, notching 19 goals and 15 assists in 40 games with the Steelheads while adding two goals and two assists in eight AHL contests. Overall, those numbers aren’t terrible but when coupled with his tough showing back home the year before, there were certainly questions about whether or not he’d have much of an NHL future. Aksiantsiuk seems to have the same question as this termination – which can be completed on Sunday once he passes through waivers – will likely be followed up by a contract somewhere overseas.
Dallas won’t have any lingering cap charge from Aksiantsiuk’s termination while they will free up a contract slot, bringing them down to 41 out of the maximum of 50. That number will go up at some point this summer with the Stars having a trio of restricted free agents still to sign, winger Jason Robertson, defenseman Ben Gleason, and goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Sam Montembeault
Today, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes announced that the team has agreed to terms on a two-year, one-way contract with goalie Sam Montembeault. The contract will take him to his first eligible year of unrestricted free agency in 2024. The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin reports the deal is worth $1MM per season.
Montembeault found his way to Montreal at the beginning of 2021-22 when the team claimed him off waivers from the Florida Panthers. With Carey Price‘s nagging knee injury keeping him out for the vast majority of 2021-22, Montembeault played in 38 games for Montreal this year, more than doubling his previous total of 25 with Florida. Serving as the backup to Jake Allen and the starter for brief periods when Allen was injured, Montembeault had a season to forget with an 8-18-6 record, .891 save percentage, and 3.77 goals against average along with one shutout.
The 2015 third-round pick is still relatively young in goalie years at 25, though, and there may be a small bit of untapped potential in the Quebec native. He’s yet to show it at the NHL level, though, as his save percentage hasn’t hit .900 in any of the three seasons he’s appeared in.
Montembeault’s role this season will once again depend entirely on the health of Price, barring a trade in the Montreal crease. If Price is able to battle back from what’s become an increasingly serious knee ailment to start the 2022-23 season on time, Montembeault and his seven-figure price tag would almost certainly pass through waivers unclaimed.