As NHL teams trim their rosters before the regular season, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman and Harman Dayal will provide analysis of the top players placed on waivers every day. Once a player is waived, the rest of the league has 24 hours to put in a claim for him. If a player goes unclaimed, they can be assigned by their team to the minor leagues.
Monday, Sept. 30
Nikita Alexandrov, C, St. Louis Blues
Alexandrov has intrigued scouts at points due to his high skill level combined with a solid work ethic and ability to help at both ends of the ice. He makes and finishes plays well, and is quite effective inside the offensive zone. He’s average-sized with below-average skating, though, and while he’s played 51 games with the Blues, there are questions on how well his game translates to the NHL with his pace.—Pronman
Travis Boyd, C, Minnesota Wild
Boyd is a veteran right-shot center with nearly 300 games of NHL experience. During the Coyotes’ lean rebuilding years, Boyd was a decent middle-six stopgap, scoring in the 35-point range in back-to-back years. He was relegated to a fourth-line role last year, contributing eight points in 16 games before an injury ended his season. Boyd struggles in the faceoff circle and his two-way metrics aren’t great, but he’s demonstrated a long track record of contributing reliable secondary offence in a bottom-six NHL role.—Dayal
Other players on waivers: Jacob MacDonald (Avalanche), Cam Dineen (Oilers), Sam Carrick (Oilers), Jeff Malott (Kings), Devin Shore (Wild), Brendan Gaunce (Wild), Jimmy Schuldt (Sharks), Justin Bailey (Sharks), Kevin Connauton (Utah), Travis Barron (Utah)
Sunday, Sept. 29
Vinnie Hinostroza, RW, Nashville Predators
Hinostroza is a plug-and-play option for depth offense. The speedy, undersized winger has scored five-on-five points at a bona fide middle-six clip over nearly 400 career NHL games. He’s a bit of a tweener, though; he isn’t dynamic enough to contribute on the power play and his lack of size and strength mean he’s not an ideal stylistic fit for many teams’ bottom six.—Dayal
Other players on waivers: Marc McLaughlin (Bruins), Justin Kirkland (Flames), Martin Frk (Flames), Zach Sanford (Blackhawks), Brett Seney (Blackhawks), Reilly Walsh (Kings), Tyler Madden (Kings), Joe Hicketts (Kings), Glenn Gawdin (Kings), Joseph Cecconi (Wild), Cameron Crotty (Wild), Adam Raska (Wild), Lucas Condotta (Canadiens), Brandon Gignac (Canadiens), Matt Murray (Predators), Kieffer Bellows (Predators), Hunter Skinner (Blues), Hugh McGing (Blues), MacKenzie MacEachern (Blues), Mathias Laferriere (Blues), Derrick Pouliot (Lightning), Tobie Paquette-Bisson (Lightning)
Update: All players cleared waivers.
Saturday, Sept. 28
Grigori Denisenko, LW, Vegas Golden Knights
Drafted No. 15 by Florida in 2018, Denisenko’s initial transition to North American pro hockey was bumpy. The skilled but slightly undersized winger produced at a solid but unspectacular clip in the AHL through three seasons between 2020-21 and 2022-23 and struggled during his brief opportunities with the Panthers in the NHL. Vegas claimed him off waivers last fall.
Denisenko, 24, took a significant step in the AHL last year, producing 56 points in 65 games, although he still couldn’t stick in the NHL, as he went pointless in six games for the Golden Knights. Denisenko is a crafty, slick offensive creator and the step forward he took last season could be a sign that he still has some untapped upside.—Dayal
Other players on waivers: Jonathan Aspirot (Flames), Clark Bishop (Flames), Keaton Middleton (Avalanche), Wyatt Aamodt (Avalanche), Kevin Mandolese (Avalanche), Maxime Lajoie (Kraken), Anthony Angello (Predators), Kevin Gravel (Predators), Jake Lucchini (Predators), Tyce Thompson (Islanders), Egor Sokolov (Utah), Callahan Burke (Golden Knights), Mason Geertsen (Golden Knights), Dysin Mayo (Golden Knights), Gage Quinney (Golden Knights), Robert Hagg (Golden Knights), Mason Morelli (Golden Knights), Ethen Frank (Capitals), Riley Sutter (Capitals), Alex Limoges (Capitals), Chase Priskie (Capitals), Hardy Häman Aktell (Capitals)
Update: All players cleared waivers.
Friday, Sept. 27
Ronnie Attard, RHD, Philadelphia Flyers
Attard has played games in each of the last three NHL seasons but hasn’t broken through yet as a full-time player. He’s a big right-shot with good offensive skills and can play both ways due to his frame and compete. He isn’t an amazing skater, though, and his decision making has given him issues over the years.—Pronman
Other players on waivers: Louie Belpedio (Flyers), Rhett Gardner (Flyers), Hayden Hodgson (Senators), Cole Reinhardt (Senators), Jamieson Rees (Senators), Garrett Pilon (Senators), Nikolas Matinpalo (Senators), Maxence Guenette (Senators), Jeremy Davies (Senators), Luke Henman (Kraken), Nikolas Brouillard (Kraken), Zach Sawchenko (Blue Jackets), Jake Leschyshyn (Rangers), Ben Harpur (Rangers), Alex Belzile (Rangers)
Update: All players cleared waivers.
(Photo of Nikita Alexandrov: Robert Edwards / USA Today)