Three players were placed on waivers in the NHL on Saturday: New York Rangers forward Jake Leschyshyn, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jordie Benn and Boston Bruins depth center Vinni Letteri.
Leschyshyn’s name is particularly interesting, given that his name has been linked to a possible move involving Patrick Kane to Rangers. Leschyshyn has zero points in 35 games between the Rangers and Golden Knights this season, but has six points in 76 games the past two seasons. A depth forward, Leschyshyn, 28, is in the first year of a three-year contract with a cap of $766,667.
According to PuckPedia, Leschyshyn had to be waived today to rack up $1.75 million in additional cap space. Another move, like Vitali Kravtsov’s trade, will always be needed to make a move that involves Kane’s work.
Benn, 35, has been in and out of the Leafs roster, scoring two points in 12 games. He also had a pair of points in four AHL games while battling point injuries. Benn, a 607-game veteran, played for Dallas, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Minnesota. The Leafs have seven other defensemen on the roster, including injured Rasmus Sandin.
Lettieri, 28, has spent the entire season in the AHL, scoring 16 goals and 37 points in 41 games with the Providence Bruins. He has 18 points in 82 games between the Rangers and Anaheim Ducks, highlighted by a career-high 10 points in 31 games last year.
In addition, the St. Louis Blues have claimed Kasperi Kapanen from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The waiver feed updates arrive with just six days before the NHL’s trade deadline. Expect more moves via waivers over the next few days as teams look to free up space for any last-minute moves.
