Elliotte Friedman Announces Three More Players Hit Waivers
In today's update from the National Hockey League's waiver wire, the insider Elliotte Friedman announced that three more players are now up for grabs.
Halfway through the 2024-25 season, it's hard to deny that the Minnesota Wild have been having a lot of success, as they now find themselves in a heated race for the first rank in the Central Division against the Winnipeg Jets.
Despite injuries to Kirill Kaprizov, Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin, Dylan Ferguson, Jakub Lauko, and Jared Spurgeon, the team is only three points behind the Jets with a 27-13-4 record.
The team has made the surprising decision to place two players on waivers regardless of all that, which could be a big hint of an upcoming trade.
Indeed, Elliotte Friedman confirmed that Ben Jones and Devin Shore are both on waivers.
In addition, he stated that the Tampa Bay Lightning made Gage Goncalves available.
Here's his statement:
Ben Jones, drafted 189th overall by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, hasn't gotten much opportunities to show his skills on an NHL ice, mostly playing in the AHL in the past five years.
This season, in 25 games with the Wild, he couldn't have an impact on his team, being held scoreless in his NHL stint, with a -3 rating. He also took part in 14 AHL games with the Iowa Wild, scoring 12 points, including four goals.
Devin Shore, 30, has much more NHL experience, having played 467 games for the Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, Seattle Kraken, and Wild, since 2015.
This is the second time that the veteran gets placed on waivers this season, In 24 games with the Wild, he only has one point, an assist, with a -4 rating.
It wouldn't be surprising to see him back in the NHL later this season.
As for Goncalves, he's a promising 23-year-old center who is the latest victim of the depth on the Tampa Bay Lightning's lineup.
He tallied one goal and one assist in 26 games and should continue developing in the AHL, with the Syracuse Crunch, if he clears waivers.
