Five players hit NHL waivers including Stanley Cup champion as Blackhawks and Kraken make roster cuts

The headline name is Derrick Pouliot, who Chicago placed on waivers after picking him up earlier this year looking for depth on the back end.

Pouliot has been around the block a few times, suiting up for the Rangers, Canucks, the Golden Knights, the Blues, the Sharks, the Stars and the Penguins over the course of his career, and he actually has a Stanley Cup ring to show for his time in Pittsburgh.

We almost ran out of breath naming his teams.

That kind of experience usually means something in a locker room, but it clearly wasn't enough to keep him off waivers as Chicago continues sorting out what its defense corps looks like going forward.

Over in Seattle, the Kraken made a bigger splash by waiving four players in one swoop, forwards Avon and Morrison among them, along with Hayden and goaltender Ostman.

That's a lot of roster turnover for one afternoon, and it suggests Seattle is either dealing with a numbers crunch or trying to get a clearer read on who belongs at the NHL level before things settle in for the season.

None of these players are guaranteed to clear, and other teams around the league will be watching closely.

A defenseman with Pouliot's resume could draw interest from a club needing veteran depth, while Seattle's group offers a mix of younger legs that other GMs might want to gamble on.

Expect movement on some of these names within the next day or two once the waiver window closes.

Either way, Monday served as a reminder that even in late September, front offices are still fine tuning their lineups before things get serious.

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