2023 Interesting Potential Waiver Claims

[Vector]

Due to popular request, I've complied a list of interesting potential waiver claims. Some of the criteria is for players 25 years old or younger and with a somewhat interesting statistical profile.

Spoiler: Waiver Eligible Players

Anaheim Ducks
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Brett Leason	RW	24	NHL	54	6	3	9	6'5''	218lbs	On Roster
Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	23	AHL	63	18	21	39	6'2''	200lbs	On Roster
Arizona Coyotes
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
John Leonard	W	25	AHL	67	17	27	44	5'11''	196lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Cameron Crotty	RD	24	AHL	64	1	12	13	6'3''	182lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Boston Bruins
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jesper Boqvist	FW	24	NHL	70	10	11	21	6'0''	180lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Ian Mitchell	RD	24	NHL	35	1	7	8	5'11''	173lbs	On Roster
Jakub Lauko	W	23	NHL	23	4	3	7	6'0''	196lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Alec Regula	RD	23	AHL	51	5	16	21	6'4''	208lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Reilly Walsh	RD	24	AHL	71	9	32	41	6'0''	185lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Buffalo Sabres
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Brett Murray	LW	25	AHL	71	23	26	49	6'5''	228lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Brandon Biro	LW	25	AHL	49	16	35	51	5'11''	170lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Kale Clague	LD/RD	25	NHL	33	0	4	4	6'0''	190lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Calgary Flames
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Benjamin Jones	C	24	AHL	71	17	37	54	6'0''	187lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Martin Pospisil	RW	23	AHL	20	4	6	10	6'2''	173lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Carolina Hurricanes
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Dylan Coghlan	RD	25	NHL	17	0	3	3	6'2''	208lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Chicago Blackhawks
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Mackenzie Entwistle	LW/C	24	NHL	66	4	6	10	6'3''	184lbs	On Roster
Boris Katchouk	LW/C	25	NHL	58	5	11	16	6'2''	206lbs	On Roster
Reese Johnson	RW/C	25	NHL	57	4	2	6	6'1''	193lbs	On Roster
Colorado Avalanche
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Riley Tufte	LW	25	AHL	63	19	16	35	6'6''	220lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Keaton Middleton	LD	25	AHL	72	3	20	23	6'6''	240lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Columbus Blue Jackets
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Emil Bemstrom	W	24	NHL	55	7	15	22	6'0''	193lbs	On Roster
Liam Foudy	LW/C	23	NHL	62	7	7	14	6'2''	188lbs	On Roster
Joshua Dunne	C	24	AHL	65	20	17	37	6'4''	204lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	24	AHL	61	29	42	71	5'7''	186lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Marcus Bjork	RD	25	NHL	33	3	8	11	6'3''	203lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Jake Christensen	LD/RD	24	NHL	24	0	4	4	6'0''	186lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Dallas Stars
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Nicholas Caamano	W	25	AHL	29	2	9	11	6'5''	205lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Fredrik Karlstrom	C	25	AHL	47	10	16	26	6'3''	195lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Detroit Red Wings
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jared McIsaac	LD	23	AHL	61	3	19	22	6'1''	192lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Tim Gettinger	W	25	AHL	52	13	22	35	6'6''	222lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Edmonton Oilers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Raphael Lavoie	RW/C	22	AHL	61	25	20	45	6'4''	196lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Markus Niemelainen	LD	25	NHL	23	0	0	0	6'6''	190lbs	Injured
Philip Kemp	RD	24	AHL	71	6	15	21	6'3''	202lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Cam Dineen	LD	25	AHL	69	6	41	47	5'11''	188lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Benjamin Gleason	LD	25	AHL	68	9	24	33	6'1''	185lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Florida Panthers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Grigori Denisenko	W	23	AHL	56	12	24	36	5'11''	186lbs	Waived	Claimed (VGK)
Matt Kiersted	LD	25	NHL	20	1	3	4	6'0''	181lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Rasmus Asplund	LW/C	25	NHL	46	2	6	8	5'11''	185lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
John Ludvig	LD	23	AHL	54	3	14	17	6'1''	213lbs	Waived	Claimed (PIT)
Los Angeles Kings
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jaret Anderson-Dolan	FW	24	NHL	46	7	5	12	5'11''	200lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Samuel Fagemo	W	23	AHL	56	23	9	32	6'0''	200lbs	Waived	Claimed (NSH)
Mikhail Maltsev	C/LW	25	AHL	28	11	10	21	6'3''	198lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Tobias Bjornfot	LD	22	AHL	50	5	7	12	6'0''	200lbs	On Roster
Jacob Moverare	LD	25	AHL	62	4	22	26	6'3''	210lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Minnesota Wild
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Montreal Canadiens
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jesse Ylonen	W	23	NHL	37	6	10	16	6'1''	188lbs	On Roster
Lias Andersson	C/LW	24	AHL	67	31	28	59	6'1''	185lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Nicolas Beaudin	LD	23	AHL	42	2	24	26	5'11''	168lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Nashville Predators
Name	Position	Age
New Jersey Devils
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Nolan Foote	LW	22	AHL	55	20	17	37	6'3''	196lbs	On Roster
Cal Foote	RD	24	NHL	24	1	3	4	6'5''	224lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
New York Islanders
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Julien Gauthier	RW	25	NHL	57	9	5	14	6'4''	224lbs	On Roster
Samuel Bolduc	LD	22	AHL	56	10	25	35	6'4''	220lbs	On Roster
Otto Koivula	FW	25	AHL	46	12	13	25	6'5''	225lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Arnaud Durandeau	LW	24	AHL	68	24	31	55	6'0''	185lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Robin Salo	LD	24	AHL	38	0	14	14	6'2''	190lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
New York Rangers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Ty Emberson	RD	23	AHL	69	7	20	27	6'1''	195lbs	Waived	Claimed (SJ)
Ottawa Senators
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Mark Kastelic	C	24	NHL	65	7	4	11	6'3''	210lbs	On Roster
Jacob Bernard-Docker	RD	23	AHL	41	2	4	6	6'0''	190lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Egor Sokolov	LW	23	AHL	70	21	38	59	6'3''	222lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Philadelphia Flyers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Yegor Zamula	LD/RD	23	AHL	44	1	18	19	6'3''	176lbs	On Roster
Wade Allison	RW	25	NHL	60	9	6	15	6'2''	205lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Pittsburgh Penguins
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Alexander Nylander	W	25	AHL	55	25	25	50	6'1''	192lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Ty Smith	LD/RD	23	AHL	39	7	17	24	5'11''	180lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Joona Koppanen	LW/C	25	AHL	64	12	23	35	6'5''	216lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
San Jose Sharks
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jacob Peterson	LW/C	24	AHL	52	14	18	32	6'1''	180lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Seattle Kraken
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Kole Lind	RW	24	AHL	72	30	32	62	6'1''	178lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Cale Fleury	RD	24	NHL	12	0	1	1	6'1''	204lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Marian Studenic	W	24	AHL	67	21	27	48	6'1''	181lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
St. Louis Blues
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Nikita Alexandrov	C	22	NHL	28	3	4	7	6'1''	177lbs	On Roster
Tyler Tucker	LD/RD	23	NHL	26	1	3	4	6'1''	204lbs	On Roster
Tampa Bay Lightning
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Logan Brown	C/LW	25	NHL	30	2	4	6	6'6''	218lbs	Injured
Toronto Maple Leafs
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Pontus Holberg	C	24	NHL	37	5	8	13	6'0''	202lbs	On Roster
Simon Benoit	LD	24	NHL	78	3	7	10	6'3''	203lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Maxime Lajoie	LD	25	AHL	63	11	34	45	6'1''	196lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Vegas Golden Knights
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Pavel Dorofeyev	W	22	NHL	18	7	2	9	6'1''	194lbs	On Roster
Paul Cotter	LW/C	23	NHL	55	13	5	18	6'2''	212lbs	On Roster
Brayden Pachal	RD	24	AHL	55	3	12	15	6'2''	203lbs	On Roster
Washington Capitals
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Alexander Alexeyev	LD/RD	23	NHL	32	0	5	5	6'4''	213lbs	On Roster
Alex Limoges	C/LW	25	AHL	63	20	34	54	6'1''	201lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Matthew Phillips	C	25	AHL	66	36	40	76	5'8''	165lbs	On Roster
Winnipeg Jets
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
David Gustafsson	LW/C	23	NHL	46	0	6	6	6'2''	196lbs	On Roster
Axel Fjallby-Jonsson	LW	25	NHL	50	6	8	14	6'1''	189lbs	Waived	Unclaimed
Declan Chisholm	LD/RD	23	AHL	59	5	38	43	6'1''	185lbs	On Roster

