Former first-round pick, four others placed on waivers

It’s a busy Thursday on the waiver wire, as Kevin Rooney of the Calgary Flames, Tyler Benson of the Edmonton Oilers, Martin Kaut of the Colorado Avalanche and Ryan Carpenter of the New York Rangers are all available for claim, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Boston Bruins defenseman Victor Berglund has also been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.

Rooney, 29, has not worked out quite as well as the Flames hoped when they signed him to a two-year, $2.6M contract in July. After scoring six goals and 12 points in 61 games last season for the New York Rangers, the depth forward has just a single assist in 17 matches for Calgary.

With Thursday’s recall of Matthew Phillips, it appears as though the Flames will go in a different direction for their bottom six. Rooney’s contract will likely keep him from being claimed, though, meaning he can stay with the organization and try to get his game back on track. By moving him to the minor leagues, $1.125M of his $1.3M cap hit will come off the books.

For Benson, it’s not quite so rosy. The 24-year-old has played two games with the Oilers this season, barely seen the ice during them, and has no contract security past this year. The 32nd overall pick from 2016 has never been able to stick in the NHL despite strong numbers in the minor leagues and appears to be a potential non-tender candidate next summer as an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

Kaut, 23, already cleared waivers at the beginning of this season but landed a regular spot in the Colorado lineup since. The 2018 first-round pick has three points in 18 games this year and was on the ice for multiple goals against in Wednesday night’s 4-0 loss to the Bruins.

The Avalanche haven’t been able to find any mix of depth forwards they are happy with and continue to make changes on a near-daily basis. Kaut’s waiver placement doesn’t necessarily mean he’s headed back down given all of the injuries they have. He also could be claimed given his relatively young age and draft pedigree.

Carpenter, like Rooney, hasn’t been able to find the same level of play he had last season with his new team. The Rangers forward has just three points in 21 games and has become a fringe option, moving in and out of the lineup. Even with his familiarity with head coach Gerard Gallant, the Rangers can’t keep putting Carpenter out there without some more consistent play.

Berglund, 23, was picked 195th overall in 2017 and signed his entry-level deal in 2020. It is set to expire at the end of the year, and he has barely played this season, meaning the two sides are just splitting a little early so he can chase a job somewhere else. The Swedish defenseman will be an unrestricted free agent and is likely headed back to Europe.