BHN Puck Links: NHL Waivers Mania, Bruins-Flyers Outdoors

Monday marked the craziest NHL waivers wire day in NHL history thanks to the taxi squads each NHL team can carry in the 56-game 2021 NHL regular season. 

There were some interesting and younger, skilled players out there on the NHL Waiver wire Monday as the Detroit Red Wings waived 2015 19th pick overall Evgeny Svechnikov and the Boston Bruins waived Zach Senyshyn whom they selected four picks behind Svechnikov. 

Of course that 2015 NHL Entry Draft will forever saddle Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney after he selected Jakub Zboril (13th overall), Jake DeBrusk (14th overall) and then Senyshyn at 15th. Meanwhile, the next three picks consecutively were New York Islanders star center Mathew Barzal, Winnipeg Jets sniper Kyle Connor and Thomas Chabot. Washington Capitals budding star goalie Ilya Samsonov went 22nd overall, Vancouver Canucks star winger Brock Boeser went 23rd, Philadelphia Flyers star center Travis Konecny went 24th and New York Islanders rising star winger Anthony Beauvillier was taken 28th overall. 

Could Sweeney gain some redemption on the NHL waivers wire before noon today though and even if the Bruins end up losing a first-rounder from the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, gain a second-rounder with an NHL waivers claim? 

A well-placed NHL source believes so and told Boston Hockey Now he wouldn’t be surprised if the Bruins looked back into left-shot defenseman Oliver Kylington who was selected by the Calgary Flames 60th overall at the 2015 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old rearguard was waived by the Flames Monday. (Boston Hockey Now)

Now onto the rest of your BHN Puck Links!

Speaking of the Boston Bruins blue line, they now have a new elder statesman in 33-year-old defenseman Kevan Miller who is cleared to return to the ice for the season opener against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. Partner in crime Joe Haggerty has more. (Boston Hockey Now) 

That seasoned vet and the rest of the Bruins will be playing outdoors again next month, literally in the great outdoors by Lake Tahoe! (Boston Hockey Now)

Originally the NHL hadn’t planned on outdoor games this season because of COVID and having no fans. So what changed their minds? (NHL.com)

In the same Zoom call with the media that Bettman announced the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters that the NHL and its teams are going to lose more money playing the 2021 NHL season than they would’ve had they shuttered the season. Bettman tried to stress that the league is doing this for the game and the fans but as longtime NHL columnist Ken Campbell pointed out, there was plenty of ulterior motive by the league here. (Hockey News)

If you haven’t done your fantasy draft yet, TSN had a pretty accurate take on who could be the breakout players this season. My two cents, don’t sleep on Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Gryzelcyk, and Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander. (TSN)

In some rather disturbing news, San Jose Sharks star forward Evander Kane has filed for bankruptcy with one of the major reasons being a seemingly gambling addiction. (The Athletic)

Finally, for Murph’s Music Pick of the day, it’s a birthday shoutout to Haverhill, MA native Rob Zombie who turns 56 today. I remember covering the UMass-Amherst Hockey team when I wrote for the Daily Collegian in the late nineties and there were plenty of Rob Zombie blaring before and after games in the dressing room!