The NHL saw a flurry of activity on the waiver wire today, October 6, 2025, as teams finalized their rosters for the upcoming season. Several notable players were placed on waivers Sunday, and four have been claimed. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres were among the teams making moves to bolster their lineups.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were the busiest, claiming both goaltender Cayden Primeau from the Carolina Hurricanes and forward Sammy Blais from the Montreal Canadiens. Primeau, 26, was initially acquired by Carolina in an offseason trade with Montreal. Last season with the Canadiens, the 6-foot-3 netminder posted a 2-3-1 record with a 4.70 goals-against average and an .836 save percentage. However, he also had a strong showing in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, going 21-2-3 with a 1.96 GAA and .927 save percentage in 26 games. The Leafs have been looking for goaltending depth after Joseph Woll took a leave of absence from the team. With veteran James Reimer on a professional tryout and Dennis Hildeby also in the mix, the acquisition of Primeau adds another option between the pipes.
Blais, 29, joins the Maple Leafs after signing a one-year deal with the Canadiens in the offseason. The 6-foot-2 forward spent last season in the Vancouver Canucks organization, tallying 14 goals and 40 points in 51 AHL games with Abbotsford. He last played in the NHL in 2023-24, recording a goal and seven points in 53 games for the St. Louis Blues. Blais reunites with Leafs head coach Craig Berube, under whom he previously played with the Blues. He even won a Stanley Cup in 2019 with Berube and the Blues. The Maple Leafs are bringing in another gritty two-way bottom-six forward with Blais.
The Tampa Bay Lightning claimed forward Curtis Douglas from the Utah Mammoth. Douglas, standing at 6-foot-9, brings a physical presence to the Lightning organization. While the team still has roster decisions to make, Douglas could serve as a 13th forward option.
The Buffalo Sabres claimed goaltender Colten Ellis from the St. Louis Blues. Ellis, 25, played last season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds, recording a 22-14-2 record with a 2.63 GAA and a .922 save percentage. The 6-foot-1 netminder was originally drafted by the Blues in 2019. With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen injured, the Sabres have Alex Lyon, Alexander Georgiev, and Devon Levi in their goaltending pool. Ellis provides another option for the Sabres, who may carry three goalies or have Levi continue his development in the AHL.
Several other notable players were placed on waivers but went unclaimed, including Michael DiPietro. The Bruins placed DiPietro on waivers Sunday. There was belief that the Toronto Maple Leafs, or Calgary Flames were going to put a claim in on DiPietro. To many's surprise, this did not happen, as the Maple Leafs ended up claiming a different goaltender on waivers.
These waiver claims come as teams finalize their rosters ahead of the regular season. The moves provide new opportunities for the claimed players and address specific needs for the claiming teams.
