Three NHL players on waivers for Jan. 27

If the players clear on Wednesday, they’ll be eligible to be sent down to their respective American Hockey League affiliates.

Mermis has been out of action since Dec. 8 with a lower-body injury. He was hurt during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bolts forward Gage Goncalves was penalized for kneeing the Mermis, and was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for his actions. Mermis was placed on injured reserve a couple of days later.

Mermis has spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Leafs, appearing in 11 games and scoring his first NHL goal since the 2023-24 campaign when he was with the Minnesota Wild. He has a plus/minus of -3 while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per game.

The 32-year-old has also played in three games with the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

Mermis is in the first season of a two-year contract that he signed with Toronto last July. The deal has a cap hit of $812,500. In 89 career games in the NHL, he has scored five goals and nine assists for 14 points.

Aston-Reese has spent the entire first half of the season with the Blue Jackets, but has seen almost as much time in the press box as in the lineup. In 26 games thus far, the Staten Island, N.Y. native has potted a goal and four assists for five points, finding the back of the net on Jan. 17 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 31-year-old is on a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets, which has a cap hit of $775,000. In 415 regular-season games in the NHL, Aston-Reese has scored 49 goals and 53 assists for 102 points.

Gaunce has played a handful of games with the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ top farm team, scoring four goals and adding six points in 12 contests. With Columbus, the 31-year-old has appeared in 25 games, scoring two goals and four assists for six points.

Gaunce is in the final season of his two-year contract that he signed with the Wild in July 2024. The deal has an AAV of $775,000. In 214 NHL appearances, he has totaled 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points.