12 NHL players placed on waivers for Oct. 3
Rosters are getting closer to being finalized, as more players are on the wire.
On Friday, 12 NHL players were placed on waivers, making them available to the other 31 franchises in the league.
The big name on the day’s wire is that of Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay in the lineup since he signed with the team in 2021. He was limited to just 59 games due to injury, only scoring five goals and eight assists for 13 points, the lowest point total of his full-time NHL career.
Kampf is heading into the third season of his four-year contract extension that he signed in June 2023. The deal has a cap hit of $2.4 million. In 536 games in the NHL, Kampf has scored 48 goals and 95 assists for 143 points, with seven more points in 35 postseason games.
Another notable name on waivers was someone who already made headlines on Friday. The Carolina Hurricanes put forward Givani Smith on waivers less than an hour after the team announced it signed the 27-year-old to a one-year, two-way contract. Smith earned the deal thanks to a strong training camp while on a PTO. Across seven seasons, Smith has appeared in 168 NHL games, scoring nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points, along with 268 penalty minutes. In 178 AHL contests, he has totaled 27 goals and 30 assists for 57 points, with 287 penalty minutes.
The Boston Bruins put five players on waivers, including forward Georgii Merkulov. The Russian appeared in six games with the Bruins last season, registering his first NHL point, an assist, against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 16. Merkulov has been an efficient scorer with Boston’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Merkulov has led the team in scoring in each of his three years with the team, posting 54 points in 59 games in 2024-25.
Merkulov signed a one-year contract extension with Boston this past June. Along with appearing in 10 games with Boston, the 24-year-old has scored 70 goals and 113 assists for 183 points in 201 AHL contests.
Here is the full list of players put on waivers on Friday:
Boston Bruins: Patrick Brown, Michael Callahan, Georgii Merkulov, Victor Soderstrom, Riley Tufte
Carolina Hurricanes: Givani Smith
Tampa Bay Lightning: Brandon Halverson
Toronto Maple Leafs: David Kampf, William Villeneuve
Utah Mammoth: Matt Villalta
Vancouver Canucks: Nils Aman
Washington Capitals: Sheldon Rempal
Of the 22 players who were placed on waivers on Thursday, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Daemon Hunt was claimed by the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Vegas Golden Knights forward Cole Schwindt was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche, and Calgary Flames defender Ilya Solovyov was claimed by the Florida Panthers. All other players are eligible to join their respective AHL teams.
Opening night rosters are to be finalized by Monday, Oct. 6.