New Waivers Priority For The NHL and Montreal Canadiens

One of the main questions from Montreal Canadiens fans following the waiver claim of Dante Fabbro was whether the Habs showed any interest in the right-handed defenceman.

Up until November 1, the NHL’s waiver-wire priority list was based on the standings from the previous season (2023-2024), which meant the Canadiens had the fifth-highest priority in the NHL, regardless of how many claims they made.

After November 1, the priority is based on the updated standings, with the last place team in the league having the highest priority.

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.”

Consequently, since the Canadiens were the second-last team in the NHL standings at the time of Fabbro’s appearance on the waiver wire, they had the second-highest priority in the league, with only the San Jose Sharks ahead of them. We can safely say the Canadiens did not put in a claim for Fabbro.

Updated Waiver Wire Priority For The Canadiens

Seeing as the Sharks beat the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night, the Canadiens now find themselves alone in the basement of the NHL standings. It’s far from an ideal situation for a team that wanted to take a step forward this season, but it also means they have the first opportunity to claim any player that lands on the NHL’s waiver wire.