The Montreal Canadiens have placed defenseman Sami Niku on waivers.
Niku signed with the Canadiens in late September after he was bought out by the Winnipeg Jets. The 25-year-old wanted a change of scenery to have a better chance of being an NHL regular. With this latest development, however, it appears that he now won’t be getting that with the Canadiens, either.
In 13 games this season with the Canadiens, Niku has six assists. Overall, in terms of offensive production, he has done pretty well. However, it’s clear that Montreal is more impressed with the other players around them – hence why they have placed him on waivers.
It seems very possible that a team will take a chance on Niku from here. He only has a $750,000 cap hit and arguably still may have good upside. With that, he also has had a lot of success at the AHL level. In 114 career AHL games, he has 22 goals, 58 assists, and 80 points. Thus, he is capable of producing well offensively.
Although he hasn’t been able to become a mainstay on an NHL roster, perhaps he could elsewhere. Rebuilding teams like the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes stand out as potential landing spots.
Alas, we will find out on Thursday if another team puts a claim on him. If not, he will be heading to the Laval Rocket.
Photo Credit: © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
