NHL Waiver Wire Drops a Graveyard of Bad Contracts and Goalie Experiments

The NHL waiver wire just dropped, and it looks less like a routine roster shuffle and more like a graveyard of recent bad contracts and failed experiments.

Chris Johnston reported a massive list of notable names hitting waivers today. The group is headlined by a bizarre number of recognizable goalies, including Laurent Brossoit of the Anaheim Ducks, Ilya Samsonov of the San Jose Sharks, and David Rittich of the New Jersey Devils.

"Chris Johnston reported the list of notable players on NHL waivers today, including Laurent Brossoit, Henri Jokiharju, and Ilya Samsonov."

The skater side of the wire is just as chaotic. Take Henri Jokiharju, for example. The Boston Bruins acquired him at the 2025 trade deadline and handed him a three-year deal with a $3 million cap hit. Now he is on waivers after struggling to stay in the lineup consistently and battling injuries.

Then there is Brossoit, who is hitting the wire for Anaheim despite having a Stanley Cup ring from 2023 and a history of solid backup numbers when his knees actually cooperate. You also have the Vegas Golden Knights cutting bait on Alexander Holtz and Ville Heinola, proving once again that Vegas treats draft pedigree like a disposable napkin.

This is the time of year when front offices have to publicly admit their offseason whiteboard math did not translate to actual hockey. For anyone looking at the betting markets, this goalie carousel is a massive indicator of team instability. When teams are tossing veteran netminders onto the wire, you know their defensive rotations are in full panic mode.

We will find out tomorrow who actually gets claimed and who clears. Until then, expect a few general managers to be sweating out their depth charts while these guys pack their bags for either a new NHL city or a very humbling bus ride to the AHL.