Nearly 30 players hit the waiver wire as 9 teams make roster cuts
Photo credit: Conrad Jack - Inside The Rink
Another clear sign that the NHL regular season is right around the corner is when teams place players on waivers, as nearly 30 were waived today.
NHL waivers are a system where teams move players to and from the NHL with the American Hockey League, or simply to release them from their contracts. Once a player is on waivers, a window for any of the other 31 NHL teams to claim that player opens for 24 hours. If a player is claimed, they become part of the new club's roster with their old contract terms intact. A player that isn't claimed becomes available to be assigned to the AHL or, in some cases, loaned to another league without the threat of losing the player to another team.
The whole waiver process acts as somewhat of a protection for players, mainly veterans, against the maltreatment of being sent down into the minor leagues with no opportunity to get back into the NHL. Most players will be forced to go on waivers once they've reached a certain point in their professional career, usually after a specific number of games or years of service. Entry-level contracts can be associated with younger players who do not require waivers; they give more flexibility to the teams while developing their talent, and there is no risk of losing them to another team.
Waivers may also be used in the management of the salary cap and rosters of the teams. Often, teams use waivers in order to get their roster right after making trades, injuries occur, or the management of cap space. This could include things like sending a high-salary player down to the minors to minimize a blow against the cap. It is a balancing act for teams, with the risk of losing a good player to waivers for nothing at times.
The waiver deadline is also set right before the start of the regular season, where teams will place players that unfortunately didn't make the cut during training camp, or for teams looking to simply free up some salary cap space as puck drop draws nearer and nearer. Today, 9 teams placed nearly 30 players total on waivers.
It will be worth keeping an eye out to see which of these players get picked up by other NHL teams and which ones get sent down to the minors once they clear waivers. One thing is for sure, this, along with a new calendar month in October, means the NHL regular season is only a few sleeps away, and fans cannot wait!
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