28-year-old veteran forward placed on waivers
Senators forward Matthew Highmore has been placed on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
This likely means he's ready to return from an upper-body injury he suffered late in preseason, which put him on season-opening injured reserve.
If no other team claims him, Highmore will be sent to the AHL's Belleville Senators. The 28 year old spent most of last season there serving as an alternate captain & recording 31 points (9 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games. Impressed by his performance the Senators offered him a one year extension for this season. His contract remains the same earning him $775,000 in the NHL & $400,000 in the AHL.
Highmore has played 146 NHL games, including seven with Ottawa last season. He's a versatile forward who can play any position but has mostly been used as a winger in the NHL. Known for his solid fourth-line play and penalty-killing abilities, Highmore has 29 career NHL points (12 goals, 17 assists) and a -8 rating, averaging about 11 minutes of ice time per game. He's had more success offensively in the AHL, where he has 156 points (59 goals, 97 assists) in 208 games. Over his career, he's also played for the Blackhawks, Blues, and Canucks, after signing with Chicago as an undrafted free agent from the QMJHL in 2017.
According to PuckPedia, Highmore currently counts $238,151 against the salary cap while on injured reserve. That amount will be cleared if he's claimed or assigned to Belleville after waivers.
Stay tuned for more updates.
