Maple Leafs and Senators add to busy NHL waiver wire

The NHL waiver wire remained crowded as teams continued to trim their rosters ahead of the regular season. On Thursday, another 30 players were exposed to potential claims across the league, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators among the clubs making moves.

Maple Leafs waive eight players, including Lorentz

Toronto placed eight players on waivers as part of its latest round of cuts. The group includes forward Steven Lorentz along with Philippe Myers and Michael Pezzetta. The transactions are part of the Maple Leafs’ effort to get down to the required roster size before opening night.

Players on waivers can be claimed by any other NHL team over a 24-hour period. If they go unclaimed, the Maple Leafs can assign them to their AHL affiliate or keep them in the organization in other roles, depending on how management chooses to structure its depth chart.

Senators expose Meriläinen amid goalie shuffle

In Ottawa, the Senators placed goaltender Leevi Meriläinen on waivers. The 2020 third-round pick has appeared in 34 career games for the franchise, including 20 last season. His appearance on the waiver wire signals a possible shift in how the organization views its goaltending options.

The Senators’ other netminders are Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson, giving the club alternatives if Meriläinen is claimed. If he clears, Ottawa will retain flexibility to assign him within the system while maintaining Ullmark and Ersson as options at the NHL level.

Kirkland, Burroughs and Murray among other names

Beyond the Canadian teams, several other recognizable players are part of Thursday’s 30-player group. Forward Justin Kirkland of the Minnesota Wild, defenceman Kyle Burroughs of the Dallas Stars and goaltender Matt Murray of the Nashville Predators also landed on waivers.

All players who went on waivers Wednesday cleared on Thursday, allowing their teams to move them without losing them to another club. With another sizeable list now available, front offices have a fresh set of options to consider as they finalize their rosters for the start of the season.