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]

Regula is someone I'd be very interesting in looking at. 6'4'' and supposedly a very good skater. Huge offensive player in the OHL that hasn't fully translated to the AHL but he's not a no-offense slouch. Just turned 23 years old too.

At 6-4 and 208 pounds, Regula is an imposing figure but moves far better than most would expect. He’s not really known for using that frame to blow up opposing skaters but has been getting better at positioning that large torso to separate himself from the puck and a forechecker. His frame also provides a long reach, which is another handy tool in the defensive zone, but Regula seems to favor his skating above all else, which is understandable. He probably won’t be able to maneuver through NHL-quality defenses as easily as he toasted the Chicago Wolves’ defense in the clip above, but he should be able to skate himself out of trouble when necessary.

 

[Peen]

Look idk if any of these guys top out as anything more than #6D but there surely must be two guys on waivers or available for cheap in the next week that provide better utility than Brisebois & more experience than McWard.

those AHL reps handling a forecheck and rush matter.

 

[F A N]

JBD has 2 years left on a 1-way deal which I’m guessing not many teams will want to touch.

jdb is another guy who has had infinite opportunity and done nothing with it. that's a pass for me

I'm kind of interested in JBD. Right shot defensive Dman who is an upgrade over Juulsen at the very least. Give McWard time in Abbotsford.

 

[Vector]

Look idk if any of these guys top out as anything more than #6D but there surely must be two guys on waivers or available for cheap in the next week that provide better utility than Brisebois & more experience than McWard.

those AHL reps handling a forecheck and rush matter.

Most of the guys on the list are going to be about Brisebois level right now and you hope some can grow a bit beyond that. I have no problem playing a 5/6 next to Hughes but McWard isn't even there yet.

Although John Ludvig sounds like he's a step up from Brisebois.

 

[MS]

Most of the guys on the list are going to be about Brisebois level right now and you hope some can grow a bit beyond that. I have no problem playing a 5/6 next to Hughes but McWard isn't even there yet.

Although John Ludvig sounds like he's a step up from Brisebois.

As the guy hyping Ludvig, my only caveat would be that I didn't see him play last year, although his numbers look pretty solid.

I watched him in the WHL and then he played several games against Utica in his first pro season. And the guy was on the fast track to being a top-4 NHL D - big, mean, skilled, smart, mobile. Looked like an automatic NHLer, would have paid a fortune to get him in a trade. And then he missed the better part of 2 seasons through injury. So I don't have a perfect feel for how the injuries have affected his mobility etc. but damn, if he's anywhere near being back up to speed the guy is a player.

But also he's a LHD.

 

[theguardianII]

So sad that the Canucks or their fans have to look to the waiver wire for more than just depth players or AHLer's to fill out that team.

The defence is THAT bad that cast offs are thought of as improvements.

 

[Peen]

The other interesting note with Coghlan is that Carolina had previous interest in Hoglander.

I don’t know what their fwd depth chart is but that’s a thing I’d be curious to watch out for.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

So sad that the Canucks or their fans have to look to the waiver wire for more than just depth players or AHLer's to fill out that team.

The defence is THAT bad that cast offs are thought of as improvements.

Until they actually claim a player, how can you say they are desperate..?...Certainly weren't desperate at training camp when they didnt invite any PTO's.

 

[VanillaCoke]

I'm kind of interested in JBD. Right shot defensive Dman who is an upgrade over Juulsen at the very least. Give McWard time in Abbotsford.

Every year there's upgrades for this poor prospect pool on waivers and every year we don't get them.

If three days ago Alvin traded juulsen and rathbone for JBD and sokolov, everyone would be saying thats a massive W..

These are free assets, we need to roll the dice on a few

 

[biturbo19]

Jacob Bernard Docker and Jan Jenik would at least provide depth at center and on the blueline. And both guys were selected in the 2018 draft--so they're only 23.

But the Canucks are so tight to the cap, I just can't see it happening.

We're not in that big of a cap crunch anymore, that we couldn't pick up a guy like JBD at ~$800k. It'd essentially mean we're sending Brisebois down which very nearly washes on cap hit.

