Blue Jackets winger Miles Wood is already on the waiver wire, and PuckPedia projects another 100 players will join him before Monday's opening roster submission.
Sunday is shaping up as the busy day. Eighteen players hit waivers on Saturday alone.
Wood's claim window closes at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, and he's sitting on 99 career NHL goals.
The Islanders put five players on the list Saturday, including Pierre Engvall a day after he scored their only goal against the Rangers.
Two teams have already cashed in. Detroit claimed Andreas Englund from Calgary, and Nashville grabbed William Trudeau from the Rangers.
The Mammoth got a head start Friday, putting Brandon Tanev and Joshua Roy on waivers.
So who actually wins when the wire gets this crowded?
-
Monday's roster deadline turns Sunday into a shopping spree
Every waived player can be claimed by any of the other 31 teams.
Contenders should be shopping hardest. A $900,000 depth defenseman like Englund is exactly the kind of cheap insurance that saves a season in February.
The 30-year-old has already played NHL games for Ottawa, Colorado, Chicago, Los Angeles and Nashville.
Trudeau, 23, carries an $850,000 cap hit and still hasn't played an NHL game.
Waiver weekend is basically the NHL's version of a Boxing Day sale. The good stuff goes fast, and whoever waits ends up with whatever's left on the rack.
Engvall led Islanders forwards with 19:07 in that loss and still ended up on the wire.
The Columbus winger carries a $2,500,000 cap hit, the kind of number that turns a simple claim into a real decision.
The Devils drafted him, and he spent parts of eight seasons in New Jersey before stops in Colorado and Columbus.
The first games arrive Tuesday, when the Maple Leafs host the Canadiens and the Oilers host the Canucks.
The Bruins also open at home against the Rangers that night, while the Hurricanes welcome Florida.
By Monday, all 32 rosters have to be set. Somebody's surprise cut is about to become somebody else's opening night lineup.
Should contenders gamble on claiming Miles Wood before Sunday's deadline?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Canadiens organization and Bell Centre issued a warning after penalty box scene goes viral
