With the opening of the NHL season on Wednesday, and teams required to submit their maximum 23-man rosters by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, it was a busy day on the NHL waiver wire. Four players were claimed. The Philadelphia Flyers claimed goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto also lost goalie Curtis McElhinney to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Washington Capitals claimed forward Dmitrij Jaskin from the St. Louis Blues. Finally, the Buffalo Sabres claimed forward Remi Elie from the Dallas Stars.
Four NHL Teams Make Waiver Claims
Calvin Pickard
Pickard spent most of last season in the AHL, playing in just one game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 33 AHL games, he put up a .918 save percentage. Pickard played 50 games for the Colorado Avalanche in 2015-16. In 87 career NHL games (74 starts), he is 28-44-6 with a 2.78 goals-against-average and .913 save percentage.
The Flyers have a number of goaltending concerns as Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, and Alex Lyon are all dealing with injury issues.
Curtis McElhinney
McElhinney was the Leafs backup goaltender last season. He went 11-5-1 with a 2.14 goals-against-average and .934 save percentage. In 186 career NHL games, McElhinney is 62-71-13 with a 2.86 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage. He has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, and Arizona Coyotes in his NHL career.
Hurricanes goaltender Scott Darling will miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season with a lower-body injury.
Dmitrij Jaskin
Jaskin has spent his entire six-year career with the Blues. He has scored 25 goals and 36 assists for 61 points in 266 career NHL games. His best season was in 2014-15 when he scored 13 goals and added five assists for 18 points in 54 games. He also has two goals and two assists in 14 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Jaskin was originally drafted in the second round, 41st overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Last season, he scored six goals and added 11 assists for 17 points in 76 games. He also tallied 14 penalty minutes. His possession numbers were 52.7 percent Corsi-for with a relative Corsi of +1.2.
The Capitals continue to await word on the status of winger Tom Wilson. Wilson is scheduled for an in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety following a questionable hit in Sunday’s pre-season finale against the Blues.
Remi Elie
Elie has spent his entire two-year NHL career with the Dallas Stars. He has put up seven goals and 14 assists for 21 career points in 90 career games. He was originally drafted in the second round, 40th overall of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.
Last season he scored six goals and eight assists for 14 points. He also added 18 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 51.4 percent Corsi-For and a relative Corsi of -0.5.
Main Photo: DALLAS, TX – JANUARY 25: Curtis McElhinney #35 of the Toronto Maple Leafs in goal against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on January 25, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
