Three Surprising Names Officially Hit Waivers On Monday; Two Minnesota Wild Players Included

The Minnesota Wild have been a surprise team in the Western Conference this year, as they've found themselves competing with the Winnipeg Jets for top spot in the Central Division.

Now, they've made some surprise roster moves, as they have officially placed both Ben Jones and Devin Shore on waivers on Monday, the second time in the past month for the latter.

Jones is a 25-year-old former seventh-round pick, who is getting his first genuine shot at the NHL this season, but in 25 games he's yet to get on the score sheet while carrying a -3 differential, and with a lack of production at the top level, he'll likely pass through and remain solid depth for the Wild.

As for Shore, this is the second time since late December that he's been waived, with the 30-year-old not producing that much this season despite remaining a solid locker room guy for the Wild, so we will likely see him back at the NHL level this season.

The third player waived on Monday was center Gage Goncalves of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has shown plenty of promise at just 23 years of age, but with little room in their current lineup, it makes sense for the team to want his production and development to continue at the AHL level.

In the final waiver news for the day, both players waived on Sunday, including Erik Brannstrom of the Ottawa Senators have passed through waivers, with both now set to report to their respective AHL clubs for the foreseeable future.