As NHL teams pare down their roster, a number of fringe NHLers were placed on waivers Friday. And these three players could have a new beginning with another franchise.
The NHL kicked off its 2024-25 regular season Friday with a Global Series game between New Jersey and Buffalo, and with other teams’ training camps coming to a close, we’re seeing some intriguing names hitting the waiver wire.
For example, on Friday’s group of players on waivers, we’re seeing players who have established themselves as NHLers, as well as players who could prove to be NHLers with the right opportunity.
Washington defenseman Ethan Bear is one of those established NHLers, with the 27-year-old having 275 games of NHL experience to his credit.
Bear’s current salary cap hit of $2.06-million makes him too expensive for many franchises, but he’s probably better than many teams have in a third-pair defense tandem. As with any player on waivers around this time, we’re not 100 percent convinced he’ll be claimed, but the Capitals’ defense corps has been significantly improved this summer, and there’s no need to simply hand him an NHL job just because he’s had one in the past.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Maple Leafs waived left winger Alex Steeves, who has only seven games of NHL experience. The 24-year-old Steeves was undrafted at the NHL level, but he’s proven to be a highly effective AHLer, with 30 assists and 57 points in 65 games with the Toronto Marlies last season.
Steeves’ $775,000 cap hit makes him one of the most attractive players on waivers, and the Leafs’ stockpile of wingers makes him expendable for Toronto. If Steeves goes unclaimed by another team, we’d be surprised, as he’s a solid depth acquisition who isn’t going to break the bank and who can provide help for a team’s AHL affiliate or in the depth of an NHL lineup.
Elsewhere, the Pittsburgh Penguins waived 23-year-old forward Sam Poulin. Poulin has only six games of NHL experience and a single NHL point in that span. Poulin was selected 21st overall in 2019, and he’s spent most of the last three seasons in the AHL, posting 36 assists and 72 points in 128 games. He’s signed for the next two seasons at $775,000 per year, and there may be a team that sees him as needing a fresh start with a new organization. We see Steeves and Bear as being more likely to be claimed than Poulin, but in this game of musical chairs, Poulin might also wind up putting on a new team’s jersey in short order.
If none of the aforementioned players is claimed, they’ll head to the AHL to begin the season with a chance to earn an NHL role later on. But this process at least lets the players know where they stand on their current team’s depth charts. And if they do get a new chance, they’ll be grateful to teams for putting them on waivers in the first place.