Is Marko Dano Worth a Waiver Claim?

The Winnipeg Jets placed forward Marko Dano on waivers yesterday. The 23-year old was acquired in the Andrew Ladd trade at the 2015-16 NHL trade deadline from Chicago, just months after being dealt to the Hawks from Columbus in the Brandon Saad deal.

Dano’s potential made him a highly sought after trade chip, but he has struggled mightily to establish himself as a full-time member of the Winnipeg forward group. That said, at just 23, Dano still might be worth the time for an NHL club.

Would he be worth the waiver claim for the Edmonton Oilers? Let’s investigate.

The Player:

Dano played in only 23 games a season ago, registering 2-1-3 for the Jets. This came after suiting up in 38 contests in 2016-17, where he posted 4-7-11. He’s yet to play for the Jets this season through a handful of games, and clearly isn’t in their plans right now.

Over the course of three seasons, Dano has played in 82 total games for the Jets. Over the time, he’s posted 10-12-22, below average numbers and something that would inidcate he’s not producing near what many thought he would as a prospect.

Dano, however, deserves a deeper look. He’s been a strong possession player over the course of his career, posting a 52.1 Corsi For% in 130 career NHL games. Last year, he was a positive possession player at 50.3% while also posting a 1.3 CF% Rel to his Jet teammates. The puck goes in the right direction when Dano sees the ice.

He’s a bit player, he’s averaged 11:10 TOI-per-game throughout his career while averaging a shooting percentage around 9% for his career. He’s never really gotten a look inside the top-six for the Jets, which is odd when considering his skill-set.

Here’s a look at Dano’s scouting report via Sports Forecaster:

Assets: Owns a great shot, elusive skating ability and a lot of creativity on offense. Is versatile enough to play either wing or center, and he’s especially good when shooting from his off-wing (right).

Flaws: Doesn’t have a big frame (5-11), so he needs to get stronger in order to play an effective game in North America. Also lacks offensive consistency, while the rest of his game is only average (at best).

Career Potential: Versatile scoring forward with upside.

Does He Fit?:

Dano is listed as a center on hockey reference, but he only took one faceoff a season ago and almost exclusively lined up at left wing. He’s a left-shot winger, but can shoot off the right wing and brings an element of versatility that few can duplicate in Edmonton’s lineup.

He could be a fit on the powerplay in the sense that he has a good shot and can essentially play as a right-shot option even though he shoots left. The Oilers don’t have that element on their powerplay right now, and it is hurting them badly. In that regard, Dano could be a fit with the team.

Contract wise, Dano is owed $800,000 over the course of the season and will be a free agent come July. The Oilers have the cap space, and the contract space, to fit him onto the roster no problem.

The real question is, is Dano an upgrade on Drake Caggiula? Is he an upgrade on Alex Chiasson? Is he an upgrade on Zack Kassian? What about on Kailer Yamamoto?

I’d prefer Dano to Chiasson, but other than that I think it is all up for debate (Outside Yamamoto, who I think is bettter). Dano is one of those AAAA players who is likely too good for the AHL, but not quite good enough to handle a big role in the NHL. He reminds me quite a bit of Anton Lander, and some have compared him to Pontus Aberg. I think the Aberg comparsion is perfect here.

Overall, I’d probably pass on Dano. There are things to like about his game, but overall he just doesn’t do enough to warrent the claim. If his scoring numbers were a little better, I’d be willing to take the chance. If Edmonton is going to try and add more skill, I’d prefer they do it on a higher scale than Dano, who is likely just a great AHL’er at this point in his career.