Max Talbot on waivers in surprising move by Boston Bruins

On Monday, NHL teams finalized their rosters by dropping dozens of players through waivers. In some cases, that meant attempting to stow away players in the AHL that just don’t have a fit on the current team. In other cases, that meant attempting to make a veteran player and his contract disappear, by demotion or waiver claim. 

Max Talbot of the Boston Bruins is a member of that latter category.

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Talbot, 31, was a surprise name on the waiver wire, despite having been in a training camp battle for a fourth-line spot. He’s only making $900,000 against the cap this season, since the Colorado Avalanche retained $900,000 of his $1.8 million cap hit. Every little bit counts for the Bruins, who have less than $2 million under the cap.

The guy who made Talbot expendable? Forward Tyler Randell, despite being on a two-way contract. As Causeway Crowd notes, he’s one of the few right-handed shots the team has among the depth forwards, and it appears he’s won a job on the fourth line. Being a faster player in Claude Julien’s new system can only help, too. 

Talbot wasn’t exactly an asset last season, with possession numbers that were among the worst on the Bruins (thanks to his time in Colorado). But he was sure that a full season in Boston would have improved his numbers, as he was looking forward to being “an old soul” among many for the Bruins.

As a veteran guy with a manageable cap hit, one assumes Talbot could get a sniff on waivers. Hey, if nothing else, he keeps the mood light.

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