Maple Leafs forward Bo Groulx clears waivers

Groulx will now be assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies after clearing waivers. He is in the final year of a two-year contract that carries an AAV of $812.5K.

Groulx went scoreless in seven games with the Leafs before being placed on waivers on Monday. Most of those contests came in the first few weeks of the season, and he had played only twice since the win over the Colorado Avalanche on October 10th. His most recent appearance on October 28th saw him get just 6:23 of ice time while registering only one shot on goal.

He spent the majority of last season with the Marlies, recording 28 goals and 52 points in 59 games while adding eight goals and 14 points in 23 postseason games to help his team win the Calder Cup. The 26-year-old recorded three goals and five points in 13 games with the Leafs last season as one of the lone bright spots during the bleakest portion of the campaign.

While the Marlies are off to a decent start this season, the team has been far from stellar in the early going and could use some reinforcement. Getting Groulx back in the mix should do wonders to help with their defensive game, with his first opportunity to do so occurring on Wednesday when they take on the Hamilton Hammers.

With Groulx now back with the Marlies, this opens the path for the Leafs to get Tavares back in the lineup in the near future as he was upgraded to day-to-day ahead of Tuesday’s morning skate. It’s unclear at the time of filing how close he is given that he was seen wearing a non-contact jersey, but his presence at the skate is nonetheless an encouraging development.

The Leafs will begin an extended homestand on Tuesday as they take on the Utah Mammoth.