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NHL Waiver Wire

Matt Tomkins(G)|EDM
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Tampa Bay has placed Matt Tomkins on waivers Thursday.

Tomkins was placed on waivers Thursday in a move that would indicate Andrei Vasileskiy's return from injury. The 29-year-old is expected to be assigned to Syracuse (AHL) if he does pass through waivers after posting a 1-2-0 record, 3.40 GAA, and .889 SV% in three games with Tampa Bay.

Source:
Elliotte Friedman 2023-11-23T19:24:52.130Z
Matt Tomkins
Vinni Lettieri(C)|TOR
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Minnesota has placed Vinni Lettieri on waivers Thursday.

Lettieri had two goals, 14 SOG, four PIMs, and a -4 plus/minus in 11 games in 2023-24 but has been placed on waivers Thursday. The 28-year-old forward will likely return to Iowa (AHL) if unclaimed, where he has a goal and three points through four games this season prior to his call-up.

Source:
Elliotte Friedman 2023-11-23T19:22:38.684Z
Vinni Lettieri
Chase De Leo(C)|FA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Anaheim Ducks have placed Chase De Leo on waivers.

De Leo has been out since the preseason due to a knee injury and was placed on waivers Wednesday with the purpose of assigning him to San Diego (AHL). The 28-year-old has not appeared in the NHL since 2021-22 with New Jersey but had nine goals and 23 points in 22 games with Utica (AHL) last season.

Source:
Elliotte Friedman 2023-11-22T19:57:17.432Z
Chase De Leo
Felix Sandstrom(G)|FA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Felix Sandstrom has cleared waivers and been assigned to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Sandstrom has been assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL after clearing unconditional waivers. The 26-year-old goaltender was serving as a depth netminder for the Flyers while Carter Hart was out of the lineup due to injury.

Source:
Dylan Robillard 2023-11-20T19:52:58.259Z
Felix Sandstrom
Jack Studnicka(C)|FLA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Jack Studnicka has been placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Abbotsford (AHL).

Studnicka was placed on unconditional waivers by the Vancouver Canucks with the intention of reassigning him to the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL. In five games this season, Studnicka has one point (1G / 0A) and a +2 plus/minus rating.

Source:
Vancouver Canucks 2023-11-13T19:44:12.578Z
Jack Studnicka
Samuel Fagemo(LW)|WPG
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Samuel Fagemo has been placed on waivers Friday.

Fagemo had a goal, no assists and seven SOG through four games with Nashville but has been placed on waivers Friday. The 23-year-old left-winger who was originally acquired off waivers in the preseason, is in his third NHL season and has three goals, and four points in 17 career games played.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2023-11-10T21:33:58.633Z
Samuel Fagemo
Andreas Johnsson(LW)|FA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Andreas Johnsson has cleared waivers; had his contract terminated and signed with Skelleftea AIK (SHL).

Johnsson had his contract terminated after clearing unconditional waivers. The 28-year-old Sweed had difficulty finding consistency at the NHL level despite showing flashes of high-pedigree play throughout his career. He has 116 points (48 G / 68A) in 259 career games. He has now signed with Skelleftea IK (SHL).

Source:
Chris Johnston 2023-11-09T20:01:53.089Z
Andreas Johnsson
Andreas Johnsson(LW)|FA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Andreas Johnsson has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.

Johnsson is expected to have his contract terminated after being placed on unconditional waivers on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Sweed has had difficulty finding consistency at the NHL level despite showing flashes of high-pedigree play throughout his career. He has 116 points (48 G / 68A) in 259 career games.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2023-11-08T20:19:01.896Z
Andreas Johnsson
Jack Campbell(G)|FA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Jack Campbell has been placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment.

After 41 unimpressive games with the Oilers over the past two seasons, posting a 3.53 GAA and .886 SV%, the team has placed Campbell on waivers for assignment. The Oilers, who were largely considered to be Stanley Cup contenders to start the season, are off to a dreadful start, winning only two of their first 11 games (2-8-1). The Oilers will likely recall Calvin Pickard from Bakersfield (AHL) once Campbell clears waivers and will turn to Stuart Skinner for starting duties in the interim.

