Brandon Tanev tops crowded NHL waiver wire with 61 players

Utah Mammoth winger Brandon Tanev was among 61 players placed on NHL waivers Friday as clubs continue to pare down their training-camp rosters. All 32 teams now have an opportunity to claim any of the players on the wire before they become eligible to be assigned to American Hockey League affiliates.

Tanev on waivers after down year in Utah

The 34-year-old Tanev is coming off a difficult season with Utah, where he registered only three assists in 56 games. That output is a sharp drop from his standout 2022–23 campaign with the Seattle Kraken, when he produced 35 points and played a role in the expansion club’s first Stanley Cup Playoff appearance.

Over the course of his NHL career, Tanev has appeared in 608 regular-season games, recording 84 goals and 99 assists for 183 points. He has added 14 points in 65 playoff contests. The energetic forward is entering the second season of a three-year contract that carries a $2.5 million average annual value, which makes his waiver status notable for cap-conscious teams seeking experienced depth.

Comrie, Joseph and Sundqvist highlight rest of waiver group

Several other players with significant NHL resumes also landed on waivers. San Jose Sharks goaltender Eric Comrie, Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph and St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist are among the most recognizable names available to rival clubs.

The full group of 61 spans a wide range of rosters, with players from teams such as the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames and others being exposed as organizations make decisions on who will start the season in the NHL or report to the AHL. If they go unclaimed, these skaters and goaltenders can be reassigned to their respective minor-league teams.

Only Merilainen claimed from previous waiver batch

Friday’s list follows another busy waiver day earlier in the week. Of the 30 players who were placed on waivers the previous day, only goaltender Leevi Merilainen was picked up. The netminder, who had been part of the Ottawa Senators organization, is now a member of the Vancouver Canucks system. The rest of that group cleared waivers and can be sent to the AHL as teams continue finalizing their opening-night lineups.