Two NHL players placed on waivers for Jan. 9

A couple of notable names have hit the wire to end the week.

On Friday, the Florida Panthers placed forward Noah Gregor on waivers, as did the New Jersey Devils with defenseman Dennis Cholowski, making them available to the other teams in the league.

If both clear waivers on Saturday, they will be eligible to be assigned to their respective American Hockey League affiliates.

Gregor came to the Panthers this past fall, signing a professional tryout heading into training camp. He was able to earn a one-year, two-way contract thanks to his performance during the preseason. The 27-year-old has appeared in just 24 games so far, scoring a goal and two assists for three points. His lone tally came back on Dec. 11 against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Edmonton native’s contract has a cap hit of $775,000. He hasn’t been in the minors since playing a few games for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda during the 2021-22 season. Gregor has appeared in 317 NHL games, scoring 37 goals and 36 assists for 73 points.

Cholowski hasn’t played Dec. 14, as he has been a healthy scratch for the past few weeks. The Langley, B.C. native has appeared in 15 games for the Devils this year, with an assist coming in his season debut against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 1.

Cholowski is also on a one-year deal, with an NHL cap hit of $775,000. The 27-year-old has played in 171 NHL games, scoring 13 goals and 28 assists for 41 points. In 241 regular-season games in the AHL, he has posted 18 goals and 105 assists for 123 points.

The only player put on waivers on Thursday, Minnesota Wild forward Tyler Pitlick, cleared and can be sent down to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.