James Reimer, Jiri Patera headline players claimed off waivers on Oct. 7

Just hours before NHL teams are required to finalize their season-opening rosters, a handful of players were claimed off waivers on Monday.

The Anaheim Ducks claimed goaltender James Reimer from the Buffalo Sabres. The veteran netminder signed a one-year contract to join the Sabres this past offseason after spending the 2023-24 campaign with the Detroit Red Wings. The plan seemed to be for Reimer to give Buffalo an experienced backup for one of its young netminders. Yet, the Sabres have elected to run with Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukonen as its tandem to start the season.

Reimer will join Lukas Dostal as one of the team’s netminders, as a spot opened up after John Gibson was placed on injured reserve.

Jiri Patera is heading back to the Vancouver Canucks. Just four days after the Boston Bruins claimed the goaltender off waivers from the Canucks, Patera was back on the wire after Jeremy Swayman finally signed a new deal with the Bruins. That left Patera with nowhere to go…but back to Vancouver–the team Patera signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract with this past offseason.

In 2023-24 with the Vegas Golden Knights, Patera posted a 1-3-1 record and a 3.98 goals-against average.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they were also busy adding players on Wednesday. They claimed Raphael Lavoie from the Edmonton Oilers and Cole Schwindt from the Calgary Flames. Lavoie re-signed with the Oilers for another year this past summer after playing seven games with the big club last season. He has spent most of his career with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Schwindt also spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the minors, appearing in just four games with the Flames and playing in 66 with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. The former Mississauga Steelhead has played in seven NHL games in his career.

The Columbus Blue Jackets claimed forward Zach Aston-Reese from the Golden Knights. The former Pittsburgh Penguin signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Vegas in July after spending last season with the Red Wings organization. Aston-Reese played just three games with Detroit, playing the majority of the campaign with their primary affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The remainder of the 59 players placed on waivers on Sunday cleared.

Only one player was placed on waivers on Monday, as the Red Wings placed Austin Watson on the wire for the purpose of him joining the Griffins.