In a surprising turn of events on Sunday, the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders made headlines by placing a number of players on waivers. Among those placed on waivers were talented forwards Jakob Pelletier and Pierre Engvall.
Pelletier, a 23-year-old forward drafted 26th overall by the Flames in 2019, showed promise with a goal and three points in 13 games last season. However, the 5-foot-9 winger struggled in the preseason, failing to record a point in four exhibition games.
Engvall, 28, had a more productive season with the Islanders, tallying 10 goals and 28 points in 74 games. He is currently in the second season of a lucrative seven-year, $21 million deal he signed with the Islanders in July of 2023.
Joining Pelletier and Engvall on the waiver wire were several other notable players from various teams. The Detroit Red Wings placed defenseman Justin Holl, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray, and defenseman Marshall Rifai on waivers. Boston Bruins also placed goaltenders Brandon Bussi and Jiri Patera on waivers, alongside Buffalo Sabres netminder James Reimer, Ottawa Senators forwards Jan Jenik and Adam Gaudette, Vegas Golden Knights forward Zach Aston-Reese, and newly acquired Vancouver Canucks defenseman Erik Brannstrom.
The flurry of waiver activity was not limited to these players, as a full list of waived players was released by multiple teams. The Boston Bruins waived Patrick Brown, Brando Bussi, Jiri Patera, Billy Sweezey, and Jeffrey Viel. Buffalo Sabres waived Kale Clague, James Reimer, and Lukas Rousek. The Calgary Flames waived Devin Cooley, Jakob Pelletier, and Cole Schwindt. The Carolina Hurricanes waived Josiah Slavin, Ty Smith, and Ryan Suzuki. The Detroit Red Wings waived Justin Holl, Sheldon Dries, William Lagesson, Brogan Refferty, and Joe Snively.
The Edmonton Oilers waived Josh Brown, Drake Caggiula, Raphael Lavoie, and Olivier Rodrigue. The Los Angeles Kings waived Pheonix Copley, Jack Studnicka, and Samuel Fagemo. The Nashville Predators waived Marc Del Gaizo. The New Jersey Devils waived Shane Bowers, Nick DeSimone, Nolan Foote, and Colton White. The New York Islanders waived Pierre Engvall, Hudson Fasching, Liam Foudy, Fredrik Karlstrom, Samuel Bolduc, Grant Hutton, Magnus Hogberg, and Jakub Skarek. The New York Rangers waived Matthew Robertson. The Ottawa Senators waived Jan Jenik and Adam Gaudette. The Pittsburgh Penguins waived Sebastian Aho and Bokondji Imama. The St. Louis Blues waived Corey Schueneman and Tyler Tucker. The Tampa Bay Lightning waived Gage Goncalves, Steven Santini, and Jesse Ylonen. The Toronto Maple Leafs waived Matt Murray and Marshall Rifai. The Utah Hockey Club waived Matt Villalta. The Vancouver Canucks waived Erik Brannstrom. The Vegas Golden Knights waived Zach Aston-Reese, Tanner Laczynski, and Jonas Rondbjerg. The Washington Capitals waived Hunter Shepard. The Winnipeg Jets waived Jaret Anderson-Dolan.
The waiver wire was bustling with activity as teams made tough decisions on their rosters. The upcoming days will be crucial for these players as they wait to see if they will be claimed by another team or sent down to the minors. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story in the world of hockey.
