Leafs place Cayden Primeau on waivers

A former netminding prospect could be on the move again.

On Friday, the Toronto Maple Leafs placed goaltender Cayden Primeau on waivers, making him available to the other 31 teams in the NHL.

If Primeau were to clear waivers on Saturday, he could be assigned to the Maple Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

The news comes just hours after the Leafs announced that fellow backstop Joseph Woll is set to see some game action and will be joining the Marlies on a conditioning loan. While the timeline of Woll’s participation in the minors is unknown, the Leafs could use Dennis Hildeby as a backup to Anthony Stolarz in the short term while Woll gets up to game speed.

Primeau has had quite a few months. After his signing rights were traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Farmington Hills, Mich. native signed a one-year contract with the Hurricanes, with a cap hit of $775,000. However, before the regular season began, he was put on waivers and, with the Leafs needing a goaltender after Woll took a leave of absence, he was claimed off waivers.

Primeau has made just three starts this season behind Stolarz. After earning wins against the Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres in his first two appearances, the former Northeastern Husky gave up six goals in a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 29. He has posted a 4.30 goals-against average and a .836 save percentage.

Across seven NHL seasons, Primeau has appeared in 58 games, posting a record of 15-25-7, with a 3.73 GAA, a .882 SV% and two shutouts.

Outside of the 2023-24 season, Primeau has spent most of his pro career with the Laval Rocket of the AHL.In 149 regular-season games, the 26-year-old has a record of 84-44-18, with a 2.60 GAA , a .912 SV% and 13 shutouts. He’s also 12-11 in 24 Calder Cup Playoff games, with a 2.50 GAA, a .920 SV% and one shutout.