Source:
Edmonton Oilers 2023-11-07T19:35:14.832Z
Jack Campbell
Liam Foudy(C)|NYI
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Nashville has claimed Liam Foudy from Columbus off waivers.

Foudy was placed on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and claimed by Nashville Saturday. The 23-year-old was Columbus' 2018 first round draft pick (18th overall) and has played 90 games across five sporadic seasons with the Blue Jackets. Foudy had seven goals, seven assists, 67 SOG, eight PIMs and a -26 plus/minus in 62 games with Columbus in 2022-23.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2023-10-21T18:06:18.526Z
Liam Foudy
Ross Johnston(LW)|ANA
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Waiver Move
Anaheim has claimed Ross Johnston off waivers from the New York Islanders.

Johnston was placed on waivers by the Islanders on Monday and claimed by Anaheim on Tuesday. The 29-year-old bruising left-winger carries an annual cap hit of $1.1 million and is expected to be an intimidating presence in the Ducks bottom-six. He had two assists, 37 PIMs, two SOG, and a -1 plus/minus in 16 games played with the Islanders in 2022-23. He leaves New York after seven seasons, nine goals, 15 assists, and 283 PIMs through 134 career games played.

Source:
Frank Seravalii 2023-10-10T18:44:27.747Z
Ross Johnston
Lassi Thomson(D)|OTT
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Ottawa has claimed Lassi Thomson back from Anaheim a week after waiving him.

Thomson has experienced a unique week on the waiver wire. After being originally placed on waivers last week by Ottawa, he now finds himself back with the Senators after being placed on waivers again by Anaheim. Thomson, the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, played 56 games last season for the Belleville Senators (AHL), recording 33 points (7G / 26A) in 56 games.

Source:
Frank Seravalli 2023-10-09T18:49:00.152Z
Lassi Thomson
A.J. Greer(LW)|FLA
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Calgary has claimed A.J. Greer from the Boston Bruins.

Greer played his first full NHL season last year, tallying 12 points (5G / 7A) and 114 PIM in 61 games for the Bruins. The former 39th overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft will likely serve as a depth forward this season for the Flames.

Source:
Frank Seravalli 2023-10-09T18:38:09.457Z
A.J. Greer
Ivan Prosvetov(G)|CGY
Waiver Move
Waiver Move
Colorado has claimed Ivan Prosvetov from the Arizona Coyotes.

Prosvetov provides some much-needed organizational goaltending depth for Colorado, especially with the immediate health of Pavel Francouz (groin) being uncertain. Prosvetov has played most of the last four seasons for the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL but has seen some NHL action over that time as well. Last season, he played seven games (4-3-0) for the Arizona Coyotes, recording a 3.98 GAA and .880 SV%. With Justus Annunen being assigned to the AHL, it appears that Prosvetov will begin the season as the Avalanche backup goalie.

Source:
Frank Seravalli 2023-10-10T14:04:09.907Z
Ivan Prosvetov

NHL Waiver Wire

The NHL implemented the waiver wire to uphold a “competitive balance” in the league. Before the waiver wire, clubs hoarded players and ensured their opponents couldn’t access them. Those players would get sent to the minors and basically get buried, stunting any chance for them to make a name for themselves in the big league. As you can imagine, not only was hoarding players in the minors a hindrance to other teams, but it was also a hindrance to the players themselves. Eventually, things had to change, and that’s when the NHL waiver wire came into play: no longer can a player be buried in the minors (unless nobody wants them).

Types of Waivers

Nevertheless, the NHL wavier wire can be a bit nuanced to a newcomer. Don’t worry, we break it down and do a quick deep dive into the nuts and bolts.

Regular NHL Waivers

Teams will use what NHL executives call “regular waivers” to move players to the minors. Players on entry-level contracts are usually waiver wire exempt, which means teams can send them up and down as they please without risking them being claimed by another team. Players who aren’t waiver wire exempt will usually make the headlines since they can be placed on waivers. Most players playing in the minors are waiver wire exempt. That’s why they get sent up and down so freely throughout the course of a season. Obviously, it’s on a case-by-case basis.