 

[TruGr1t]

They need to do something, I'd expect probably at least one claim at the rate guys are hitting the wire. I'd frankly be surprised if they go into the season with the blueline as constructed and just wait for Bear.

 

[VanJack]

Casting around for information of Jacob Bernard-Docker, I uncovered this commentary on one of the prospect sites:

"Bernard-Docker is a quality blueliner...he owns excellent mobility; projectable NHL size and an excellent shot from the point. He's capable of quarterbacking the power play; and has plenty of offensive acumen and shutdown ability too."

If the Canucks don't claim him, surely somebody will....or have waivers already expired on him?

 

[MS]

Casting around for information of Jacob Bernard-Docker, I uncovered this commentary on one of the prospect sites:

"Bernard-Docker is a quality blueliner...he owns excellent mobility; projectable NHL size and an excellent shot from the point. He's capable of quarterbacking the power play; and has plenty of offensive acumen and shutdown ability too."

If the Canucks don't claim him, surely somebody will....or have waivers already expired on him?

That must be from when he was drafted.

JBD is a small, average-skating pure defensive defender who has 16 points in 130 career pro games.

 

[arttk]

Casting around for information of Jacob Bernard-Docker, I uncovered this commentary on one of the prospect sites:

"Bernard-Docker is a quality blueliner...he owns excellent mobility; projectable NHL size and an excellent shot from the point. He's capable of quarterbacking the power play; and has plenty of offensive acumen and shutdown ability too."

If the Canucks don't claim him, surely somebody will....or have waivers already expired on him?

Scouting reporting tends to be overly generous. it’s like a dating profile, like 30% true

 

[Vector]

Scouting reporting tends to be overly generous. it’s like a dating profile, like 30% true

It’s literally the first thing you get when you Google “Jacob Bernard-Docker Scouting Report”. Lots of deep research.

 

[Vector]

Here’s Scott Wheeler’s, of The Athletic, scouting report from January 2022.

Had him at #4 on the prospect list.

This is where the list really begins to widen (I debated slotting all of the players ranked 4-9 here in about any order you could imagine). So consider the first three names in pen and the next few in pencil before we round out the list in pen at the tail end again. JBD’s game has always been better than his statical profile, which can make a player more difficult to explain to the non-diehard reader who isn’t in tune with his game. His game doesn’t have a ton of dimension to it but it also doesn’t really have any holes in it. His wrister comes off his blade hard and he does a good job crossing over through his footwork to place it through lanes or take space off the blue line. He’s a heads-up outlet passer who can stretch the ice. He plays through layers reasonably well as a passer. His stride is fairly powerful, pushing him through neutral ice to join or occasionally lead rushes. And then defensively, he’s an extremely impressive one-on-one defender, funneling carriers to the outside and playing physically on gaps at the right time. He’s also sound positionally within his own zone, rarely chasing the play or losing his man in coverage. He lacks power-play upside at the pro level but I see solid two-way value as an efficient No. 4-5 defenceman who can defend good players and penalty kill. He’s just an effective hockey player.

And here’s his report from last year.

The clock is now starting to tick on Bernard-Docker becoming the defensively reliable, complementary D partner that the Sens were hoping he’d become when they drafted him in the first round back in 2018. Whether he makes the jump full time or not, this will be his last year on this list because of his age. I still think he gets there, though. JBD’s game has always been better than his statical profile, which can make a player more difficult to explain.

His game doesn’t have a ton of dimension to it but it also doesn’t really have any holes in it. His wrister comes off his blade hard and he does a good job crossing over through his footwork to place it through lanes or take space off the blue line. He’s a heads-up outlet passer who can occasionally stretch the ice. He plays through layers fine as a passer. His stride is fairly powerful, pushing him through neutral ice to join or occasionally lead rushes.

And then defensively, he’s an impressive one-on-one defender, funneling carriers to the outside and playing physically on gaps at the right time. He’s also sound positionally within his own zone, rarely chasing the play or losing his man in coverage. He lacks soft skill for the NHL level but I still like him as a solid and effective no-fuss two-way third-pairing defenceman.

