After being placed on waivers for the purposes of sending them down to the Stockton Heat, Flames prospects Hunter Shinkaruk, Emile Poirier, and Tyler Wotherspoon have all cleared waivers.
After clearing waivers, Tyler Wotherspoon, Hunter Shinkaruk and Emile Poirier have been assigned to the @AHLHeat.
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 27, 2017
The move doesn’t come as much of a surprise, seeing as how a lot of players were placed on waivers yesterday (and a lot more are on waivers today). With all 31 teams assembling their rosters, there are a ton of cuts league-wide – and it’s not exactly expected to see teams add borderline, at best, players to their NHL rosters. (Any claimed player has to be added to the team’s NHL roster.)
The only claim from yesterday’s waivers was Jordan Nolan, who was waived by L.A. and is now headed to Buffalo.
This was the first time on waivers for Shinkaruk and Poirier, both 22, and both in the final year of their entry-level contracts. Both forwards have proven they can score at the AHL level, but haven’t been able to translate that to the NHL just yet. Depending on how things go, they could find themselves in the NHL on recall, and still have potential if Shinkaruk can stay healthy and Poirier can return to his rookie pro form (presumably an easier task following his time in rehab and established support network, at least within the organization).
Wotherspoon, 24, had to clear waivers the previous season in order to be sent down. He is on his third contract with the Flames, a one-year deal, and should get big minutes in Stockton. He, too, could potentially be a call-up, depending on both how his and the Flames’ season go.
Of the remaining potential cuts for the Flames, Matt Bartkowski, Freddie Hamilton, Garnet Hathaway, Brett Kulak, and Curtis Lazar require waivers.
On a related note, Beau Bennett is on waivers. He’s a RW, and shows good underlying numbers, potentially good for use in a 3RW role. We kinda need RWs that can actually play NHL hockey, you know?
extremely in favour of this
Absolutely but act fast. He wont be around long
Flames are 16th on the waiver claim list, I believe. So if another team ahead of them puts in a claim then no dice. We’ll know within 24 hours!
Wrist and knee injuries have derailed him (oh and the mumps) but he could be a steal for someone if he can stay healthy.
And if it delays the rise of Poirier to the Flames? I, for one, don’t mind if Tre takes a pass on this opportunity. Besides, there will probably be better waiver options in the days to come.
If it delays the rise of Poirier to the Flames, it’s because he isn’t good enough yet. We should never pass on getting a better player because a worse player is in the system.
Poirier was waived, Bennett was waived. What makes you think Beau Bennett is any better than Poirier? If he was so good, and ready to rumble, I’d imagine he would still be on the team and not cut.
We all imagine we can pick up a proven, quality NHLer but they come around rarely and usually only under specific circumstances where a team is in a bind.
Or trade options. Still think the Leafs might look to move Kapanen since they have needs elsewhere.
Once they sign Matthews they will have major cap issues…Nylander will be a concern. He is one kid I would like to see in a Flames uniform playing on the top line…
Given Poirier’s age it’s unlikely he will ever play in the NHL….30 other teams thought so as well…however I’m still hoping for the kid…..ditto Shinkaruk.
Poirier is only 22. He may never make it but has nothing to do with his current age. Most college prospects are at least 22 coming in. Look art Jake guentzel last season.
Poirier is 22, there are lots of 22+ players in the AHL that will play in the NHL. 30 other teams not claiming him on waivers just says they think he isn’t ready to take a spot on their NHL roster today, not never. He might make it or he might not, but we do not know how good a sober Poirier is.
Hopefully he’ll be on the team before Christmas, though it may take an injury or two to happen.
Poirier has already played in the nhl.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Todd-Cordell/The-Calgary-Flames-should-claim-Beau-Bennett-off-waivers/202/87665
Exactly the kind of player the Flames need.
Claim him.
Poirier is seven months younger then Foo, whose never played a game in the AHL, Hahah.
This is why NCAA FAs are overrated, as most are 22-23 and basically at prime their last year or two of NCAA and should essentially already be pros by then and are playing much younger competition.
Good news! Nice to see Poirier will be the Flames org. when he does break out. Hope to see him up soon!
BT could have probably waited and had Lazar off of waivers too
I was only really worried about Poirier. I’m glad Bergevin has decided to be a dreadful GM ever since that shrewd Byron snag.
Yeah, I thought the Habs would scoop him up, as they were really hoping to draft him his draft year just after us. I wonder if the Flames told everyone to leave him alone because he is recovering from addiction and they respected that.
If Emile Poirier gets through waivers, Curtis Lazar should easily as well.
Nice.
phew!!!
This is why I wasn’t a big fan of the Versteeg re-signing, he is plugging up the road for guys like Poirer, Shinkauruk, Mangipane, Foo..who need top 9 minutes, to suceed. I would have liked to have seen something like this
Gaudreau Bennett Ferland
Tkachuk Monahan Lazar
Frolik Backlund FoO/Man/Poir/Shin
Hath/Ham Janikowski Brouwer
Versteeg is way better than any of those guys and more versatile. Plus he is cheap. Brouwer and then BT’s attempt to fix the Brouwer signing by getting Lazar are really the things plugging up the road for the prospects.
Lazar should not even make the team, never mind top 6. LOL
He will make the team but play him on the third line and make him prove he can play up the lineup rather than gifting him a spot
Isn’t putting Lazar on the third line gifting him a spot already that he didn’t earn?
He’s not blocking the road for someone who isn’t ready. None of the four players you mentioned are ready for a regular NHL shift. Versteeg is.
I’m still struggling to understand why there’s a widely held belief that playing Janko as a low minutes centre on the 4th line is a better option than trying him somewhere on the top nine to try to fill in the missing piece on the offensive side of things.
Other than for hoping for a bounce back from Gaudreau, a step up from Ferland and Bennett and continued growth from Monahan and Tkachuk, this is the same group of forwards that wasn’t good enough last year when playing Anaheim.
I don’t understand either Brouwer or Lazar being in the discussion for top nine minutes (and please no PP for Brouwer!) based on anything I’ve seen or read yet.
Looks like Jordan Nolan was picked up by buffalo. Could be a good pick up but he has never really had results at NHL level.
Stanley cups are not results i guess..
Not really bad players won cups on good teams. He has 2 points in 27 playoff games. 47 in 260 plus season games. Those numbers dont seem like results to me.
Good news. We’ll see Wotherspoon up here the first injury on the backend.
The discussion about putting a waiver on BBennett brings tears to my eyes. Before we signed Brouwer (it was only a rumour I suggested we should sign him and BConnolly who were both FA at the time and I felt fit the Flames rebuild better). If we somehow won the waiver war for him who would you then waive; personally I would waive “the Burden” but I know it would not happen. Also in discussing trades for the need RW I wish people would say what they would be willing to give up and make it realistic.What would you pay for Kapenan? Rasmuss Andersson??(or only RHD prospect for this year). Would that get it done.