The NHL waiver wire is always one of the more fascinating aspects of the early season roster crunch. Teams are forced to make tough calls on players who, in some cases, have been legitimate contributors at the NHL level. Thursday brought another round of notable names hitting the wire, and while none of them were scooped up by rival clubs, the implications for three different organizations are worth unpacking.
As confirmed by Elliotte Friedman, Detroit Red Wings' Chase Stillman, New Jersey Devils' Stefan Noesen, and San Jose Sharks' Brett Leason have all hit the waiver wire today. Mackenzie Entwistle of the Florida Panthers has cleared waivers.
From Friedman:
The biggest eyebrow-raiser here is undoubtedly Noesen. The 33-year-old veteran has 83 goals and 175 points across 484 career NHL games. He had a fantastic 2024-25 campaign with New Jersey, putting up 22 goals and 41 points in what was easily the best season of his career. However, things have cooled off significantly since then. He was limited to just 38 games last year, managing only seven points, and has been held without a point in two contests to start this season while carrying a $2.75 million cap hit as a pending unrestricted free agent. Sheldon Keefe and the Devils, sitting at 1-2-0 early on, clearly have some decisions to make about their forward group. The fact that no other team put in a claim on a player with Noesen's resume tells you something about how the league values veteran depth pieces with declining production and expiring contracts.
Over in Detroit, Stillman's situation is a bit more straightforward. He is a young forward trying to carve out a spot in an organization that already has a crowded group of players battling for regular NHL minutes. Todd McLellan and the Red Wings now have the flexibility to send Stillman to the AHL if they choose, where consistent playing time could do wonders for his development rather than having him sit in the press box at the NHL level.
For San Jose, Brett Leason faces a familiar challenge. The Sharks have been investing in youth, and younger forwards are pushing hard for roster spots. Ryan Warsofsky has to weigh the value of Leason's size and NHL experience against the need to give those younger players a chance to grow. Clearing waivers gives the organization options, but it certainly does not guarantee Leason a regular spot in the lineup going forward.
It is worth noting that clearing waivers does not automatically mean any of these players are headed to the minors. What it does is give each team the freedom to make that move whenever they see fit without the risk of losing the player to another organization. It is a safety net, essentially.
For the Devils, the Noesen situation is the most fascinating storyline to monitor. He is a player who proved he could be a legitimate contributor at the NHL level not that long ago, and his ability to play around the net gives New Jersey a useful option if injuries or poor play create an opening. But with his contract expiring at season's end and his production trending in the wrong direction, it would not be shocking to see him spend significant time in the AHL.
Stillman and Leason, meanwhile, are in different stages of their careers but facing similar realities. The NHL is a ruthless numbers game, and when the math does not work in your favor, the waiver wire is where you end up. All three players avoided the worst-case scenario of being claimed by another team, but the uncertainty surrounding their roles is far from resolved. Keep an eye on all three rosters over the coming days as these organizations finalize their plans heading deeper into October.
