Waiver Watch: Which under-the-radar NHLers could become key targets?
Whenever an NHLer gets placed on waivers, you’ll find various fanbases getting overly excited in hopes of finding the next hidden gem.
Most of the time, we’re talking about replacement-level players who can help in small batches, but that’s about it. More often than not, there’s a reason teams are willing to essentially lose players for nothing. But then you’ll get a guy like Gustav Forsling, who went from a depth piece on the Chicago Blackhawks to a key reason why the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024.
There’s no busier waiver time than during the preseason. Recently, PuckPedia unveiled its 2026-27 waiver watch page, showcasing which players require waivers and which players are most likely to hit the wire. Today, we’re looking at five players listed as “likely” to be placed on waivers that teams should have a lot of interest in this fall:
Matthew Poitras, C, 22 (Boston Bruins)
Contract: $850,000 until the end of 2026-27
Poitras shocked the hockey world when he cracked the Bruins lineup as a 19-year-old in 2023. He was a late second-round pick the year before, so going to the NHL that quickly felt shocking. But he impressed with 15 points in 33 games, which gave many fans belief that he’d become a long-term part of the team’s bottom six. He took a minor step back the year after with 11 points in 33 games but still excelled in the AHL. By 2025-26, Poitras had just one goal in three NHL games while seeing his points-per-game production fall in Providence.
The Bruins have done a lot to address their bottom six over the past few years, and it feels like there just might not be space for the Brooklin, Ont., native anymore. Poitras is a skilled playmaker who tends to get the puck into dangerous areas, and he’s no slouch physically, either. It just doesn’t feel like he does enough on a shift to shift basis to secure himself a full-time NHL job At 22, Poitras is still quite young and could be intriguing to many teams around the league. Maybe he just needs a fresh start with an open opportunity to prove himself. But right now, it feels like it’s not working in Boston the way they were hoping.
Justin Robidas, RW, 23 (Carolina Hurricanes)
Contract: $850,000 until the end of 2026-27
Teams always love guys with NHL bloodlines, and the son of Stephane Robidas definitely fit the bill. Justin was the second overall pick in 2019 by the Val-d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL, where he’d quickly become one of the more fascinating forwards in the league. But at 5-foot-8, Robidas lacks the size teams were looking for, and he didn’t have the shot or defensive stability to make up for it. Despite all that, he has three points in four NHL games to his credit and is coming off a 60-point campaign in the AHL last year.
Robidas has been productive at every level he’s ever played, but he just hasn’t had the opportunity to crack the Hurricanes in any meaningful way. Barring a massive surprise at training camp, it doesn’t look like he’s going to get that opportunity this year either. The Hurricanes are coming off the Stanley Cup and have brought yet another strong forward group to defend it. At 23 years old, Robidas would be better off finding a new home in hopes of securing a long-term NHL gig. There are a lot of scouts that still believe in him, and while his size and lack of physicality don’t help, it still feels like he’s a worthy target for teams needing some extra offense.
Ethan Del Mastro, LHD, 23 (Chicago Blackhawks)
Contract: $950,000 until end of 2027-28
Del Mastro was a productive junior defenseman who came out swinging with a 37-point rookie AHL campaign. He then played 24 games with Chicago in 2024-25, putting up six points in that span. It felt like EDM was ready to tackle a full-time gig with the Blackhawks for 2025-26, only to register one assist through 19 games (the final game of the year) while struggling to find his consistency. Many scouts think he plateaued to the point where he won’t be more than a No. 7-8 defender in the NHL – but another team might be willing to take a chance on him, anyway.
At 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Del Mastro has the size teams crave in a blueliner. He’s mobile, too, even if he won’t blow you away with his speed. Defensively, though, Del Mastro needs work, and that’s partly why he has continued to fall down Chicago’s depth chart. The Hawks would definitely like to keep him in the system (they signed him to a two-year deal earlier this month), but his young age and size would make him an intriguing waiver pickup regardless.
Fabian Lysell, RW, 23 (Colorado Avalanche)
Contract: $850,000 until end of 2027-28
At one point, Lysell – a first-round pick in 2021 – looked like a potential middle-six scorer for the Boston Bruins. But aside from a 12-game run in 2024-25, Lysell has spent most of his pro career in the AHL, where he has been a decent contributor. But it was clear his time in Boston was never going to pan out, and the Avalanche sent Ivan Ivan the other way to take a chance on the Swedish winger. Lysell plays with skill and loves to shoot the puck, and he’s also a bit tenacious for an undersized forward.
But I’m not sure I’ve seen enough to suggest he’s more than the occasional call-up candidate at this point. The additions of Jaden Schwartz and Zach L’Heureux in the bottom six leaves little room for Lysell – who, notably, isn’t great defensively – to carve his niche. The odds of him cracking the NHL in a full-time capacity has dwindled quite substantially over the last two seasons, but a team might be willing to take a chance on a guy who can clearly still produce in the minors. A team near the bottom of the standings, such as Vancouver, could do a lot worse than snagging him up.
David Rittich, G, 34 (New Jersey Devils)
Contract: $1 million until end of 2026-27
The Devils enter the 2026-27 season with one of the worst goaltending lineups in the league – at least, on paper. GM Sunny Mehta has said he doesn’t want to throw all his eggs in the goalie basket, knowing how volatile it can be. Still, hoping the duo of Jake Allen and Nico Daws can get the job done is… interesting, to say the least. The club brought in Rittich over the offseason to give them some extra depth, but he’ll need to find a way to outplay Daws to secure the backup gig.
The Czech netminder had some solid performances with the New York Islanders a year ago and even boasted a surface-level .921 save percentage with the Los Angeles Kings in 2023-24. Inconsistency has been a problem throughout his career, though, which is why finding a long-term stable home has been a challenge. Rittich’s best days are behind him but, after playing 64 NHL games over the past two years, he’s still capable of giving a team some decent depth in spurts. Teams love to snag goalies on the waiver wire every fall, and Rittich, if placed on it, should be one of the most experienced options available – and at a cheap price.
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