The Bruins put Alex Steeves on waivers Saturday, and a forward with 108 AHL goals over the last five seasons shouldn't last long on the wire.
He was one of 18 players waived Saturday, and any of the other 31 teams can claim him.
He carries a $1,625,000 cap hit through 2027-28.
Last season in Boston, he chipped in nine goals over 43 games.
The year before, he lit up the AHL with 36 goals in 59 games for the Toronto Marlies.
He's a 26-year-old left-shot center who stands 6-foot and 199 pounds.
So who should be first to the phone?
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11 NHL teams that could claim Alex Steeves off waivers
Start with the Ducks. Joel Quenneville's group was outscored 16-2 across its last two preseason games.
In St. Louis, Jim Montgomery's Blues went 1-3-0 this preseason and could use a cheap scorer before opening in Dallas.
Utah just opened roster spots by waiving Brandon Tanev and Joshua Roy and sending Caleb Desnoyers to the AHL.
Nashville got blanked 6-0 by Carolina on Saturday. Barry Trotz has already claimed one player this weekend in William Trudeau.
Then there's the Rangers, who open Tuesday in Boston. That would make for a fun first night back in that building.
Buffalo scored once in a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday, and Lindy Ruff can always use another finisher.
Jared Bednar's Avalanche were held scoreless in Utah on Saturday. Even a team with Nathan MacKinnon needs cheap depth scoring.
Philadelphia finished 1-3-0 after a 5-1 loss to Washington, and Rick Tocchet's forward group could use the help.
Vancouver finally won Saturday, 4-3 over Seattle, but still closed the preseason with just one win.
Dallas went 4-0-0. Adding cheap depth scoring to a group already carrying Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson is how contenders stay ahead.
In New Jersey, the Devils closed at 3-0-1 with a 4-1 win over the Islanders. Sheldon Keefe could slot him into the bottom six right away.
The Ducks should be first in line, though. A team that just got outscored that badly doesn't have the luxury of passing on a proven AHL scorer.
It's like spotting a lightly used snowblower at a yard sale in September. You might not need it today, but you'll be glad you grabbed it in January.
Before turning pro, he scored 15 goals in 29 games for Notre Dame in 2020-21.
All told, he has 224 points in 256 AHL games.
One claim is all it takes. If nobody bites, the Bruins keep a proven AHL scorer in their system and 31 teams get to explain why.
Should the Ducks claim Alex Steeves off waivers?
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