It’s here! The annual meeting of “you always overrate the waiver wire” and “how did the Oilers acquire Alec Regula?” and I’m here for it. I have loved waivers since I was a kid, followed it every year since maybe 1969. I know, I’m a nerd. Guilty as charged.
The first recorded acquisition by the Oilers via waivers was Stan Weir from the Toronto Maple Leafs in July 1979. Did you know that? Bet you didn’t. Colin Campbell was claimed by Vancouver from Edmonton in 1980, not sure he’s ever forgiven them. The Hartford Whalers claimed Dave Lumley in the fall of 1984, but Slats claimed him back a few weeks later. I could go on all day about the waiver wire.
Over the last decade, If we look at the AHL graduates who had success (Jujhar Khaira, Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Stuart Skinner, Ryan McLeod, Mike Kesselring, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg) and compare them to the shy ones (Teemu Hartikainen, Bogdan Yakimov, Tyler Benson) foot speed or lack thereof is a major consideration.
Raphael Lavoie is often included in this slower group, but NHL Edge clocked him in the 78th percentile one year ago. Lavoie’s problem has always been moving his feet and that’s a thing.
For today, my guess is we see at least one name on the waiver wire from the Oilers that sends this blog into a fury. “Noah Philp is going to get claimed, man” followed by “who cares? He don’t make a bit of difference” and maybe we all said that the day Stan Weir was claimed or Dave Lumley was lost. I don’t remember that part of the moment. I do remember when Ray Whitney was claimed, and hell’s bells that one hurt. He was on the Hurricanes SC winner just to make it hurt a little more.
Waivers do matter, and the names on the list today are going to represent the most interesting in some time. There’s some wiggle room for the team if Stan Bowman wants to run Zach Hyman on LTIR.
I haven’t seen it anywhere, but he could also send down David Tomasek, Ike Howard and Matt Savoie, as none are a waiver worry. It would delay the reckoning until Max Jones is cleared for waivers and they make a decision.
Or, we’ll see a trade. For those who think waivers can be important, happy waiver day!
New for The Athletic: Making the final call on Edmonton Oilers’ season-opening 2025-26 roster
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6689385/2025/10/05/edmonton-oilers-roster-2025-lowetide/
Lots of famous names on waivers and I can’t imagine the Oilers claiming any.
Matt Blumel included.
Mikey Dipietro on waivers today as well. Now that we have picked up Ingram, do we still make a claim? Lot’s of goalies in the system all of a sudden
So based on Jones being the only player on waivers, is it safe to say Philp has made the opening night roster? If Howard and Tomasek go down for cap compliance then back up for opening night, that would leave Janmark as the odd man out up front once he’s healthy.
Appears that Regula has made the team as well so it would be Stecher as odd man out on d once Walman returns.
Here’s hoping Bowman can work a trade to get some assets back for Janmark and Stecher.
From Elliotte F on X:
Aspirot, Blumel (BOS); Dunne (BUF); Primeau (CAR); Ahcan, Middleton (COL); Gustafsson, Holl (DET); Studnicka (FLA); Petersen, Pitlick (MIN); Addison, Gruden, Hardman, Legare (NJ); Grundstrom (PHI); Regenda (SJ); Hayden (SEA); Ellis, Skinne (STL); Carlile (TB); Douglas (UT); Rondbjerg (LV); Frank (WASH)
Max Jones (EDM)
Blais, Kahkonen (MON)
Hodgson, Jenik, Kaliyev, Lycksell, Sogaard, Thomson (OTT)
Benning, Mermis, Pezzetta, Thrun (TOR)
Duehr, Heinola (WIN)
Oilers announce Max Jones on waivers……… so noone else?
I don’t imagine Howard or Tomasek actually go down but maybe they do for tomorrow – they can be recalled prior to game one as the “play one game in AHL” rule doesn’t start until October 10.
Per Tony B:
Per Stauffer:
Looks like Janmark and Walman still too injured to go – my guess is one or both of them starts on IR and Hyman on LTIR but I haven’t crunched the numbers
Coach said about a week for Janmark a few days ago so we know he won’t play opening night – IR/LTIR could be an option.
Coach keeps saying Walman is ready for opening night but, he’s done that to us before with it being far from the case.
If only the league allowed practice games to try this combo out. They could call it ‘pre-season’ or ‘exhibition’. That would be awesome
If they are going to be using LTIR early in the season, they will want Savoie (and Howard) on the roster when they place Hyman on LTIR to set the LTIR performance bonus pool or else their bonuses will impact their cap hit when on the NHL roster (when still in LTIR) – i believe this is much more material with Savoie than Howard.
In any event, both those guys will be playing game 1, I think we know it.
Tomasek will also be playing game one – I mean, he’s been the 3C and PP1 guy with McDavid/Drai/Etc. in the lineup.
