NHL Waivers: Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Blackhawks Place Players On The Wire

NHL waiver action continues on Monday as three teams make veterans available to claim.

Chicago Blackhawks center Andreas Athanasiou, Colorado Avalanche goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Matt Benning are on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Chris Johnston.

For each player on waivers, the other 31 NHL teams can claim them before 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Otherwise, their current clubs can assign them to the AHL.

The Columbus Blue Jackets took advantage of waivers on Sunday when they claimed defenseman Dante Fabbro from the Nashville Predators. The 26-year-old carries a $2.5-million cap hit and has 315 games of NHL experience. Benning and Kahkonen have lower cap hits, which doesn’t guarantee either gets claimed but could cause teams to discuss whether it’s worth getting them.

Related: The Latest NHL Trade Buzz About Rasmus Ristolainen And Bowen Byram

Here’s more on each player.

Matt Benning, D, Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs acquired 30-year-old Benning on Oct. 30 in the trade that sent Timothy Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks. Benning played seven games for the Sharks before the trade, recording a minus-5 rating and an average ice time of 13:02, but he hasn’t played for the Leafs yet.

Toronto has a full roster, and defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is expected to be activated off the long-term injured reserve soon once he gets medical clearance. Benning is in the third year of a four-year contract carrying a $1.25-million cap hit.

Benning’s played 464 career NHL games, recording 17 goals and 85 assists for 102 points between the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators and Sharks. He hasn’t played in the AHL since the 2019-20 season, when he played three games for the Bakersfield Condors.

Andreas Athanasiou, C, Chicago Blackhawks

Athanasiou, meanwhile, hasn’t played in the AHL since the 2015-16 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 30-year-old played 28 NHL games last season in his second season with Chicago, and in five games this year, he recorded nine shots and a minus-1 rating in 9:36 of ice time per game.

In 2022-23, Athanasiou recorded 20 goals and 40 points in 81 games for the Blackhawks after signing a one-year contract with them. He then signed a two-year contract worth $4.25 million per season in 2023, but the stats haven’t lived up to the deal. He’ll be a UFA after this season.

Athanasiou has 127 goals and 118 assists for 245 career NHL points in 492 games. He posted a career-best 54 points with the Detroit Red Wings in 2018-19, and he’s also played for the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.

Kaapo Kahkonen, G, Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche claimed Kahkonen off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 11.

The Avalanche dealt with goaltending performance issues to start the season – Alexandar Georgiev has a .851 save percentage and 4.04 goals-against average in eight games, while Justus Annunen has a .894 SP and 2.64 GAA in as many appearances. That made Kahkonen a potential solution, but he only played one game and allowed four goals on 20 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 28-year-old has 140 NHL games under his belt, recording 49 wins, 68 regulation losses and 15 overtime losses between the Minnesota Wild, Sharks, New Jersey Devils and Avalanche. He has a career 3.34 GAA and .898 SP with four shutouts. Kahkoken played two games this season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, his first AHL action since 2019-20 on the Iowa Wild.

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