28-year-old veteran goaltender finds himself on waivers sparking speculation about a potential claim
The Winnipeg Jets have placed goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen on waivers, according to PuckPedia.
Kähkönen, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Winnipeg during the offseason, has seemingly lost the backup goalie spot to Eric Comrie.
This outcome may come as a surprise to many, as it was expected that Comrie, who had a tough season with a .874 save percentage in 10 games for the Sabres last year, would be the one on waivers. Comrie had signed a two-year deal worth $825,000 AAV to return to the Jets for his fourth stint with the team.
The Jets held off making a decision on their backup goalie while starter Connor Hellebuyck was briefly absent for personal reasons, which allowed them to carry three goalies on the opening night roster. With Hellebuyck now back and recording a shutout in the season opener, Comrie served as the backup, while Kähkönen watched from the press box.
Waiving Kähkönen saves the Jets $175,000 in cap space compared to Comrie, but it's hard to imagine Kähkönen passing through waivers. His $1 million cap hit is fully buriable in the minors, and his recent performance with the Sharks-posting a .898 save percentage last season despite the team's struggles-makes him an intriguing option for other clubs.
Kähkönen, a fourth-round pick by Minnesota in 2014, has a career .899 save percentage, four shutouts, and a 49-67-15 record in 139 NHL games with the Wild, Sharks, and Devils.
