The Edmonton Oilers placed veteran forward Alex Chiasson on waivers earlier on Monday. Chiasson, who is in the final year of a two-year contract signed on July 1st, 2019, carries a cap hit of $2,150,000. If he clears waivers, Chiasson is likely to join Edmonton’s taxi squad in advance of Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.
Chiasson joined the Oilers on a PTO in training camp prior to the 2018-19 season. He earned a contract in camp, then went on to score a career-high 22 goals and 38 points (22 g, 16 a) in his first season with the Oilers. Chiasson shot a career-high 17.9% that season, a number that was unsustainable.
After testing free agency, Chiasson returned on a two-year contract on July 1st, 2019. He took a step back in his second season with the Oilers, scoring just eleven goals and finishing the season with 24 points (11 g, 13 a).
So far this season, Chiasson has zero points in six games and a -5 rating.
It’s unlikely that Chiasson gets claimed off of waivers. Chiasson is a solid net-front presence on the powerplay, and is a solid bottom-six winger with two-way ability. Unfortunately, he’s overpaid and likely isn’t going anywhere because of it.
Should Chiasson clear waivers, as expected, the Oilers will gain even more flexibility. Chiasson clearing would allow the Oilers to send him, Tyler Ennis, Joakim Nygard and Devin Shore to the taxi squad freely. It also opens a spot on the roster for a player like Evan Bouchard.
If Ethan Bear is again unable to go on Tuesday, playing Bouchard makes a lot of sense for coach Dave Tippett. In order to do that, someone will need to head to the taxi squad.
If Chiasson does get claimed, there are a few teams who could make sense. The Anaheim Ducks are in search of wingers, while the Boston Bruins had sniffed around Chiasson via trade in the off-season. Some have named the Ottawa Senators, a young team in need of depth with tons of cap space, as a possible suitor.
Chiasson’s fate will be decide at 12:00 pm eastern on Tuesday.
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