The NHL’s shortened preseason means teams face a smaller window to make crucial decisions. Thus, while the New York Rangers sideline Adam Sykora and Vincent Iorio and await injury updates, Mike Sullivan has placed four players on waivers.
As reported by James Mirtle of The Athletic, the Rangers have placed defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Urho Vaakanainen, and centers Justin Dowling and Juuso Parssinen on waivers.
Over the next 24 hours, their futures in the NHL will be decided. If they clear waivers, then New York can assign the quartet to its AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. None of the four players were waiver-exempt, meaning this was the only way for Sullivan to send them down to the minors.
All four of the players placed on waivers had participated in New York’s preseason opener against the New Jersey Devils on Sept. 21. The game ended in a 3-2 loss to the home Devils side, which featured a veteran NHL lineup.
Urho Vaakanainen during preseason game against Devils.
Risky move from NY Rangers
Sullivan and the Rangers are rolling the dice. As is the case every time a player goes on waivers, another franchise can pick him up. The fact that New York placed the four players on waivers with plenty of time before the active-roster deadline (Sept. 28) may hint that the Rangers don’t want to lose these skaters and are trying to fly them under the radar while teams are too busy minding their own business and making roster cuts.
However, placing them on waivers and trying to send them to the AHL also reveals how Sullivan rates them, as well as the fact that they don’t have a spot on the NHL lineup right now. Neither Vaakanainen, Parssinen, Dowling nor Cholowski are particularly young prospects.
New York may have seen all there is to see with them. If Sullivan isn’t sold on their potential now, he may not be sold later in the season. Indeed, they may provide depth options, but there are countless other players who can do the same. By placing the quartet on waivers, it’s a sign that Sullivan can live without them if they end up being claimed. Still, the odds of all four of the Rangers’ players being claimed off waivers are slim to virtually none.
Contract situations
Cholowski, the former first-round pick in 2016, is the only one of the bunch not entering a contract season in the NHL. He already experienced that last year. This summer, he signed a two-year, $1.75 million contract with the Rangers. His is a two-way deal for the 2026-27 campaign, meaning the 28-year-old blue-liner will earn a $375,000 salary if he clears waivers, rather than his $850,000 salary in the NHL.
As for Vaakanainen, Parssinen and Dowling, they are all in the second season of two-year deals. Dowling is the only one of this trio to have a two-way deal. His NHL salary of $850,000 will go down to $450,000 in the AHL. Vaakanainen carries a $1.55 million cap hit and will make $1.45 million in total salary. As for Parssinen, he signed a two-year, $2.5 million deal in 2025 with a $1.3 million salary in 2026.
Key takeaways
- The Rangers placed four players on waivers before the 2026-27 NHL regular season.
- All four players had appeared in preseason-opening game against the Devils (3-2 loss).
- Dennis Cholowski recently signed a two-year, $1.75 million, two-way contract with New York.
