Three players claimed off waivers ahead of 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
While the Trade Deadline is no stranger to players finding new homes, three players will be moving to new teams, but not through a trade.
Three players were claimed off of waivers on Friday ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, as the Philadelphia Flyers have claimed forward Luke Glendening from the New Jersey Devils, the Florida Panthers have claimed winger Cole Reinhardt from the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Vancouver Canucks have claimed forward Curtis Douglas from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
PHI claims Glendening VAN claims Douglas FLA claims Reinhardt
Glendening joined the Devils for training camp on a professional tryout contract and earned himself a spot on the roster, signing to a one-year, $775,000 contract. He struggled to produce with the Devils, getting only four assists in 52 games, but he’s never been a player known for his production, only surpassing the 20-point mark twice in his career.
Reinhardt joined the Golden Knights in the summer, signing with the team to a two-year deal with a $812,500 cap hit. He made the team out of training camp, and had mostly been a regular in the lineup, collecting three goals and four assists for seven points in 44 games. It’s the most points he’s had in a season in his career, which should be no surprise considering he had just one goal and one assist for two points in 18 career games with the Ottawa Senators prior to this season, and was in his first season as an NHL regular.
Douglas started the season with the Utah Mammoth, as he was in the final year of his two-year contract with a $775,000 cap hit, but the Lightning claimed him off of waivers as he was being reassigned to the AHL for the start of the regular season. It’s his first season in the NHL, where he’s had two assists in 29 games with the Lightning, along with one assist in six AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch during a conditioning stint.