Blackhawks’ Zach Sanford and Sharks’ Jacob MacDonald placed on waivers

The Chicago Blackhawks have placed winger Zach Sanford on waivers, as have the San Jose Sharks with defenseman Jacob MacDonald.

Sanford, 29, started out the season with the Arizona Coyotes, but joined the Chicago Blackhawks when they claimed him off of waivers in early January due to needing some bodies for their lineup amidst the stretch of the season that saw them deal with an absurd amount of injuries. As their roster has started to get healthy again, Sanford has become the odd man out and has been placed on waivers.

Sanford has had struggles scoring this season with just five assists in 26 games, with three of those assists coming in 15 games with the Blackhawks. That pace would give him just 15 points in a full 82-game season, which would be his lowest total in any season with at least 50 games played. He has also played 16 games for the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL before he was claimed by the Blackhawks, with 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in that time.

MacDonald, 30, finds himself on waivers due to the impending return of Sharks’ right winger Givani Smith. While Smith remains on injured reserve, he has participated in every practice since the All-Star break, and will likely be returning once the Sharks have room on the roster, with MacDonald being the necessary cut to make that happen.

MacDonald has had to deal with his fair share of injuries this season, but when he’s been in the lineup, he’s had his most productive season. He currently has 6 goals and 1 assist for 7 points in 22 games, with his goal total well-surpassing his previous career high of one, while he’s just two points away from tying his career-high of nine points that he achieved in 33 games with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020-21 season.