The Canadian submitted the name of forward Cédric Paquette on waivers.
Posted at 2:00 p.m.
This is not a big surprise, on the one hand because of the surplus of personnel caused by the return of injured players, but also in view of the difficult season experienced by the 28-year-old Quebecer. He did not train with his team on Saturday morning, an indication of an imminent staff movement.
Hired last summer on the free agent market, Paquette never managed to make his mark in Montreal. Relegated to a marginal role, the former Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes was limited to two assists in 24 games. He has been sidelined 21 times by his coaches, including in the last 14 games – he still hasn’t played since Martin St-Louis was appointed at the helm of CH on February 9.
All NHL teams have 24 hours to claim Cédric Paquette if they wish. If he was ignored, he will logically be transferred to the Laval Rocket, in the American League. His salary of $950,000 would, if necessary, be erased from the Canadian’s payroll.
The skater will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. In career, he had 95 points in 448 season games and 13 more points in 95 playoff games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020.