Danton Heinen, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins<\/strong><\/p>\nHeinen is a responsible, plug-and-play bottom-six winger with some defensive value and secondary scoring potential. The 30-year-old left winger has twice produced in the 17-18 goal range over the last four seasons. He\u2019s averaged 35 points per 82 games over his eight-year NHL career.<\/p>\n
Last year, Heinen couldn\u2019t quite find his finishing touch, and was dealt from Vancouver to Pittsburgh as a cap dump. There\u2019s zero doubt that Heinen is an NHL-caliber player \u2014 he\u2019s played 566 career games and hasn\u2019t spent time in the AHL since the 2017-18 season \u2014 but his $2.25 million cap hit could deter teams from claiming him. It also doesn\u2019t help that he has zero physicality or aggression to his game despite being 6-foot-2, which teams often don\u2019t like stylistically in their bottom six.<\/p>\n
Heinen would have been a no-brainer claim for some team if he were making around league minimum, but making nearly triple that amount now, we\u2019ll see if a team makes a claim. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Vitali Kravtsov, LW, Vancouver Canucks<\/strong><\/p>\nA top-10 pick in 2018, Kravtsov is attempting an NHL comeback after finishing sixth in KHL scoring last season. The Canucks have a glut of depth forwards, and Kravtsov ended up on the outside looking in on a roster spot.<\/p>\n
Kravtsov has intriguing size and skill, though he lacks a standout offensive trait. His straight-line speed appears to be quicker than it was during his last NHL stint, though his edge work in tight areas is still a work in progress. There could be a learning curve for him defensively, too. Kravtsov could appeal to a team with less depth that wants to gamble on his tools, pedigree and last year\u2019s KHL breakout. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Rory Kerins, C, Calgary Flames<\/strong><\/p>\nKerins, a sixth-round pick from 2020, exploded for 33 goals and 61 points in 63 games as a 22-year-old in the AHL last season. He has a long track record of impressive production, dating back to his junior days when he piled up 118 points in 67 games during his draft-plus-two season in the OHL. Kerins even chipped in with four points in five NHL games during a midseason recall in January. He followed it up with a solid, productive start to this preseason, but it didn\u2019t land him a roster spot because the Flames are crowded with depth forwards, and his undersized 5-foot-11 frame may not be ideal for a bottom-of-the-lineup role.<\/p>\n
Young centers with scoring upside aren\u2019t easy to come by, so Kerins could be worth a claim for a team that needs extra help down the middle. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers:<\/strong> Daemon Hunt (Blue Jackets), Ivan Prosvetov (Flames), Ilya Solovyov (Flames), Cam Dineen (Oilers), Riley Stillman (Oilers), Sebastian Aho (Penguins), Philip Kemp (Penguins), Joona Koppanen (Penguins), Filip Larsson (Penguins), Valtteri Puustinen (Penguins), Ben Meyers (Kraken), Mitchell Stephens (Kraken), Ben McCartney (Mammoth), Scott Perunovich (Mammoth), Dylan Coghlan (Golden Knights), Tanner Laczynski (Golden Knights), Raphael Lavoie (Golden Knights), Jaycob Megna (Golden Knights), Cole Schwindt (Golden Knights)<\/p>\nWednesday, Oct. 1<\/p>\n
Update: Pheonix Copley was claimed by the Tampa Bay Lightning. All other players cleared waivers.<\/p>\n
Jakob Pelletier, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning<\/strong><\/p>\nPelletier, a Flames first-round pick in 2019, seemed destined to one day become a top-six NHLer when he dominated the AHL with 62 points in 66 games as a 20-year-old in his first pro season. It\u2019s pretty uncommon, after all, for a 20-year-old to produce at an elite level right out of the gate.<\/p>\n
However, Pelletier\u2019s development has plateaued since then. He\u2019s bounced back and forth between being a top AHL scorer and a fringe NHLer over the last few seasons.<\/p>\n