The Anton Forsberg pandemic saga may be the point where I became legitimately invested in waivers. What a baffling season.
Sure all the nerds here already know, but I found this site to follow along today…
https://puckpedia.com/waiver-wire
Frank Seravalli
@frank_seravalli
After 16 ejections and 312 penalty minutes in a preseason Battle of Florida on Saturday night, end result from NHL Player Safety is a pair of fines and a pair of pending hearings for Bolts JJ Moser and Scott Sabourin.
Tampa is a winning organization-culture they know the only way to beat the Panthers is to cut the head off of the snake.
And then they lost the game 7-0
Obviously you can’t be serious,it was a nothing game. Florida got exactly what they deserved. When you live by the cheap shot ,you die by the cheap shot.Don’t worry though,NHL ops will make sure TB is punished unlike the joke that cheap shot thug Greer got. 2000 dollar fine for a cross check to the head and a sucker punch against a much smaller skill player in Hagel. The bullies got their own medicine back. Hope it happens over and over and over..,, They get no pity from me at all. Ella’s is a 6’3”” 220 lb chickenshit as far as I’m concerned. Florida knew what was coming after their crap the night before.
Ekblad
Did you actually say that out loud. It’s a statement game sometimes there’s more important things than winning a preseason game.
100% I think TB sent that message loud and clear. My only issue is that Marchand and Bennett weren’t playing so they could face some retribution from TB knuckledraggers, Just like their chickenshit thug Greer did to Hagel. Only Difference is Hagel didn’t turtle like Ekblad.
I don’t think you realize it was a pre-season game. That means it doesn’t count towards their regular season record.
and that matters because?
I think this year is going to be a slog for the Panthers. There’s a lot of teams that will want their pound of flesh.
This is going to happen a lot.
battle. war.
Worth the squeeze.
Prospectolus!
The lone NAmateur today is David Lewandowski, who has assumed the mantle of “German NAmateur” from Luca Münzenberger.
Lew has 1+2 in three games since his camping trip. Interestingly, he is not the only Deutschlander on the Blades. He is joined this year by the diminutive Dustin Willhöft, who makes Yamamoto look like Paul Bunyan.
Puck drops at 3 p.m. Veinerville time.
Willhoft’s teammate, Benjamin Bowtell, is 5’8″ and 150lbs. The times, they have changed.
Forwards are a little less dynamic than last night but we get to see Leppanen.
Day was sensational before the SO last night.
tonight:
Petrov – Grubbe – Stefan
Stonehouse – Copponi – Keppen
Brown – Janicke – Groll
Hamaliuk – Magera – Stuart
Leppanen – Akey
Millman – Prokop
Inamoto – Krebs
Day
Jonsson
A little less dynamic is an understatement but that top pairing should be fun at least.
Disappointed to not see Mats Lindgren on the initial camp roster, thought he was a smart AHL signing and haven’t seeing anything about injury.
Thanks OP.
I’m okay with risking Stetcher on the waiver wire but not Regula or Philp
Agreed. Philp and Regula have made this team on merit based on the preseason.
You’d think there’d be a trade out there somewhere to be had.
Troy Stetcher for Oskar Sundkvist from STL?
Pavel Dorofeyev from VGK?
St. Louis (organization and fans) loves Sundkvist. Likely the 4C this year full time load managed, with Bjugstad probably 3RW.
And they have Parayko, Faulk, Mailleux, Kessel, and Jiricek on the right side of the D.
Kessel has to clear waivers if he is NOT #7
Don’t see where Stecher fits in.
Fair observation, the point was the type of targeted trade to be made.
Who do you see as a viable and useful return for Stecher if he’s not going to clear waivers?
The Oilers did not claim Stan Weir on waivers. Rather, Stan Weir claimed the Oilers.
Tarkus strikes again!
There will be around 70 players in waivers at noon today.
Max Jones will be one of them.
Will Lazar or Philp join him?
Stecher or Regula?
I am thinking Max Jones (if healthy), Lazar and Stecher are going down. And one of Janmark or kappanen once Hyman returns of course. Although there is a non zero chance Janmark or Kappanen go down now if Hyman is not on LTIR or tney decide to keep 8 D for a short time before deciding on which one goes down or is traded…
Sounds about right but I’ve got trepidation on the younger players still.
I think Kap is safe for a while. Hes simply more positively impactful than Janmark and hs performed better in the playoffs and exhibition (for what that’s worth).
Be a pisser if Regula or Philp are on.
Who cares?
Off the top of my head?
Regula, Philp, nerds and bored idiots(me).
Why would Bowman waive Regula who had a good camp and has ties with Stan going back to the Chicago days. Regula is big and he’s righthanded Regula not going anywhere.
That’s what I’m hoping for.