@Peen, @WetcoastOrca, @vancityluongo, @Lindgren, @supercanuck, @Peter Griffin, @CanucksMJL

Click to read more...

 

[Vector]

There's a lot of names but Tobias Bjornfot on the Kings is someone that jumps out to me. Two seasons ago stepped in and played quality minutes for a playoff team. Has been buried as everyone got healthy. Not the biggest guy but is solid defensively.

 

[MS]

Due to popular request, I've complied a list of interesting potential waiver claims. Some of the criteria is for players 25 years old or younger and with a somewhat interesting statistical profile.

Spoiler: Waiver Eligible Players

Anaheim Ducks
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Brett Leason	RW	24	NHL	54	6	3	9	6'5''	218lbs	4th line
Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	23	AHL	63	18	21	39	6'2''	200lbs	13th forward
Arizona Coyotes
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
John Leonard	W	25	AHL	67	17	27	44	5'11''	196lbs	Not on roster
Cameron Crotty	RD	24	AHL	64	1	12	13	6'3''	182lbs	Not on roster
Boston Bruins
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jesper Boqvist	FW	24	NHL	70	10	11	21	6'0''	180lbs	4th line
Ian Mitchell	RD	24	NHL	35	1	7	8	5'11''	173lbs	8th defencemen
Jakub Lauko	W	23	NHL	23	4	3	7	6'0''	196lbs	Not on roster
Alec Regula	RD	23	AHL	51	5	16	21	6'4''	208lbs	Not on roster
Reilly Walsh	RD	24	AHL	71	9	32	41	6'0''	185lbs	Not on roster
Buffalo Sabres
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Brett Murray	LW	25	AHL	71	23	26	49	6'5''	228lbs	Not on roster
Brandon Biro	LW	25	AHL	49	16	35	51	5'11''	170lbs	Not on roster
Kale Clague	LD/RD	25	NHL	33	0	4	4	6'0''	190lbs	Not on roster
Calgary Flames
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Benjamin Jones	C	24	AHL	71	17	37	54	6'0''	187lbs	4th line
Martin Pospisil	RW	23	AHL	20	4	6	10	6'2''	173lbs	Not on roster
Carolina Hurricanes
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Dylan Coghlan	RD	25	NHL	17	0	3	3	6'2''	208lbs	8th defenceman
Chicago Blackhawks
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Mackenzie Entwistle	LW/C	24	NHL	66	4	6	10	6'3''	184lbs	4th line
Boris Katchouk	LW/C	25	NHL	58	5	11	16	6'2''	206lbs	13th forward
Reese Johnson	RW/C	25	NHL	57	4	2	6	6'1''	193lbs	14th forward
Colorado Avalanche
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Riley Tufte	LW	25	AHL	63	19	16	35	6'6''	220lbs	Not on roster
Keaton Middleton	LD	25	AHL	72	3	20	23	6'6''	240lbs	Not on roster
Columbus Blue Jackets
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Emil Bemstrom	W	24	NHL	55	7	15	22	6'0''	193lbs	Not on roster
Liam Foudy	LW/C	23	NHL	62	7	7	14	6'2''	188lbs	Not on roster
Joshua Dunne	C	24	AHL	65	20	17	37	6'4''	204lbs	Not on roster
Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	24	AHL	61	29	42	71	5'7''	186lbs	Not on roster
Marcus Bjork	RD	25	NHL	33	3	8	11	6'3''	203lbs	Not on roster
Jake Christensen	LD/RD	24	NHL	24	0	4	4	6'0''	186lbs	7th defenceman
Dallas Stars
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Nicholas Caamano	W	25	AHL	29	2	9	11	6'5''	205lbs	Not on roster
Fredrik Karlstrom	C	25	AHL	47	10	16	26	6'3''	195lbs	Not on roster
Detroit Red Wings
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jared McIsaac	LD	23	AHL	61	3	19	22	6'1''	192lbs	8th defenceman
Tim Gettinger	W	25	AHL	52	13	22	35	6'6''	222lbs	Not on roster
Edmonton Oilers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Raphael Lavoie	RW/C	22	AHL	61	25	20	45	6'4''	196lbs	Not on roster
Markus Niemelainen	LD	25	NHL	23	0	0	0	6'6''	190lbs	7th defenceman
Philip Kemp	RD	24	AHL	71	6	15	21	6'3''	202lbs	8th defenceman
Cam Dineen	LD	25	AHL	69	6	41	47	5'11''	188lbs	Not on roster
Benjamin Gleason	LD	25	AHL	68	9	24	33	6'1''	185lbs	Not on roster
Florida Panthers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Grigori Denisenko	W	23	AHL	56	12	24	36	5'11''	186lbs	13th forward
Matt Kiersted	LD	25	NHL	20	1	3	4	6'0''	181lbs	Not on roster
