Gritty forward Brendan Lemieux placed on waivers alongside former second-round draft pick

Since the NHL season has begun, the activity on the waiver wire has slowed down significantly, but the quality of players placed on waivers has increased, with more and more significant names involved. Now on Wednesday, we have seen one of the NHL's most controversial players waived, as the Carolina Hurricanes have placed forward Brendan Lemieux on waivers after a season where he tallied 3 goals and 5 points in 32 games played.

In his seven-year career, the former No. 31 overall draft pick has played 307 games with the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and ultimately the 'Canes, over which time he has put up 36 goals and 74 points. While he's hated by opposing fans, Lemieux plays the very important role of the gritty forward who's not afraid to get his hands dirty, and while the team may need him sometime throughout the year, it appears he'll be headed to the AHL for some time unless there's a surprise claim.

Alongside Lemieux is Dylan Gambrell, who has played 233 NHL games of his own with the Sharks and Senators before landing in Columbus this off-season, but before he could get a game, the 28-year-old may be heading to the AHL. In those 233 games, Gambrell has put together 17 goals and 40 points and is yet to find a significant role in the NHL, with his role in the league moving forward likely to be a depth forward in the AHL.

According to Elliotte Friedman, no one from yesterday's waivers was claimed, and given the history of Lemieux and Gambrell, it's unlikely that either of them will be claimed, so keep a close eye on tomorrow as it would be a major surprise to see either player claimed.