Waiver Wire Roulette: Sabres Dump Sheary, Rangers Toss Iorio Back Into the Pool

The NHL waiver wire in late September is basically a recycling bin for guys who either have too much mileage or not enough runway.

Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday that the Buffalo Sabres placed veteran forward Conor Sheary on waivers, while the New York Rangers did the exact same thing with young defenseman Vincent Iorio.

"Elliotte Friedman reported: 'Sheary (BUF) & Iorio (NYR) on waivers'"

Sheary hitting the wire is the kind of move that makes you check what year it is. The 34-year-old winger just landed on injured reserve with an undisclosed issue on Monday, and Buffalo is already moving on.

Last season with the Rangers, Sheary managed just seven goals and 11 assists across 62 games. For context, that is roughly one point every three weeks. If you are looking at NHL futures and betting on him to suddenly find his 2017 form, you might want to check the expiration date on your sportsbook app.

Then there is Iorio, who is collecting waiver claims like they are frequent flyer miles.

The 23-year-old was a second-round pick by the Washington Capitals in 2021. Since then, he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks last October, played 21 games in California, got waived again, and was scooped up by the Rangers in January. Now, New York is tossing him right back into the pool.

This is the brutal reality of the preseason roster crunch. Teams are trying to finalize their opening night lineups, and fringe guys get caught in the math. Buffalo is trying to sort out their forward depth before heading to play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, while the Rangers are trimming the fat before they face the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

We will find out in 24 hours if anyone actually bites. Sheary probably clears and heads to the AHL to rehab whatever is keeping him off the ice, but Iorio is young enough that a rebuilding team with terrible defensive depth might just take another flier.