The National Hockey League waiver wire had a lot of activity on Tuesday, March 5th. Multiple players claimed off of waivers from the Monday, March 4th waiver wire activity. Matthew Phillips was placed on waivers by Pittsburgh, Aaron Dell was signed and placed on waivers by Los Angeles, and Joel Hanley was placed on waivers by Dallas. A busy Monday waiver wire led to a busier Tuesday waiver activity.
The Tuesday, March 5th waiver wire saw two players be claimed, one player clear, and five players placed on waivers. With the trade deadline on Friday, March 8th, the waiver wire heating up is no surprise.
Calgary Flames Claim Joel Hanley from Dallas
The Calgary Flames announced on Tuesday, March 5th, that they’ve claimed defenseman Joel Hanley off waivers from the Dallas Stars. Hanley, 32, is in the first year of a two-year contract worth $787,500 annually. The versatile defenseman is in his eighth NHL season and his fifth with Dallas. He has previously played for the Montreal Canadians and the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL and the St. Johns IceCaps, Tucson Roadrunners, and the Texas Stars of the AHL.
In 182 career NHL games, Hanley has two goals and 25 assists for 27 total points. He is a career plus-minus of minus two and has accumulated 56 penalty minutes. He scored a career-high in goals (two) in the 2021-22 season, and he also played a career-high in games (44) for Dallas that season. Hanley’s career-high in assists and points (eight) came in the 2020-21 season with Dallas. Hanley will report directly to the Calgary Flames.
Washington Capitals Reclaim Matthew Phillips from Pittsburgh
18 days ago, Matthew Phillips was claimed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played three games and recorded goose eggs across the stat sheet for Pittsburgh. Far more successful with Washington, the 25-year-old forward returns to the Washington Capitals to continue setting his career-high in goals (one), assists (four) and points (five).
Phillips was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round (166th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He played only three games for the Calgary Flames, split across two seasons. Phillips has found far more success in the AHL with the Stockton Heat and the Calgary Wranglers. Phillips will report back to the Washington Capitals.
Aaron Dell Clears Waivers, Assigned to AHL Ontario Reign
After signing a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Los Angeles Kings for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, Aaron Dell needed to clear waivers to be reassigned to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. The 34-year-old is no stranger when it comes to waivers either.
Dell has split six seven seasons between three NHL teams, including two stints in San Jose. He’s played for the San Jose Sharks as mentioned, the New Jersey Devils, and the Buffalo Sabres. Signing Dell to the NHL contract allows the Kings to call him up in case of an injury scenario. Dell has 130 games of NHL experience and will report back to the Ontario Reign of the AHL, where he’s played five games and posted a 2.63 goals against average and a 0.906 save percentage.
Edmonton Oilers Place Sam Gagner on Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers have placed veteran forward Sam Gagner for assignment to the AHL Bakersfield Condors. This is Gagner’s third stint with the Edmonton Oilers, and there is reason to believe that a team will claim him for free and cost-effective veteran depth. Gagner began his NHL journey after being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers seventh overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He’s most famous for his eight-point game in 2012 with the Oilers during the dark days. Gagner recorded just 18 goals (tied for a career-high) and 27 assists during the season. He recorded an eight-point game. Gagner’s career high in points (50) came in the 2016-17 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his career high in assists (36) came in his rookie season back in 2007-08.
Related: Sam Gagner on Waivers
In his 1042 career NHL games, split between the Edmonton Oilers, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and Winnipeg Jets, Gagner has scored 197 goals and 332 assists for 529 points. He’s a career plus-minus of minus 137 and has amassed 450 penalty minutes. There’s reason to believe that teams will look to claim the veteran forward.
Vancouver Canucks Place Guillaume Brisebois on Waivers
The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on waivers for assignment to AHL Abbotsford Canucks. Brisebois, 26, was drafted by the Canucks 66th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Brisebois has played 27 career NHL games for the Vancouver Canucks and split four seasons between the NHL and the AHL.
Brisebois has yet to play a game with the Canucks this season. It is expected that he will clear waivers and report to the Abbotsford Canucks.
Minnesota Wild Place Vinni Lettieri and Jacob Lucchini on Waivers
The Minnesota Wild placed forwards Vinni Lettieri and Jacob Lucchini on waivers for purpose of assigning them to the AHL Iowa Wild. Both players have split time between the NHL and AHL this season. Injuries allowed for both players to receive games at the NHL level, which has helped them develop their game.
Letteri has played 32 games for Minnesota this season where he’s scored three goals and four assists for seven points total. The limited time with the Iowa Wild before his call-up saw him post four goals and assists for eight points. Lucchini has found more playing time in the AHL, he’s scored 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 total points in 30 games. The NHL level hasn’t been as kind to him point-wise, he’s scored one goal and assist for two points in 21 total games. Both players are expected to clear waivers and report directly to the Iowa Wild.
Carolina Hurricanes Place Max Comtois on Waivers
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Max Comtois to an NHL contract and placed him on waivers for purpose of reassignment to the AHL. Comtois has played in 210 career NHL games, all of them came with Anaheim. Comtois was drafted 50th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He scored 19 points in 64 games with the Ducks last season and the restricted free-agent was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team.
Comtois then found his way to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and has been playing with them since. Before the trade deadline, the Hurricanes made sure to sign him as an extra forward in case he’s needed during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Comtois brings a physical presence to the team he plays for, and while he won’t get an opportunity at the NHL level right away, don’t rule it out completely. Comtois is expected to clear waivers and return to the AHL Chicago Wolves.