Pelletier\u2019s undersized 5-foot-9 frame and average foot speed are the biggest knocks on his game, though his two-way intelligence, work rate and playmaking are all NHL-caliber traits. The 24-year-old left winger scored a respectable 19 points in 49 games, a 31-point pace, split between the Flames and Flyers last year (he was dealt to Philadelphia as part of the Morgan Frost\/Joel Farabee trade). Pelletier may ultimately top out as a tweener because of his physical disadvantages, but it may be worth taking a flier on him since he\u2019s still young enough and has intriguing enough hockey sense and skill to perhaps put it all together. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers:<\/strong> Billy Sweezey (Bruins), Wyatt Aamodt (Avalanche), Danil Gushchin (Avalanche), Sheldon Dries (Red Wings), William Lagesson (Red Wings), John Leonard (Red Wings), Ian Mitchell (Red Wings), Dominik Shine (Red Wings), Austin Watson (Red Wings), Mackenzie Entwistle (Panthers), Nolan Foote (Panthers), Wilmer Skoog (Panthers), Samuel Bolduc (Kings), Logan Brown (Kings), Martin Chromiak (Kings), Pheonix Copley (Kings), Glenn Gawdin (Kings), Cole Guttman (Kings), Joe Hicketts (Kings), Andre Lee (Kings), Akil Thomas (Kings), Taylor Ward (Kings), Andreas Englund (Predators), Casey Fitzgerald (Rangers), Lane Pederson (Flyers), Patrick Giles (Sharks), Nicholas Abruzzese (Lightning), Boris Katchouk (Lightning), Jaxson Stauber (Mammoth), Louie Belpedio (Capitals), Graeme Clarke (Capitals), Henrik Rybinski (Capitals), Bogdan Trineyev (Capitals), Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Jets), Kale Clague (Jets), Samuel Fagemo (Jets)<\/p>\nTuesday, Sept. 30<\/p>\n
Update: Tyson Jost was claimed by the Nashville Predators. All other players cleared waivers.<\/p>\n
Tyson Jost, C, Carolina Hurricanes<\/strong><\/p>\nJost is a versatile, hardworking, defense-first fourth-liner. He\u2019s reliable in his own end, can kill penalties and is capable of playing both wing and center. The 27-year-old already has 495 games of NHL experience under his belt. Jost is weak in the faceoff dot, though, and is quite limited offensively. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers:<\/strong> Gavin Bayreuther (Hurricanes), Noel Gunler (Hurricanes), Josiah Slavin (Hurricanes), Ryan Suzuki (Hurricanes), Clark Bishop (Flames), Dryden Hunt (Flames), Yan Kuznetsov (Flames), Sam Morton (Flames), Matt Tomkins (Oilers), Matthew Highmore (Islanders), Marcus Hogberg (Islanders), Brendan Brisson (Rangers), Connor Mackey (Rangers), Anthony Richard (Flyers), Shane Bowers (Sharks), Jimmy Huntington (Sharks), Samuel Laberge (Sharks), Oskar Olausson (Sharks), Jakub Skarek (Sharks), Tyrel Bauer (Jets), Isaak Phillips (Jets)<\/p>\nMonday, Sept. 29<\/p>\n
Update: All players cleared waivers.<\/p>\n
Nicolas Aub\u00e9-Kubel, RW, Minnesota Wild<\/strong><\/p>\nAub\u00e9-Kubel is a serviceable fourth-line winger. The 29-year-old is a pesky forechecker, has a strong underlying defensive profile and has accumulated over 300 NHL games across six different organizations. Aub\u00e9-Kubel\u00a0is limited offensively, but he\u2019s a reliable, experienced depth forward. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Helge Grans, RHD, Philadelphia Flyers<\/strong><\/p>\nGrans was the 35th pick in the 2020 draft, and while he got a few games last season with the Flyers, he\u2019s struggled to become a regular in the league. He\u2019s a tall right-shot defenseman who can make an OK first pass and has a good point shot. His below-average skating, though, combined with a lack of hardness, leaves him without a clear NHL role and led to some struggles this fall at Flyers camp. Someone may take yet another gamble on him, though, due to his tools. \u2014 Pronman<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers:<\/strong> Skyler Brind\u2019Amour (Hurricanes), Ronan Seeley (Hurricanes), Ben Gleason (Wild), Ben Jones (Wild), Matt Kiersted (Wild), Kevin Gravel (Predators), Jake Lucchini (Predators), Matt Murray (Predators), Navrin Mutter (Predators), Jordan Oesterle (Predators), Anton Blidh (Rangers), Justin Dowling (Rangers), Trey Fix-Wolansky (Rangers), Derrick Pouliot (Rangers), Joe LaBate (Canucks), MacKenzie MacEachern (Canucks), Jiri Patera (Canucks), Jimmy Schuldt (Canucks), Phillip Di Giuseppe (Jets), Mason Shaw (Jets)<\/p>\nSunday, Sept. 28<\/p>\n
Update: All players cleared waivers.<\/p>\n
Mikael Pyyhti\u00e4, LW, Columbus Blue Jackets<\/strong><\/p>\nPyyhti\u00e4 played 47 NHL games last season and could be an intriguing pickup for a team seeking bottom-six depth. He\u2019s not the most dynamic forward and has average size, but he\u2019s a good skater who works hard at both ends and has some skill. \u2014 Pronman<\/p>\n
Zac Jones, LHD, Buffalo Sabres<\/strong><\/p>\nJones is an intriguing 24-year-old left-shot defenseman with over 100 career NHL games under his belt. He\u2019s a very smooth skater, a slick puck mover, and though he hasn\u2019t established himself as a difference-maker, he\u2019s at least proven capable of holding his own in sheltered third-pair minutes.<\/p>\n
Jones\u2019 5-foot-11 frame could be a non-starter in the eyes of many teams who prefer depth defenders with size and penalty-killing acumen. However, he could be a fit for a team that wants more mobility further down the lineup.<\/p>\n
