Waiver wire: Preds send former first round pick to waivers.
Will he be picked up?
A former first round pick will be up for grabs on waivers this weekend.
According to a report from National Hockey League insider Chris Johnston, the Nashville Predators have sent former first round draft selection Eeli Tolvanen to waivers on Sunday. The 23 year old winger has been used sparingly this season, seemingly finding himself in head coach John Hynes' dog house, making 13 appearances for the Predators with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points over that stretch.
Presumably the idea here would be to send Tolvanen down to the Milwaukee Admirals for a stint in the American Hockey League but it seems like there's a realistic chance the former 30th overall pick at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft finds himself on another roster come noon on Monday. While the Predators may not feel that Tolvanen is playing well enough to earn a roster spot at the NHL level, there could very well be a team in the league that is willing to give the once promising young prospect a fresh start elsewhere.
Any team looking to add Tolvanen will need to have a contract spot available on their roster, and will need to have the cap space to accommodate the addition of Tolvanen to their roster. The Finnish forward is currently in the second year of a three year deal that carries an average annual value of $1.45 million per season. Tolvanen not only comes with an additional year of control on his current deal, but is also a restricted free agent at the end of his current contract.
Given that it seems there is a solid chance Tolvanen may end up claimed, the waiver priority suddenly becomes very interesting. Any team can submit a claim for the player, but the team highest on the priority list to do so will end up getting the player. With that in mind here is the waiver priority for December 11th:
Anaheim Ducks
Chicago Blackhawks
San Jose Sharks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Arizona Coyotes
Philadelphia Flyers
Ottawa Senators
St. Louis Blues
Buffalo Sabres
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
Calgary Flames
Florida Panthers
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings
New York Rangers
Edmonton Oilers
New York Islanders
Detroit Red Wings
Seattle Kraken
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Dallas Stars
Carolina Hurricanes
Las Vegas Golden Knights
Winnipeg Jets
Toronto Maple Leafs
New Jersey Devils
Boston Bruins
Stay tuned for an update when the waiver claims come in on Monday.