Rasmus Asplund	LW/C	25	NHL	46	2	6	8	5'11''	185lbs	Not on roster
John Ludvig	LD	23	AHL	54	3	14	17	6'1''	213lbs	Not on roster
Los Angeles Kings
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jaret Anderson-Dolan	FW	24	NHL	46	7	5	12	5'11''	200lbs	13th forward
Samuel Fagemo	W	23	AHL	56	23	9	32	6'0''	200lbs	Not on roster
Mikhail Maltsev	C/LW	25	AHL	28	11	10	21	6'3''	198lbs	Not on roster
Tobias Bjornfot	LD	22	AHL	50	5	7	12	6'0''	200lbs	Not on roster
Jacob Moverare	LD	25	AHL	62	4	22	26	6'3''	210lbs	7th defenceman
Minnesota Wild
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Montreal Canadiens
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jesse Ylonen	W	23	NHL	37	6	10	16	6'1''	188lbs	13th forward
Lias Andersson	C/LW	24	AHL	67	31	28	59	6'1''	185lbs	Not on roster
Nicolas Beaudin	LD	23	AHL	42	2	24	26	5'11''	168lbs	Not on roster
Nashville Predators
Name	Position	Age
New Jersey Devils
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Nolan Foote	LW	22	AHL	55	20	17	37	6'3''	196lbs	14th forward
Cal Foote	RD	24	NHL	24	1	3	4	6'5''	224lbs	Not on roster
New York Islanders
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Julien Gauthier	RW	25	NHL	57	9	5	14	6'4''	224lbs	Not on roster
Samuel Bolduc	LD	22	AHL	56	10	25	35	6'4''	220lbs	7th defenceman
Otto Koivula	FW	25	AHL	46	12	13	25	6'5''	225lbs	Not on roster
Arnaud Durandeau	LW	24	AHL	68	24	31	55	6'0''	185lbs	Not on roster
Robin Salo	LD	24	AHL	38	0	14	14	6'2''	190lbs	Not on roster
New York Rangers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Ty Emberson	RD	23	AHL	69	7	20	27	6'1''	195lbs	Not on roster
Ottawa Senators
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Mark Kastelic	C	24	NHL	65	7	4	11	6'3''	210lbs	4th line
Jacob Bernard-Docker	RD	23	AHL	41	2	4	6	6'0''	190lbs	8th defenceman
Philadelphia Flyers
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Yegor Zamula	LD/RD	23	AHL	44	1	18	19	6'3''	176lbs	7th defenceman
Pittsburgh Penguins
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Alexander Nylander	W	25	AHL	55	25	25	50	6'1''	192lbs	4th line
Ty Smith	LD/RD	23	AHL	39	7	17	24	5'11''	180lbs	6th defenceman
Joona Koppanen	LW/C	25	AHL	64	12	23	35	6'5''	216lbs	Not on roster
San Jose Sharks
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Jacob Peterson	LW/C	24	AHL	52	14	18	32	6'1''	180lbs	13th forward
Seattle Kraken
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Kole Lind	RW	24	AHL	72	30	32	62	6'1''	178lbs	13th forward
Cale Fleury	RD	24	NHL	12	0	1	1	6'1''	204lbs	8th defenceman
Marian Studenic	W	24	AHL	67	21	27	48	6'1''	181lbs	Not on roster
St. Louis Blues
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Nikita Alexandrov	C	22	NHL	28	3	4	7	6'1''	177lbs	4th line
Tyler Tucker	LD/RD	23	NHL	26	1	3	4	6'1''	204lbs	8th defenceman
Tampa Bay Lightning
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Logan Brown	C/LW	25	NHL	30	2	4	6	6'6''	218lbs	4th line
Toronto Maple Leafs
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Pontus Holberg	C	24	NHL	37	5	8	13	6'0''	202lbs	Not on roster
Simon Benoit	LD	24	NHL	78	3	7	10	6'3''	203lbs	7th defenceman
Maxime Lajoie	LD	25	AHL	63	11	34	45	6'1''	196lbs	Not on roster
Vegas Golden Knights
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Pavel Dorofeyev	W	22	NHL	18	7	2	9	6'1''	194lbs	13th forward
Paul Cotter	LW/C	23	NHL	55	13	5	18	6'2''	212lbs	4th line
Washington Capitals
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
Alexander Akexeyev	LD/RD	23	NHL	32	0	5	5	6'4''	213lbs	7th defenceman
Alex Limoges	C/LW	25	AHL	63	20	34	54	6'1''	201lbs	Not on roster
Matthew Phillips	C	25	AHL	66	36	40	76	5'8''	165lbs	Not on roster
Winnipeg Jets
Name	Position	Age	League	Games	G	A	P	Height	Weight	Status
David Gustafsson	LW/C	23	NHL	46	0	6	6	6'2''	196lbs	13th forward
Axel Fjallby-Jonsson	LW	25	NHL	50	6	8	14	6'1''	189lbs	Not on roster
Declan Chisholm	LD/RD	23	AHL	59	5	38	43	6'1''	185lbs	Not on roster

