Montreal Canadiens: Two More NHL Hopefuls Hit The Waiver Wire

The Montreal Canadiens continue to trim their once monstrous training camp roster.

With four of their six preseason games in the rearview mirror, and Laval Rocket training camp set to begin tomorrow morning, the Canadiens have reduced their initial 72 man roster all the way down to 28.

Technically, they still have 31 players on their roster, but Carey Price, Chris Wideman and Christian Dvorak are all injured and will not be on the opening night roster as healthy players. So, with their latest roster moves, the team now has 28 players left at Canadiens camp.

Those latest roster moves were two waiver notifications this afternoon. The team has placed Lias Andersson and Philippe Maillet on waivers, with the hope they will pass through and be assigned to the Rocket roster tomorrow just in time for AHL training camp.

Andersson was a free agent addition this summer and a top draft pick not long ago. He was selected 7th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He scored 31 goals and 59 points in 67 AHL games last season but has just 17 points in 110 career NHL games at this point. The 24 year old center looks to have a prominent role ready for him with the Rocket and will likely be called up if any centers are injured with the Canadiens.

Maillet played last season in the KHL with Magnitogorsk. He scored 22 goals and 53 points in 66 games over there, and returns to North America where he has put up 59 goals and 159 points in 217 career AHL games. The 30 year old will now look to earn a big role with the Rocket but arrives as a bit of an unknown after two years in Russia.

The Canadiens now have likely five cuts left to make and two exhibition games to play as they will face the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators in preseason play before their regular season opener on October 11th.