Canadiens Waiver Wire Priority List As 2024-25 Season Opens

It’s not an easy challenge, but the Montreal Canadiens have managed to find a few gems by using the NHL’s waiver wire, including forward Paul Byron, goaltender Samuel Montembeault, and defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic.

Now that teams have started to finalize their rosters ahead of the start of the NHL’s regular season on October 8, it’s the perfect time to remind everyone about the process involved to claim a player via the waiver wire.

Today
McLaughlin (BOS)
Frk, Kirkland (CAL)
Sanford, Seney (CHI)
Gawdin, Hicketts, Madden, Walsh (LA)
Cecconi, Crotty, Raska (MIN)
Condotta, Gignac (MON)
Bellows, Hinostroza, Murray (NASH)
Laferriere, MacEachern, McGing, Skinner (STL)
Paquette-Bisson, Pouliot (TB)

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 29, 2024

NHL Waiver Priority List

The current waiver wire priority list is based on the final 2023–24 standings, in which the Canadiens finished fifth-last, with 76 points. The finish allowed them to pick phenom Ivan Demidov with the fifth overall pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, and will also ensure they have solid waiver-wire priority compared to most NHL clubs.

Waiver Claim Via NHL Rules

Waiver-claim priority is explained in the following manner in the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.

“In the event that more than one Club makes a claim for such Player, he shall: (i) be transferred to the claiming Club having earned the lowest percentage of possible points in the League standing at the time of the request for Waivers, or (ii) if Waivers are requested outside the Regular Season, or the successful Waiver claim is made (i.e., the date the Player would be transferred to a successful claiming Club per this Section), before November 1st then the priority shall be determined by the final standing in the League’s Regular Season schedule in the preceding Regular Season.”

Waiver Wire Priority List Date Change

The Montreal Canadiens will maintain the fifth-highest priority, regardless of whether they claim a player or not, as the priority list is based on the 2023–24 standings until November 1. At that point, the waiver-wire priority list will be based on the updated 2024–25 standings.

Complete NHL Waiver Priority List

The current NHL waiver priority list is as follows.