@Peen, @WetcoastOrca, @vancityluongo, @Lindgren, @supercanuck, @Peter Griffin, @CanucksMJL

If Florida puts John Ludvig on waivers, he'd be an absolute automatic insta-claim for me.

This guy was a monster coming out of the WHL a couple years ago and hit the AHL as an immediate impact player at that level ... and then got hurt, and between injuries and the shortened COVID season only played 16 games in 2 years.

Stayed mostly healthy last year and put up great defensive results, and if you can get him I think he's a guy you could plug into our roster immediately. Built like a tank, good skater, highly physical, high skill level for a big defensive type. To me, this is a player with the sort of potential upside you never see in a potential waiver claim and he's only in this situation due to injuries.

 

[Peter Griffin]

There's a lot of names but Tobias Bjornfot on the Kings is someone that jumps out to me. Two seasons ago stepped in and played quality minutes for a playoff team. Has been buried as everyone got healthy. Not the biggest guy but is solid defensively.

Dylan Coghlan is another interesting one for me.

 

[Vector]

If Florida puts John Ludvig on waivers, he'd be an absolute automatic insta-claim for me.

This guy was a monster coming out of the WHL a couple years ago and hit the AHL as an immediate impact player at that level ... and then got hurt, and between injuries and the shortened COVID season only played 16 games in 2 years.

Stayed mostly healthy last year and put up great defensive results, and if you can get him I think he's a guy you could plug into our roster immediately. Built like a tank, good skater, highly physical, high skill level for a big defensive type. To me, this is a player with the sort of potential upside you never see in a potential waiver claim and he's only in this situation due to injuries.

His name stood out as well. Like literally, John Ludvig is a very cool name. Good to know my "Cool Name Theory" is still effective.

Dylan Coghlan is another interesting one for me.

Definitely Coghlan as well. Regula, Bjork, and Alexeyev are interesting as well.

 

[bossram]

I'd be looking at Declan Chisholm. By Jacob Stoller's (on Twitter) tracking, he's had Chisholm as one of the AHL's top defensemen by Game Score for multiple seasons. Jack Han also describes his playstyle as similar to Devon Toews.

 

[MS]

I'd be looking at Declan Chisholm. By Jacob Stoller's (on Twitter) tracking, he's had Chisholm as one of the AHL's top defensemen by Game Score for multiple seasons. Jack Han also describes his playstyle as similar to Devon Toews.

I've watched a lot of Moose games over the past two seasons and Chisholm definitely has a nice skills/transition offense package but defensively he's ... ehhhhhh. Pretty small/soft and prone to wandering out of position.

The issue there is also that we already have Akito Hirose and Christian Wolanin as essentially the exact same player type on the fringes of making the team. I've liked what I've seen from both of those guys more than Chisholm and I wouldn't be a huge fan of parachuting a lesser player from another organization in ahead of 'our guys' that have earned a shot.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

@Vector Thanks for compiling this list. We need to find a way to get in on Axel Fjallby-Jonsson. Just look at this guy!

 

[Peter Griffin]

@Vector Thanks for compiling this list. We need to find a way to get in on Axel Fjallby-Jonsson. Just look at this guy!

Perfect “flow” replacement for Boeser.

 

[Vector]

@Vector Thanks for compiling this list. We need to find a way to get in on Axel Fjallby-Jonsson. Just look at this guy!

He was on my list last year. Jets claimed him from the Capitals. That hair may find it's way onto another team again.

 

[LemonSauceD]

My interests:

For defenseman: McIsaac, Bolduc, JBD, Coghlan, Regula, Bjornfot, Alexeyev, Crisholm

For forwards: Lavoie, Denisenko, Ylonen, Dorofeyev, Cotter, Sokolev, Lind, Fagemo, and Nolan Foote

 

[bossram]

I've watched a lot of Moose games over the past two seasons and Chisholm definitely has a nice skills/transition offense package but defensively he's ... ehhhhhh. Pretty small/soft and prone to wandering out of position.

