As first reported by Lisa Dillman, the Kings have placed Jeff Schultz and Adam Cracknell on waivers.
Should they not be claimed in the 24-hour waiver window, they will be able to be assigned to the Manchester Monarchs.
While this is the most significant transaction news of the preseason for the Kings, it isn’t a surprise. Though Darryl Sutter had previously discussed roster options that included using 13 forwards and eight defenseman – and even 13 forwards and 7 defensemen – it was most likely that Schultz and Cracknell would be the odd men out in the event that the Kings finished the preseason healthy and without roster players on injured reserve, and that’s simply what happened.
That Brayden McNabb showed steady progression through training camp and the preseason, and considering Andy Andreoff’s strong performances in San Jose and Colorado Springs, the two were able to solidify the inside track they had on their roster spots.
There is the chance that Cracknell and Schultz are claimed, though teams could potentially be wary of Schultz’s two year deal, as has been noted on LAKI. It is certainly worth watching, as the depth to the Kings’ blue line would be challenged were Schultz to be claimed, given Andrew Bodnarchuk’s knee injury in training camp.
Barring any injuries or trades, the Kings appear set to open the season with the following roster:
Forwards (14): Andy Andreoff, Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Kyle Clifford, Marian Gaborik, Dwight King, Anze Kopitar, Trevor Lewis, Jordan Nolan, Tanner Pearson, Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll, Tyler Toffoli, Justin Williams
Defensemen (7): Drew Doughty, Matt Greene, Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb, Jake Muzzin, Robyn Regehr, Slava Voynov
Goalies (2): Martin Jones, Jonathan Quick
NHL teams must submit their final rosters by 2:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday.
Waivers: SHANE O’BRIEN FLO CAM JANSSEN N.J PETER HARROLD N.J STEVE BERNIER N.J ZAC DALPE BUF CHRIS MUELLER NYR
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 6, 2014
Waivers: JERRY D’AMIGO CBJ $41,250 STEVE OLEKSY WSH PETER BUDAJ WPG STEPHANE VEILLEUX MIN CODY ALMOND MIN
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 6, 2014
Waivers: FRAZER MCLAREN TOR KORBINIAN HOLZER TOR COLTON ORR TOR ZACH BOYCHUK CAR TAYLOR DOHERTY S.J RYAN HAMILTON EDM
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 6, 2014
Waivers: JEFF SCHULTZ L.A ADAM CRACKNELL L.A
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 6, 2014
Rules for Blog Commenting
Repeated violations of the blog rules will result in site bans, commensurate with the nature and number of offenses.
Please flag any comments that violate the site rules for moderation. For immediate problems regarding problematic posts, please email zdooley@lakings.com.