Montreal Canadiens: NHL Waivers Are About to Open

NHL waivers are set to open Friday at noon (eastern time), and the Montreal Canadiens have players that may find themselves on it soon.

Waivers is a very polarizing thing in the NHL. Sometimes it can help you, but most of the time it burns you. An example of waivers helping a team can be found with the Montreal Canadiens. Paul Byron was claimed off from the Calgary Flames in 2015, and he’s looked to be a solid pick up. If you need a reason why, 22 goals last season.

Now we’re about to get into that point in the year again as waivers are set to open Friday at noon. Any player not on an entry-level-contract needs to be put on waivers before being send down to the AHL. At that points, all 30 other teams will have an opportunity to claim and add them to their roster. If all of the teams pass on them, the player is then assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate.

It’s good for players that teams want to get rid of. If that’s the case, it’s a win-win situation because either way, they’re off the team. It’s not ideal though when it involves a player that you want to keep but just don’t have room for.

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Looking at the Montreal Canadiens cap situation, there are eight players who will require waivers to be sent to the Laval Rocket. These being: Peter Holland, Byron Froese, Jacob de La Rose, Daniel Carr, Chris Terry, Matt Taormina, Charles Hudon, Brandon Davidson, and Joseph Morrow. This number could jump to 10 if Eric Gelinas gets a contract, or if Andreas Martinsen isn’t kept with the main club.

First off, Hudon is on the team, so we can set that one to bed. The other six players will most likely clear. Morrow has had flashes of playing well at camp, but his defensive game will probably keep teams away.

Terry and Carr may have a chance of being claimed. There’s a higher chance of it being Carr though because he’s younger and has actually been effective for the Habs despite not putting up any points. If another team around the league is in need of a fourth-line winger, Carr would be an attractive option.

It would be a huge jump of faith to claim Terry. He’s been a prolific AHL goal scorer, but at most has put up 11 goals in an NHL season.

The Habs are in a good situation waiver-wise. It would’ve been worse if they still weren’t sure about Hudon and felt that he needed another year in the AHL. At this point, whoever they lose won’t be too terrible for the organization.

Next: A Guide To Your Habs Fantasy Team

Will the Habs lose anyone from waivers? If so, who? Let us know what you think in the comments.