Return Waivers

“Re-entry waivers” used to exist before the NHL and the NHLPA eliminated the clause in the 2012 collective bargaining agreement. The clause was originally put in place because some teams would bury players in the minors, hoping they would pick up their game a bit and call them back up. If such a great thing happened, the team could call them back up without penalty. Too many teams learned to hoard players, so to encourage fairness and do right by the players, the return or “re-entry waivers process” was implemented. When ironing out a new CBA, both sides wanted to tinker with the waiver wire process. A part of that tinkering was getting rid of “re-entry waivers.”

Unconditional Waivers

When a team puts a player on unconditional waivers, it’s usually because the team wants to terminate their contract or buy them out. A contract termination can come about because a player breached their contract. In other words, as a disciplinary action. The more common form is a buyout. The player didn’t breach their contract; it’s just the management most likely determined the player sucks and wants to get rid of as much of the player’s cap hit as humanly possible.

A Quick Word On One and Two-Way Contracts

There’s a common misconception that NHL fans make when referring to one and two-way contracts. What some fans think is if a player is on a one-way deal, they can’t be sent to the minors without going through waivers. Players who are signed to two-way deals can be sent back and forth to the minors freely. Without getting too far into the nuts and bolts, that’s not always the case. You can blame EA Sports’ “Be A GM” mode for that belief.

Generally, a one-way deal ensures that players’ salaries remain the same whether they’re in the minors or the NHL. For example, if a goalie makes $3.55 million in the NHL and gets sent down to the AHL because he couldn’t stop a beach ball, he’ll still make the full $3.55 million in the minors. A player who’s on a two-way contract makes a higher salary in the NHL and a lower one in the AHL. One and two-way deals don’t solely determine waiver wire eligibility.

Time Restrictions Around NHL Waivers

The waiver wire goes into effect 12 days before the start of the regular season and lasts until the day after a team’s regular season is over. Any moves after that are more or less off the books unless certain conditions are met. Then, things get tricky.

When a player gets put on the waiver wire, there’s a 24-hour period where other NHL teams can determine if they want to take a shot on the player and their contract. If a team wants to take a leap of faith and claim the forsaken player, they must wait and see which other teams make a claim. If the worst team in the league (based on the current standings and future projections) makes a claim and the best team also bites on the waived player, the worst team will get the player in the name of “fairness.”

It’s not very often that many teams make a claim on a single player because most teams use the waiver wire to clear cap space. That said, it does happen once or twice a season when a good team is forced to make a tough decision on a decent player.

Strategy Behind NHL Waivers

There are many reasons why NHL transactions will revolve around waiver wire moves. Below, we compiled those reasons and sought to explain the strategy behind each.

Salary Cap

As we alluded to earlier, most players are put on waivers because they’re not living up to their contracts. The front office of the team they play for wants to bury the contract in the minors to open up room for someone who’s worth the money. It’s a harsh truth, but the NHL is a business, and everyone is always looking for a good return on investment. If a player sucks, sometimes that’s what needs to happen, no matter how difficult it might be to pull off.

Contract Termination

For players who are on longer deals, burying them in the minors for the duration of their contract might not be worthwhile. It might just be easier to buy them out or even terminate their contract. Most of the time, when a player gets bought out, the team buying out the player must still pay a cap penalty. That said, it’s usually preferable for NHL executives rather than eating the cap hit and being unable to bolster their team via trades and free agency.

Bad contracts in the NHL are a dime a dozen, so front offices use things like unconditional waivers to move on from their mistakes. Of course, they still take a fat L, but in the same sense, they’ll get some flexibility and a chance to move on. So too does the player.

Moves to the Minor League

At the end of the day, all an NHL general manager really wants to do is send a player to the minors because they’re underperforming. It just so happens the player isn’t waiver wire exempt, and that’s the way she goes. Mind you, in those situations, many people in the front office will know that these players are less likely to get claimed because their value is limited to other teams. In that sense, NHL front offices will feel more comfortable making those moves.

Let’s be honest, even if these players get claimed, odds are they’ll be back on the waiver wire at some point during the season, in which they can be reclaimed. If not, as crappy as this may sound, the player is replaceable.