Blue Jackets and Senators Toss Carson Soucy and Josh Crotty on the Waiver Wire

The NHL waiver wire is basically the league's version of leaving a perfectly good couch on the curb with a "FREE" sign taped to it. Today's curbside offerings feature Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Carson Soucy and Ottawa Senators skater Josh Crotty.

Elliotte Friedman dropped the news on Wednesday that both players are available to any team willing to take on their contracts and roster spots. If nobody bites in 24 hours, they are packing their bags for the AHL.

"Elliotte Friedman reported the waiver placements on Wednesday."

Columbus is actually stringing together some decent hockey right now. They just pulled off back-to-back wins against the Vegas Golden Knights and Philadelphia Flyers. Waiving a healthy veteran defenseman like Soucy is a clear sign they want to clear a roster spot for a lineup that is suddenly finding its legs.

Meanwhile, Ottawa is dealing with the hangover of a 4-1 road loss to Vegas. Tossing Crotty on waivers is standard roster gymnastics for a team trying to figure out its depth chart before the season slips away.

It is always a little funny when a guy gets waived. You are essentially daring 31 other professional front offices to take your player for free, fully confident that they will look at the tape and say they are all set. It is the ultimate passive-aggressive roster move.

We will find out tomorrow if anyone claims them. Until then, Columbus heads to Carolina on Thursday to see if they can keep their streak alive, while Ottawa travels to Los Angeles on Friday hoping to bounce back. For Soucy and Crotty, they just have to sit by the phone and wait to see what city they live in next.