Jones spent most of his career to this point with the Rangers, and given how poorly they\u2019ve developed young players, he could have modest upside with a fresh start elsewhere. It also isn\u2019t a knock on Jones that he couldn\u2019t crack the Sabres\u2019 roster because they\u2019re stacked with Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson as left-shot defensemen. \u2014 Dayal<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers:<\/strong> Jan Mysak (Ducks), Jake Leschyshyn (Sabres), Hudson Fasching (Blue Jackets), Brendan Gaunce (Blue Jackets), Dominic Toninato (Blackhawks), Ronnie Attard (Avalanche), Kyle Capobianco (Stars), Kole Lind (Stars), Antonio Stranges (Stars), Alex Belzile (Canadiens), Nathan Clurman (Canadiens), Lucas Condotta (Canadiens), Marc Del Gaizo (Canadiens), Sean Farrell (Canadiens), Ryan Schmelzer (Devils), Matt Luff (Blues), Corey Schueneman (Blues), Ryan Fanti (Lightning), Simon Lundmark (Lightning), Scott Sabourin (Lightning), Steven Santini (Lightning)<\/p>\nSaturday, Sept. 27<\/p>\n
Update: All players cleared waivers.<\/p>\n
J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Poirier, LHD, Calgary Flames<\/p>\n
Poirier has been a highly productive AHL defenseman and is coming off a 42-point season. He has the mobility and skill of an NHL player. His defensive play has always been a significant issue, and that\u2019s continued to be the case. Still, we could see him claimed if a team is craving a power-play quarterback type just to see how it would go in the NHL, as he\u2019s yet to play a game in the league. \u2014 Pronman<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers: <\/strong>Jack Rathbone (Sabres), Dysin Mayo (Blue Jackets), Hunter McKown (Blue Jackets), Zachary Sawchenko (Blue Jackets), Owen Sillinger (Blue Jackets), Alex Barr\u00e9-Boulet (Avalanche), Tye Felhaber (Avalanche), Jason Polin (Avalanche), TJ Tynan (Avalanche), Josh Brown (Oilers), James Hamblin (Oilers), Roby Jarventie (Oilers), Adam Beckman (Islanders), Nikita Alexandrov (Blues), Hugh McGing (Blues), Travis Boyd (Maple Leafs), Bo Groulx (Maple Leafs), Vinni Lettieri (Maple Leafs), Lukas Cormier (Golden Knights)<\/p>\nFriday, Sept. 26<\/p>\n
Update: All players cleared waivers.<\/p>\n
Ivan Fedotov, G, Columbus Blue Jackets<\/strong><\/p>\nColumbus recently acquired Fedotov from the Flyers for a late-round draft pick. Fedotov has struggled mightily in the NHL after a great KHL career. He\u2019s a massive goaltender, but his quickness has been an issue at the NHL level. He could be a serviceable depth option in net for a team, but even that\u2019s not a guarantee. \u2014 Pronman<\/p>\n
Other players on waivers:<\/strong> Liam Foudy (Islanders), Julien Gauthier (Islanders), Cole McWard (Islanders), Gavin Mitchell (Islanders), Kevin Connauton (Mammoth), Calle Rosen (Capitals), Spencer Smallman (Capitals)<\/p>\n(Photo of Michael DiPietro: Bob DeChiara \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As\u00a0NHL\u00a0teams trim their rosters before the regular season,\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s Corey Pronman and Harman Dayal will provide analysis of…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":280500,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[3115,3103,1720,3113,3107,291,2995,3110,1320,2993,2997,1323,2081,3112,3104,3111,2994,1301,1302,293,3105,3108,1334,1328,2999,62,2996,3106,1304,67,132,68,2082,3114,3116,3109,292],"class_list":{"0":"post-280499","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-anaheim-ducks","9":"tag-boston-bruins","10":"tag-buffalo-sabres","11":"tag-calgary-flames","12":"tag-carolina-hurricanes","13":"tag-chicago-blackhawks","14":"tag-colorado-avalanche","15":"tag-columbus-blue-jackets","16":"tag-dallas-stars","17":"tag-detroit-red-wings","18":"tag-edmonton-oilers","19":"tag-florida-panthers","20":"tag-los-angeles-kings","21":"tag-minnesota-wild","22":"tag-montreal-canadiens","23":"tag-nashville-predators","24":"tag-new-jersey-devils","25":"tag-new-york-islanders","26":"tag-new-york-rangers","27":"tag-nhl","28":"tag-ottawa-senators","29":"tag-philadelphia-flyers","30":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","31":"tag-san-jose-sharks","32":"tag-seattle-kraken","33":"tag-sports","34":"tag-st-louis-blues","35":"tag-tampa-bay-lightning","36":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","37":"tag-united-states","38":"tag-unitedstates","39":"tag-us","40":"tag-utah-mammoth","41":"tag-vancouver-canucks","42":"tag-vegas-golden-knights","43":"tag-washington-capitals","44":"tag-winnipeg-jets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}