NHL waiver wire targets: Who could be the best pickups when teams trim rosters in 2024-25?
Waivers are often the graveyard of NHL fans' former hopes and dreams, full of players fans hoped would fill a meaningful role on their favorite teams. They can be a second chance for players who, due to various circumstances, haven't been able to secure a full-time role with their current NHL team. Today we highlight several players NHL teams could target if they hit waivers, looking specifically at young players who could have upside.
This is largely speculative — we don't know if these players will for sure be on waivers or will for sure be claimed, but several players in this get claimed each year.
-25 preseasonIsaak Phillips , LHD, Chicago Blackhawks
Phillips has played games in each of the last three seasons with Chicago. I'm sure some would argue that if he can't make Chicago's blue line, why would a team want him? I think he does have a lot of NHL traits. He's big, moves well and plays hard. His puck play has been a question in his game, but as a pro, he has shown some offense. There could be a spot as a depth defenseman for him in an organization if he doesn't make Chicago.
Albert Johansson , LHD, Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings organization and some scouts have liked Johansson for years, but he's struggled to break through in Detroit. He's a good skater with solid hands and vision and has shown he can play both ways as a pro. He doesn't stand out at either end of the rink, though, leaving him without a clear projected NHL role.
Samuel Fagemo , LW, Los Angeles Kings
Fagemo has been through waivers several times. After being reclaimed by the Kings last season, he scored 43 goals in 50 AHL games. He's talented, but a bit of a tweener. He's a good skater with legit skill and scoring ability, but I wouldn't call him a dynamo with the puck, and while he works hard enough he's average off the puck. If a team were to claim him, they would have to have a power-play spot to give him, otherwise he'll be back in the AHL.
Nolan Foote , LW, New Jersey Devils
Foote's been on the bubble in New Jersey for a few years due to injuries and average performance in the AHL. He's a big body with skill and goal-scoring ability for the highest level, but he's a heavy skater who has struggled to show he can consistently create offense at NHL speed. He does have a history of being a legit scorer, though, and he could potentially help a team on which he isn't competing with a great forward group but is given a real look.
Matthew Robertson , LHD, New York Rangers
Robertson has been in tough to crack an elite Rangers blue line. He's been on both special teams for AHL Hartford, playing legit minutes. He's big and mobile and can make a lot of stops, and while he's not a natural puck-mover, he has enough skill to be OK with the puck. He's a toolsy player who could be worth a gamble to see how he fares with opportunity.
Jakob Pelletier , LW, Calgary Flames
Just two years ago, Pelletier looked like he could eventually develop into a top-six NHL forward. Many talented prospects struggle at first when graduating from junior to AHL hockey, but Pelletier crushed it with 62 points in 66 games during his age-20 season in 2021-22.
Pelletier was expected to break out and establish himself as a full-time NHL player last year, but was derailed by a shoulder injury that cost him most of the season. He's only 5-foot-9 and is an average skater, but his offensive vision, two-way reliability, skill and competitiveness are all above-average traits. He's also still only 23. Given his statistical profile, his pedigree (first-round pick in 2019), his skill set and the context of his injury, there's still a chance he can develop into a top-nine contributor.
Nils Åman , C, Vancouver Canucks
Åman could be molded into a defensive-minded fourth-line center. The 24-year-old Swede has been a reliable plug-and-play depth option for the Canucks over the last two years. He's trustworthy defensively because of his length (listed at 6-foot-2), positioning and anticipation, which has earned him penalty-killing time, too. You're rarely going to see him make a mistake that costs the team, which is a valuable trait in a depth forward. Åman's drawbacks are that he's limited offensively, struggles in the faceoff circle (45.6 percent win rate last year) and isn't much of a physical force despite his size.
If Åman can improve on faceoffs and take another step as a penalty killer, he could become an effective defensive specialist.
Conor Timmins , RD, Toronto Maple Leafs
The right side of the Leafs' blue line is deep with Chris Tanev , Jake McCabe , Timothy Liljegren and Jani Hakanpää , which could leave Timmins as a roster casualty. Timmins has shown flashes of potential in Toronto, as he's quietly notched 24 points in 50 games from the back end over the last two years. He's driven promising results in a sheltered role, as the Leafs controlled 59.4 percent of scoring chances and a plus-10 goal differential during his five-on-five minutes in that sample. The two biggest concerns are that he's prone to being a defensive liability and struggles to stay healthy.
Oliver Wahlstrom , RW, New York Islanders
Wahlstrom is one of those tweeners who hasn't been productive enough to earn a consistent middle-six role but isn't multi-dimensional enough to fill a checking/energy-line identity for a bottom-six job. The 24-year-old has a great release on his shot, but he's one of the slowest players in the league. He isn't a play-driver and doesn't provide defensive value either. Wahlstrom has nearly 200 NHL games of experience, though (scoring at a 28-points-per-82-games rate) and pedigree (drafted No. 11 in 2018). Perhaps he could be useful to a team that needs a sheltered scorer, especially if he can learn to use his size to play a more physically engaged game at even strength.
Philip Tomasino , RW, Nashville Predators
A couple of years ago, Tomasino looked like he was on the path to becoming a surefire top-six forward. He dazzled with his speed and creativity, scoring 32 points in 76 games as a 20-year-old rookie despite averaging just 11:32 per game. Unfortunately, his development has been stuck in the mud since then.
Tomasino didn't make the Predators out of camp as a sophomore in 2022-23. He was called up in the second half and again flashed tremendous promise, scoring 18 points in 31 games in a bigger role playing 15:36 per game. This season, he scored 20 points in 41 games for the Preds before being sent back down to AHL Milwaukee again. Tomasino's defensive habits and overall play away from the puck have been the main issues preventing him from becoming a full-time NHL contributor.
We strongly suspect Tomasino will make the Preds roster because he still has intriguing potential and has played well in camp on a line with Colton Sissons. He's probably the player on this list least likely to land on waivers. But on the outside chance he gets cut, he should be a player who attracts considerable interest on the wire.
Ryan Suzuki , C, Carolina Hurricanes
Suzuki is a quick, skilled playmaking center who hasn't yet been able to put it all together. The 2019 first-round pick has been severely hampered by injuries and, even when healthy, hasn't produced at an elite level in the AHL. There's a chance he could become a late bloomer with improved health, though, because his offensive skill set has always stood out.
Samuel Poulin, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Poulin, drafted No. 21 in 2019, has some heavy, hard skill to his game. He hasn't had the smoothest transition to pro hockey, largely because his footspeed is a concern. He also missed a large chunk of the 2022-23 season as he stepped away to take care of his mental health. Last season, he started to find his groove in the AHL, producing 31 points in 41 games. Poulin has projectable NHL tools if he can improve his skating.
(Top photos of Isaak Phillips and Conor Timmins: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images and Steph Chambers / )
