Philippe Myers is on waivers as head coach Jim Hiller and the Toronto Maple Leafs trim eight players from their roster.
Toronto accounted for eight of the 30 NHL players placed on waivers Thursday, making the Leafs one of the busiest teams as roster decisions accelerate.
Myers is the name that stands out. He's a big, right-shot defenseman, and that combination remains difficult for NHL teams to find when they're searching for blue-line depth.
That makes him a legitimate candidate to draw attention before he clears. Teams looking for size on the right side now have an opportunity to add him without surrendering an asset.
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Brendan Brisson also landed on waivers. The forward is another intriguing name because Toronto must decide how much NHL-ready depth it can expose while shaping its opening roster.
Steven Lorentz and Michael Pezzetta were waived as well, putting two recognizable bottom-six options within reach of the rest of the league.
Toronto exposes several depth options
Vinni Lettieri joins that forward group on waivers, while Henrik Rybinski and Ryan Tverberg were also exposed as the Leafs continue sorting through their organizational depth.
Marshall Rifai is the second Toronto defenseman on the list. Losing either Rifai or Myers would thin the club's defensive options before the regular-season roster is even settled.
The Leafs weren't alone. Minnesota placed eight players on waivers, including Dylan Gambrell, Tyler Pitlick, Mason Shaw and Carson Lambos.
Los Angeles exposed five players, with Cole Guttman, Lane Pederson and Francesco Pinelli among them. Carolina placed Viktor Neuchev, Zachary Sawchenko and Ronan Seeley on the wire.
Dallas waived Kyle Burroughs and Matthew Seminoff, while Ottawa exposed goaltender Leevi Merilainen. Nashville's Matthew Murray and Pittsburgh's Philip Kemp were also included.
But Toronto's group carries extra intrigue because Myers fills a profile teams regularly search for: a large defenseman who plays the right side.
Waiver season often becomes a numbers game. For the Leafs, the question now is whether all eight players make it through untouched or another club decides Myers is too useful to pass up.
Will Philippe Myers be claimed off waivers?
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