Kiefer Bellows placed on waivers, Cal Petersen clears
According to Elliotte Friedman, Kieffer Bellows has been placed on waivers.
Bellows (PHI) on waivers
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 1, 2022This is the second time the 24-year-old winger has been placed on the waiver wire this season. He was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers on October 27th from the New York Islanders. Bellows has played 11 games for the Flyers, scoring zero points and a -4 rating.
In a surprising move yesterday, the Los Angeles Kings placed Cal Petersen on waivers. Today we learned that he cleared waivers and will possibly suit up for the Ontario Reign in the American Hockey League. Petersen is the most expensive player to be placed on waivers since Matt Murray went down to the AHL in November of last year.
Petersen’s $15 million three-year contract carries an AAV of $5 million per season. He has struggled mightily this season, posting a 3.75 GAA and .868 SV%. Despite this, his team has scored enough goals to earn the 28-year-old netminder a 5-3-2 record.
Petersen played three seasons for the Ontario Reign from 2017-20, before he became part of the Kings’ goalie tandem with Jonathan Quick. He compiled a record of 53-51-7 in the AHL.
In 101 NHL games with the Kings, Petersen has a record of 44-42-10, a 2.92 GAA and a .905 SV%. The Kings hope his being placed on waivers will be the wake-up call he needs.
Kieffer Bellows was originally a 19th overall pick of the Islanders in the 2016 NHL Draft. He was lauded as a top prospect playing in five vastly different levels of hockey from 2016 to 2020. First, he played for the United States Under-18 Team, then he played a season for Boston University. He then made the unusual switch to the Western Hockey League, playing a season for the Portland Winterhawks.
In 2018-19, he turned pro, playing a full season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the AHL as a 21-year-old. Over the last few seasons it’s been a constant struggle for Bellows to stay healthy and stay in the Islanders lineup. In total, he has played 79 NHL games, scoring 11 goals and 25 points with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.