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The Edmonton Oilers lost defenseman Travis Dermott on NHL waivers to the Minnesota Wild. The New York Islanders also placed Pierre Engvall and Oliver Wahlstrom on the wire, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
The other 31 NHL teams can claim Engvall and Wahlstrom in the next 24 hours. If nobody claims them, the Islanders can assign them to AHL Bridgeport on Saturday.
The Wild added a healthy body to their blueline by claiming Dermott, who went on waivers after the Oilers claimed defenseman Alec Regula from the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Wild defenseman Jake Middleton was injured while blocking an Evan Bouchard shot during Thursday’s game against the Oilers. The Wild placed the left-shot D-man on long-term injury reserve as a result.
Defenseman Jonas Brodin has also been absent from Minnesota, dealing with an upper-body injury. That means Dermott could fill in Minnesota’s gap on the left side of their defense.
Wild GM Bill Guerin told reporters that despite the short notice, Dermott could debut for Minnesota against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Dermott, 27, played 10 games for the Oilers and had no points and a minus-three rating. He is on a one-year contract, making $775,000.
Engvall, meanwhile, has three goals and six points in 20 games for the Islanders. The 28-year-old left winger started the season in the AHL but got called up due to injuries on offense. The Islanders acquired him in February 2023 in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last season, GM Lou Lamoriello signed the Swede to a seven-year contract worth $3 million annually.
Wahlstrom was the Islanders’ first-round pick in the 2018 NHL draft. However, the 24-year-old has never recorded more than 24 points in a season. During this campaign, the 24-year-old right winger has two goals and two helpers in 27 games and a minus-six rating. His average ice time is down to around 10 minutes.
Wahlstrom signed a one-year, $1-million contract in the off-season.
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