The issue there is also that we already have Akito Hirose and Christian Wolanin as essentially the exact same player type on the fringes of making the team. I've liked what I've seen from both of those guys more than Chisholm and I wouldn't be a huge fan of parachuting a lesser player from another organization in ahead of 'our guys' that have earned a shot.

Completely fair, you've definitely seen him a lot more.

I guess the only advantage Chisholm might have is that he is younger, so perhaps there is a little more room to grow vs. the others.

 

[F A N]

His name stood out as well. Like literally, John Ludvig is a very cool name. Good to know my "Cool Name Theory" is still effective.

Is the name John Ludvig as cool as Jan Ludvig?

 

[Vector]

Is the name John Ludvig as cool as Jan Ludvig?

If Jan is pronounced Yawn then it’s as cool but if it’s Yan or Jan it’s less cool.

Yawn Loodvig is a lot of fun to say in an exaggerated accent.

 

[F A N]

If Jan is pronounced Yawn then it’s as cool but if it’s Yan or Jan it’s less cool.

Yawn Loodvig is a lot of fun to say in an exaggerated accent.

I prefer a Jan to a John but John is bigger in this case.

 

[StreetHawk]

If Florida puts John Ludvig on waivers, he'd be an absolute automatic insta-claim for me.

This guy was a monster coming out of the WHL a couple years ago and hit the AHL as an immediate impact player at that level ... and then got hurt, and between injuries and the shortened COVID season only played 16 games in 2 years.

Stayed mostly healthy last year and put up great defensive results, and if you can get him I think he's a guy you could plug into our roster immediately. Built like a tank, good skater, highly physical, high skill level for a big defensive type. To me, this is a player with the sort of potential upside you never see in a potential waiver claim and he's only in this situation due to injuries.

Probably a low chance that FLA waives him. Ekblad is out for a while.
Leaves them with Forsling, Mikkola, Montour and OEL as Dmen with cap hits that you can't completely bury in the A. That's 4 guys. Reilly, Kulikov, Mahura, Carlsson, etc. is the group Ludvig is competing against.

Canucks have 47 contracts at the moment. Truscott, they need to sign from college this season. Don't expect Wallinder to sign. I don't think there is anyone else that is a pressing need to sign out of the NCAA, though there may be NCAA free agents that they target.

Hogs and Rathbone are the main guy that the Canucks could lose on waivers.

 

[canuckslover10]

Probably a low chance that FLA waives him. Ekblad is out for a while.
Leaves them with Forsling, Mikkola, Montour and OEL as Dmen with cap hits that you can't completely bury in the A. That's 4 guys. Reilly, Kulikov, Mahura, Carlsson, etc. is the group Ludvig is competing against.

Canucks have 47 contracts at the moment. Truscott, they need to sign from college this season. Don't expect Wallinder to sign. I don't think there is anyone else that is a pressing need to sign out of the NCAA, though there may be NCAA free agents that they target.

Hogs and Rathbone are the main guy that the Canucks could lose on waivers.

I doubt we send down hoglander especially after making the Pearson trade, and I don't see anyone claiming Rathbone if hes not even good enough for our d core

 

[biturbo19]

Some names of interest to me from the list:

Benoit-Olivier Groulx - Don't see any chance he's actually waived, i think he'll be an important roster piece for the Ducks. Easy claim if he did hit waivers though.

Jesper Boqvist - Probably doesn't hit waivers. He's cheap and versatile, which is what the Bruins are going for. But they do have a lot of bodies competing for those final roster spots. I'd take a claim on him, but we've already sorta filled his potential niche more or less with Pius Suter.

Dylan Coghlan - Wouldn't expect him to hit waivers, but the Canes do have a ton of defencemen right now and it does look like something has to give. Don't love the idea of the spare D being a RH shot as that tends to be a little bit more limiting than a LHD who can play either side...but he'd be a solid no fuss depth guy.

Raphael Lavoie - I feel like the only way Lavoie hits the waiver wire, is if he has a pretty poor camp and gets beat out by a few others including some PTO guy. At which point...i'd hesitate to pull the trigger on claiming him. But i've liked him since before his draft year and it seems like he's finally started to put things together. A big goal-scoring winger with upside is enticing. Though we're also already a bit backlogged trying to firing scoring role spots for other "in house" homegrown guys.

Markus Niemelainen - Seems like a solid chance he hits waivers and i'd definitely put serious consideration into a claim. He's definitely a fringe guy who hasn't fully established himself at the NHL level, but he also hasn't looked terribly out of place and a huge defenceman like that is certainly intriguing.

Jacob Moverare - I think he's a lot more likely to actually hit waivers than Bjornfot. Still question if he's got the skating, but i think he's got enough going for him to potentially be worth a claim.

Jacob Bernard-Docker - Easy claim if he hits waivers, but i'd doubt he even makes it to us if that's the case. Someone much higher up the order would grab him for sure. If we want him, we'd have to make a trade for him. I think more likely, it's Lassi Thomson that hits the waiver wire. Don't think i'd burn a roster spot on someone like that who hasn't proven remotely that they're ready for the NHL game.

Ty Smith - Another insta-claim for me without hesitation if he hits waivers. But i don't see any chance he does. He'll comfortably be one of their Top-7D breaking camp.

Pontus Holmberg - Next to zero chance he hits waivers. He's pretty much penciled in as the Leafs #3C so far as i can tell. But he'd be another super easy claim if he were available.

Alexander Alexeyev - Another one that'd be an easy claim with his upside, but seriously unlikely to touch waivers.

