Two NHL players placed on waivers for Nov. 20

Two new names were added to the NHL waiver wire on Thursday, as the St. Louis Blues placed forward Alexandre Texier on the wire and the Buffalo Sabres waived winger Mason Geertsen.

The league’s other teams will have the chance to place claims Thursday, and they will either be assigned to their new organizations or their respective AHL affiliates at 2:00 PM EST on Friday.

No players were placed on waivers on Wednesday, so there were no new claims or clearances to report today.

Texier has not found a rhythm in St. Louis this season, as the second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets has recorded just one point in his eight appearances. Last year was the first one for Texier outside the Columbus organization, and he recorded 11 points in 31 games for the Blues.

The French winger spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets, with the peak of his offensive production coming in 2021-22 when he racked up 20 points in 36 games. After missing the following season, Texier had 30 points in 78 contests for Columbus in 2023-24.

Given his experience and skill, it is not difficult to imagine there being interest around the league in Texier’s services. Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet reported that while Texier is on regular waivers, his contract could end up being terminated if he were to clear. That would open the door to Texier pursuing other playing opportunities, whether around the NHL or overseas.

Geertsen, an Alberta native, was a 2013 draft pick by Colorado, and he has 30 games of NHL experience under his belt, 5 this year in Buffalo and 25 in New Jersey in 2021-22. He has yet to record his first NHL point.

Geertsen spent the past two seasons with Vegas’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. In 89 games between those seasons, he had 6 goals and 5 assists for 11 points.