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Aaron Dell (TOR) and Jason Spezza (TOR) are among those on NHL waivers today.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 17, 2021
Not sure what to make of this, but that’s SOP for this season.
Spezza has been reduced to essentially a FOGO (face off get off) player who also PKs and plays on the second power play unit.
For details on the current understanding of the emergency recall rules that should have made all of this unnecessary, go here:
Related
Update: Recall Rules, the Oilers and Nick Robertson’s Knee
As of now, my only guess on this is that the Leafs would not be able to use the roster emergency rules for Monday’s game after all, but even that barely makes this track.
Update:
Jason Spezza's agent says the veteran centre will retire if claimed off waivers by another NHL team: https://t.co/ytEdlf5yR8
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 17, 2021
Toronto Maple #Leafs have recalled forward Pierre Engvall from the minors and placed him on their Taxi Squad.https://t.co/frEil2vl04 https://t.co/HnxyeYOxkS
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) January 17, 2021
Related
Maple Leafs' Spezza will retire if claimed on waivers, agent says
While Dell is likely headed elsewhere — there’ve been four claims involving goaltenders already in this young NHL season — Spezza intends to stay in Toronto no matter what happens.
The 37-year-old relishes the role he’s carved out with his hometown Leafs and holds the cards here: In the event he was claimed by another team and refused to report, he’d likely see his $700,000 contract terminated.
That would allow him to sign another deal in Toronto.
All of this makes the maximize the cap and then put Nick Robertson on LTIR theory the likely answer for why both players were waived at a time when Dell will surely be claimed, and Spezza surely won’t.
The first step is to recall Engvall to the NHL after noon tomorrow. If Dell is claimed a goalie has to be on the Taxi Squad by 5 p.m. And all players who will be playing in the game Monday night will need to be on the NHL active roster by that time too.
At the moment the Taxi Squad is full with six players, but that will change quickly as recalls are made.
Edmonton has a poor waiver claim priority (it is the reverse of last year’s regular season standings by points percentage) so they may fail in a claim.