David Gustafsson - Jets do have a crowded group, so there's a chance. I like him a lot as a spare/depth forward. His size and versatility are really desirable.

------------------------------
Other names of interest:

Jakub Zboril - Riding right on the bubble for Boston. I like his LD/RD versatility, and at least a limited bit of upside as a decent, physical depth defenceman who could probably use a change of scenery. More likely he breaks camp as the Bruins 6/7D, but you never know.

Gustav Lindstrom - Probably doesn't hit waivers, but if some of their younger waiver-exempt guys just force their way onto the team, they've got enough bodies that he could hit waivers if he doesn't beat out Savard/Kovacevic/Barron as a RHD.

Hudson Fasching - Not sure he'd really be necessary with all the forwards we already have fighting for spots, but he's a nice depth player if he's available.

Dillon Heatherington - Kind of a renegade guy to list, but i've always been a fan of his game as a big, physical stay-at-home defenceman. Hasn't ever really got a bunch of run out at the NHL level, but i'd think about giving him a shot.

Calle Rosen - Probably makes the Blues defence out of camp, but if not...i think he'd be an upgrade on most of the options we're looking at for a #7.

Haydn Fleury - Another guy with some nice LD/RD versatility that would be a useful #7 who can plug in and play some minutes.


--------------------------------

The biggest thing is really just considering these sort of waiver claim guys, with respect to what our expected "depth players" are internally. Whether these types are a big enough upgrade to eschew our own guys. There's a degree of familiarity and "loyalty" that has to be considered there. As does the idea of adding extra contracts.


I think on defence, i'd be assuming we've got:

Hughes-Cole
Soucy-Hronek
Wolanin-Myers

*That spare spot looks pretty wide open to me. Brisebois maybe has the inside track for his play later last year...but is also probably a guy you can slip through waivers to continue to help the Farm. Hirose might be a contender, but i think i'd rather have him in the AHL getting significant regular minutes. Bring him up if there's a long-term injury. Rathbone...i just don't like him as a "spare" because he's such a redundant niche player that isn't going to give you those low maintenance reliable bottom-pair minutes. I'd actually be exploring options to swap him for one of these sort of "waivers bubble" guys elsewhere rather than trying to depend on the right guy falling to us in the waivers priority. But #7D is definitely a spot i could definitely see upgrading via waivers potentially.


Up front:

Kuzmenko-Pettersson-Beauvillier
Mikheyev-Miller-Boeser
PDG-Bluegers-Garland
Podkolzin-Suter-Hoglander

*Leaves those extra forward spots to probably Joshua for his somewhat unique "physical" game.
*Second spot is pretty up for grabs. Studnicka isn't anything and could be upgraded, but would be fine in that role if that's the way it rolls out. Aman is also clearly in the mix and looks like an NHL depth player, but his waiver exemption could make it worthwhile to stash him in the AHL for an extra layer of depth to call up. Same for McDonough.

But effectively, are they better than Studnicka? Not a high bar to clear, but still ambiguous with a lot of realistic waiver targets. There's also the factor of...they're allegedly spending camp working a lot of systems play and getting guys up to speed with that. If the "upgrade" is marginal...the edge probably goes to the guy who is going to have been there all the way through camp, rather than parachuting in off waivers at the last minute. But there are still guys worth thinking about taking a flyer on if they're available...

Probably a low chance that FLA waives him. Ekblad is out for a while.
Leaves them with Forsling, Mikkola, Montour and OEL as Dmen with cap hits that you can't completely bury in the A. That's 4 guys. Reilly, Kulikov, Mahura, Carlsson, etc. is the group Ludvig is competing against.

Canucks have 47 contracts at the moment. Truscott, they need to sign from college this season. Don't expect Wallinder to sign. I don't think there is anyone else that is a pressing need to sign out of the NCAA, though there may be NCAA free agents that they target.

Hogs and Rathbone are the main guy that the Canucks could lose on waivers.

Putting Hoglander on waivers would be beyond negligent. Terrible way to lose a good young asset.

If he's not going to make the opening night roster, you search around and make a deal to at least get something for him. Plenty of teams at the bottom of the standings who would have room to give him a run and try to get him back to what he looked like as a rookie coming in. Probably don't get significant value and i really just don't see the point in getting rid of, or potentially losing him. But if that's what the coaching staff strongly feel...at least get something.

 

[MarkMM]

Dylan Coghlan - Wouldn't expect him to hit waivers, but the Canes do have a ton of defencemen right now and it does look like something has to give. Don't love the idea of the spare D being a RH shot as that tends to be a little bit more limiting than a LHD who can play either side...but he'd be a solid no fuss depth guy.



*That spare spot looks pretty wide open to me. Brisebois maybe has the inside track for his play later last year...but is also probably a guy you can slip through waivers to continue to help the Farm. Hirose might be a contender, but i think i'd rather have him in the AHL getting significant regular minutes. Bring him up if there's a long-term injury. Rathbone...i just don't like him as a "spare" because he's such a redundant niche player that isn't going to give you those low maintenance reliable bottom-pair minutes. I'd actually be exploring options to swap him for one of these sort of "waivers bubble" guys elsewhere rather than trying to depend on the right guy falling to us in the waivers priority. But #7D is definitely a spot i could definitely see upgrading via waivers potentially.

Just to clarify, are you saying RHD are less able to play both sides, or just Coghlan specifically?

And agreed with Rathbone, as much as it's the new NHL I think with Hughes being locked in it'll be hard to go with a line-up with two under-sized LHD in the line-up, and there's Hirose cooking in the minors so might be best for both sides if we get Rathbone new scenery and bring in a new depth defenseman, my ideal would be a low-maintenance, defensively responsible, left/right capable one with size.

