According to Bob McKenzie, the Anaheim Ducks have claimed Niklas Hagman on re-entry waivers this morning.

That means the Flames are on the hook for half of Hagman’s $3M cap hit this season (1.5M). That cap space will remain dead till the end of the year, although the move saves the owners $1.5M in real dollars – a not insignificant sum no matter how rich you are.

It’s a good move for both the Ducks and Hagman himself. Anaheim is a club that desperately needs a few more NHL caliber wingers in its depth chart and Hagman is probably not as bad as his time in Calgary suggests. For the Flames, aside from clarifying the depth chart a bit and saving some bucks, the exit if Hagman also removes a pro contract from the organization, giving the Flames some wiggle room under the 50-contract limit if they want to add a player or two down the road this season.

On a more depressing note, Hagman to the Ducks via waivers marks another low point in the Dion Phaneuf swap. Matt Stajan is all that remains of the deal at this point and I’m sure a number of people (including Stajan himself) wish that wasn’t the case.