 

[arttk]

Here’s Scott Wheeler’s, of The Athletic, scouting report from January 2022.

Had him at #4 on the prospect list.

This is where the list really begins to widen (I debated slotting all of the players ranked 4-9 here in about any order you could imagine). So consider the first three names in pen and the next few in pencil before we round out the list in pen at the tail end again. JBD’s game has always been better than his statical profile, which can make a player more difficult to explain to the non-diehard reader who isn’t in tune with his game. His game doesn’t have a ton of dimension to it but it also doesn’t really have any holes in it. His wrister comes off his blade hard and he does a good job crossing over through his footwork to place it through lanes or take space off the blue line. He’s a heads-up outlet passer who can stretch the ice. He plays through layers reasonably well as a passer. His stride is fairly powerful, pushing him through neutral ice to join or occasionally lead rushes. And then defensively, he’s an extremely impressive one-on-one defender, funneling carriers to the outside and playing physically on gaps at the right time. He’s also sound positionally within his own zone, rarely chasing the play or losing his man in coverage. He lacks power-play upside at the pro level but I see solid two-way value as an efficient No. 4-5 defenceman who can defend good players and penalty kill. He’s just an effective hockey player.

And here’s his report from last year.

The clock is now starting to tick on Bernard-Docker becoming the defensively reliable, complementary D partner that the Sens were hoping he’d become when they drafted him in the first round back in 2018. Whether he makes the jump full time or not, this will be his last year on this list because of his age. I still think he gets there, though. JBD’s game has always been better than his statical profile, which can make a player more difficult to explain.

His game doesn’t have a ton of dimension to it but it also doesn’t really have any holes in it. His wrister comes off his blade hard and he does a good job crossing over through his footwork to place it through lanes or take space off the blue line. He’s a heads-up outlet passer who can occasionally stretch the ice. He plays through layers fine as a passer. His stride is fairly powerful, pushing him through neutral ice to join or occasionally lead rushes.

And then defensively, he’s an impressive one-on-one defender, funneling carriers to the outside and playing physically on gaps at the right time. He’s also sound positionally within his own zone, rarely chasing the play or losing his man in coverage. He lacks soft skill for the NHL level but I still like him as a solid and effective no-fuss two-way third-pairing defenceman.

Uhhh did he just copy and paste from his previous report

 

[Vector]

Uhhh did he just copy and paste from his previous report

Wheeler and Pronman do that a lot. The Athletic is worth exactly the $1 a month I pay them.

 

[arttk]

Wheeler and Pronman do that a lot. The Athletic is worth exactly the $1 a month I pay them.

Yeah I’ll probably cancel after this deal is done

 

[Vector]

Yeah I’ll probably cancel after this deal is done

I find it just useful enough for my prospect stuff and the Canucks are the only team with two dedicated beat writers. For a buck, I’m willing to keep going.

 

[VanJack]

I guess the fact that the Canucks don't appear to have claimed anyone off waivers, is a sign of 'progress'.

When you study the teams putting in claims, they're most the NHL bottom feeders who are entering the season with huge holes in their lineup.

In seasons past, it always seemed that Jim Benning was scooping up somebody from the NHL bargain-bin. But then I suppose it was a sign the Canucks weren't very good.

 

[RobertKron]

I guess the fact that the Canucks don't appear to have claimed anyone off waivers, is a sign of 'progress'.

When you study the teams putting in claims, they're most the NHL bottom feeders who are entering the season with huge holes in their lineup.

In seasons past, it always seemed that Jim Benning was scooping up somebody from the NHL bargain-bin. But then I suppose it was a sign the Canucks weren't very good.

I could be mistaken, but I don't believe the Canucks acquired a single player from waivers during the months of September or October for Benning's entire time as GM.

 

[Vector]

I could be mistaken, but I don't believe the Canucks acquired a single player from waivers during the months of September or October for Benning's entire time as GM.

This is correct.

 

[RobertKron]

This is correct.

They lost some guys, too, so I guess Benning was absolutely killing it.

 

[Vector]

They lost some guys, too, so I guess Benning was absolutely killing it.

Closest he came to claiming someone was acquiring Pouliot.