On the forwards I'd go with what we have.

 

[biturbo19]

Just to clarify, are you saying RHD are less able to play both sides, or just Coghlan specifically?

And agreed with Rathbone, as much as it's the new NHL I think with Hughes being locked in it'll be hard to go with a line-up with two under-sized LHD in the line-up, and there's Hirose cooking in the minors so might be best for both sides if we get Rathbone new scenery and bring in a new depth defenseman, my ideal would be a low-maintenance, defensively responsible, left/right capable one with size.

On the forwards I'd go with what we have.

Just a generality with RHD. I hate anything that puts them on their off side.

It's just a situation where RH shooters are so much more rare than LH shooters...that RHD just very rarely end up in situations as they develop, where they're asked to play their off side. Less comfortable there.

There are certain LHD who are utterly incapable of playing their off side too. But there's a greater chance it'll work because they have some past experience to lean on overall. Just speaking in general numbers, trends, and odds.


I just really don't see a spot for Rathbone in this lineup. He needs to be in butter soft minutes and spoonfed PP time to do anything worthwhile. That's just not happening. Especially not when we've got Hughes as the cornerstone to our defence as an offensive LHD who is going to eat up huge amounts of icetime.

What you want from that 3rd pairing is...well first of all, somebody to cover for the big dumb Giraffe man Myers. But even outside of that, you just want calm, steady, reliable minutes chewed up and taken care of. That's not what Rathbone is cut out for, if he's even cut out for NHL minutes at all. He's going to be a risky rover if he's gonna be worth anything as an NHLer.

That's where i'd happily swap him out for someone's boring super low ceiling #7D option. Maybe someone else has the room to let Rathbone try to flourish in a more offensive role. But that ain't here. He's redundant with Hughes, he's not gonna be a fit with Hronek. He's a bad fit as a steady 3rd pairing minute filler.

 

[biturbo19]

@Vector Thanks for compiling this list. We need to find a way to get in on Axel Fjallby-Jonsson. Just look at this guy!

Might be worth it for the hair. But as a player, he's a guy i liked as a prospect, but he has next to no actual apparent puck skills. Just glorious flow blowing in the wind while he skates around real fast. He's basically like...if Tyler Motte made a Faustian bargain to trade his small measure of skill for a cool hair and bit more durability.

Probably doesn't hit waivers though anyway, unless someone surprising makes the Jets out of camp.

 

[MS]

Rathbone is a bust.

I actually hope he gets claimed on waivers to clear out some PP minutes in Abbotsford for Hirose/McWard/Johansson.

 

[biturbo19]

Probably a low chance that FLA waives him. Ekblad is out for a while.
Leaves them with Forsling, Mikkola, Montour and OEL as Dmen with cap hits that you can't completely bury in the A. That's 4 guys. Reilly, Kulikov, Mahura, Carlsson, etc. is the group Ludvig is competing against.

Canucks have 47 contracts at the moment. Truscott, they need to sign from college this season. Don't expect Wallinder to sign. I don't think there is anyone else that is a pressing need to sign out of the NCAA, though there may be NCAA free agents that they target.

Hogs and Rathbone are the main guy that the Canucks could lose on waivers.

idk about that. I think those 4 guys are roster locks, but so are Mahura and Kulikov probably. Good chance Reilly makes the club as well. Not sure they'll want to carry 8D, especially when they will eventually be getting Ekblad back, which would leave them with 9D if everyone else somehow stays healthy.

Not actually sure how Florida will handle that. Haven't really seen much of any of Ludvig recently to know if he's even worth a claim. Have to go on the word of others there. But on the surface at least, he seems like the sort of "in betweener" that teams do try to slip through the cracks amongst a glut of other waiver wire names in camp.

Reilly only cleared last year because he was on a massive ugly contract. At $1M i think someone would very possibly scoop him. Mahura would be an automatic claim for me if he's the one they decided to waive, but probably wouldn't get to us in the priority order. A super mobile guy with lots of playoff experience where he acquitted himself fairly well, who seems to be finally putting it together as an NHLer has easy claim written all over him at a paltry salary like that.


Have to keep in mind with all of these names...Arizona are almost definitely going to be looking to score a LHD off the waiver wire. They're super thin there. Chicago also have plenty of room to tinker with a waiver claim that has some upside. The Sharks D is also a complete joke. So we're waiting in line behind those three hungry teams at the very least, for anyone that hits waivers.

 

[andora]

Some names of interest to me from the list:

Benoit-Olivier Groulx - Don't see any chance he's actually waived, i think he'll be an important roster piece for the Ducks. Easy claim if he did hit waivers though.

Jesper Boqvist - Probably doesn't hit waivers. He's cheap and versatile, which is what the Bruins are going for. But they do have a lot of bodies competing for those final roster spots. I'd take a claim on him, but we've already sorta filled his potential niche more or less with Pius Suter.

Dylan Coghlan - Wouldn't expect him to hit waivers, but the Canes do have a ton of defencemen right now and it does look like something has to give. Don't love the idea of the spare D being a RH shot as that tends to be a little bit more limiting than a LHD who can play either side...but he'd be a solid no fuss depth guy.

Raphael Lavoie - I feel like the only way Lavoie hits the waiver wire, is if he has a pretty poor camp and gets beat out by a few others including some PTO guy. At which point...i'd hesitate to pull the trigger on claiming him. But i've liked him since before his draft year and it seems like he's finally started to put things together. A big goal-scoring winger with upside is enticing. Though we're also already a bit backlogged trying to firing scoring role spots for other "in house" homegrown guys.

