Only 18 players placed on waivers with roster deadline looming
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The NHL waiver wire got busy again on Saturday, with 18 players placed on waivers as teams race to reach compliant, 23 man opening night rosters before Monday's 4 p.m. CT deadline.
Clubs that want to send waiver eligible players to the minors need them to clear unclaimed, and with camp cuts piling up all week across the league, general managers are running out of time to finalize their lineups.
Bruins and Islanders Among the Busiest
Boston placed forwards Lukas Reichel and Alex Steeves on the wire, continuing a physical and depth shakeup up front after a crowded training camp.
The Islanders were even more active, waiving forwards Mitchell Chaffee, Pierre Engvall, Liam Foudy and Daylan Kuefler along with Matt Luff, a clear sign New York is still trying to sort out a crowded bottom six before the season opens.
Pittsburgh put defenseman Caleb Jones on waivers, Washington did the same with veteran blueliner Justin Holl, and the Kings exposed forward Taylor Ward, a player who has bounced between the NHL and AHL levels throughout his career.
Florida also joined in, placing defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and winger Angus Crookshank on the wire as the Panthers reshape their forward and blue line depth chart heading into a title defense.
The Rest of Saturday's List
Rounding out the group are winger Miles Wood, forward Alexander Nylander, goaltender Remi Poirier, defenseman Justin Barron, defenseman Scott Perunovich and defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, each caught up in the same roster crunch sweeping the league this weekend.
Several of these names have carried NHL regular duty in the past, meaning any team light on depth could see real value in placing a claim rather than letting them pass through.
Any player who clears waivers will typically report to his team's AHL affiliate, while a successful claim would mean an immediate jump to a brand new NHL roster and organization.
Teams have until 1 p.m. CT Sunday to file claims, leaving one more day of uncertainty for all 18 names on this list before opening night finally arrives across the league.
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