Markus Niemelainen - Seems like a solid chance he hits waivers and i'd definitely put serious consideration into a claim. He's definitely a fringe guy who hasn't fully established himself at the NHL level, but he also hasn't looked terribly out of place and a huge defenceman like that is certainly intriguing.

Jacob Moverare - I think he's a lot more likely to actually hit waivers than Bjornfot. Still question if he's got the skating, but i think he's got enough going for him to potentially be worth a claim.

Jacob Bernard-Docker - Easy claim if he hits waivers, but i'd doubt he even makes it to us if that's the case. Someone much higher up the order would grab him for sure. If we want him, we'd have to make a trade for him. I think more likely, it's Lassi Thomson that hits the waiver wire. Don't think i'd burn a roster spot on someone like that who hasn't proven remotely that they're ready for the NHL game.

Ty Smith - Another insta-claim for me without hesitation if he hits waivers. But i don't see any chance he does. He'll comfortably be one of their Top-7D breaking camp.

Pontus Holmberg - Next to zero chance he hits waivers. He's pretty much penciled in as the Leafs #3C so far as i can tell. But he'd be another super easy claim if he were available.

Alexander Alexeyev - Another one that'd be an easy claim with his upside, but seriously unlikely to touch waivers.

David Gustafsson - Jets do have a crowded group, so there's a chance. I like him a lot as a spare/depth forward. His size and versatility are really desirable.

------------------------------
Other names of interest:

Jakub Zboril - Riding right on the bubble for Boston. I like his LD/RD versatility, and at least a limited bit of upside as a decent, physical depth defenceman who could probably use a change of scenery. More likely he breaks camp as the Bruins 6/7D, but you never know.

Gustav Lindstrom - Probably doesn't hit waivers, but if some of their younger waiver-exempt guys just force their way onto the team, they've got enough bodies that he could hit waivers if he doesn't beat out Savard/Kovacevic/Barron as a RHD.

Hudson Fasching - Not sure he'd really be necessary with all the forwards we already have fighting for spots, but he's a nice depth player if he's available.

Dillon Heatherington - Kind of a renegade guy to list, but i've always been a fan of his game as a big, physical stay-at-home defenceman. Hasn't ever really got a bunch of run out at the NHL level, but i'd think about giving him a shot.

Calle Rosen - Probably makes the Blues defence out of camp, but if not...i think he'd be an upgrade on most of the options we're looking at for a #7.

Haydn Fleury - Another guy with some nice LD/RD versatility that would be a useful #7 who can plug in and play some minutes.


--------------------------------

The biggest thing is really just considering these sort of waiver claim guys, with respect to what our expected "depth players" are internally. Whether these types are a big enough upgrade to eschew our own guys. There's a degree of familiarity and "loyalty" that has to be considered there. As does the idea of adding extra contracts.


I think on defence, i'd be assuming we've got:

Hughes-Cole
Soucy-Hronek
Wolanin-Myers

*That spare spot looks pretty wide open to me. Brisebois maybe has the inside track for his play later last year...but is also probably a guy you can slip through waivers to continue to help the Farm. Hirose might be a contender, but i think i'd rather have him in the AHL getting significant regular minutes. Bring him up if there's a long-term injury. Rathbone...i just don't like him as a "spare" because he's such a redundant niche player that isn't going to give you those low maintenance reliable bottom-pair minutes. I'd actually be exploring options to swap him for one of these sort of "waivers bubble" guys elsewhere rather than trying to depend on the right guy falling to us in the waivers priority. But #7D is definitely a spot i could definitely see upgrading via waivers potentially.


Up front:

Kuzmenko-Pettersson-Beauvillier
Mikheyev-Miller-Boeser
PDG-Bluegers-Garland
Podkolzin-Suter-Hoglander

*Leaves those extra forward spots to probably Joshua for his somewhat unique "physical" game.
*Second spot is pretty up for grabs. Studnicka isn't anything and could be upgraded, but would be fine in that role if that's the way it rolls out. Aman is also clearly in the mix and looks like an NHL depth player, but his waiver exemption could make it worthwhile to stash him in the AHL for an extra layer of depth to call up. Same for McDonough.

But effectively, are they better than Studnicka? Not a high bar to clear, but still ambiguous with a lot of realistic waiver targets. There's also the factor of...they're allegedly spending camp working a lot of systems play and getting guys up to speed with that. If the "upgrade" is marginal...the edge probably goes to the guy who is going to have been there all the way through camp, rather than parachuting in off waivers at the last minute. But there are still guys worth thinking about taking a flyer on if they're available...



Putting Hoglander on waivers would be beyond negligent. Terrible way to lose a good young asset.

If he's not going to make the opening night roster, you search around and make a deal to at least get something for him. Plenty of teams at the bottom of the standings who would have room to give him a run and try to get him back to what he looked like as a rookie coming in. Probably don't get significant value and i really just don't see the point in getting rid of, or potentially losing him. But if that's what the coaching staff strongly feel...at least get something.

Holmberg is exempt and more likely as 4C or 4RW if he makes it

Kampf is 3C

 

[biturbo19]

Rathbone is a bust.

I actually hope he gets claimed on waivers to clear out some PP minutes in Abbotsford for Hirose/McWard/Johansson.

Yeah. Frankly, even if/when he clears, i'd still be working the phones trying to swap him for somebody else's waiver-cleared filler. Someone that might have a tiny bit more utility, or get in the way less. I just don't see any more point to having Rathbone in the system really. He's not going anywhere here.


Ideally would just dump him for a pick, like a 7th rounder in 2030 or something. But i think a swap of fringe contracts is more likely to work for another team.