The Minnesota Wild have pared their roster down to 27 players, and the latest round of cuts sent 15 players to the Iowa Wild in the AHL.
Eight of those players now have to clear waivers before they can report to Iowa: Matt Kierstad, Carson Lambos, Roman Schmidt, Caedan Bankier, Dylan Gambrell, Justin Kirkland, Tyler Pitlick and Mason Shaw.
Lambos stands out as the most notable name in that group. The former 26th overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft came into camp in a tricky spot. He’s 23 and still developing, but his entry-level contract has expired, which means he no longer has waiver exemption.
For the next 24 hours, any of the other 31 teams can claim him if they choose. The Wild are hoping he makes it through.
Minnesota also assigned Kayden Lemire to his junior team, the Prince George Cougars of the WHL.
There were a few other young players who made enough noise in camp to stay on the radar. Lorenz, Haight, and Gustafsson Nyberg were among the preseason standouts and could be in line for call-ups during the NHL season.
Meanwhile, Charlie Stramel and David Spacek appear likely to remain with the NHL club until the final cuts on Monday. Stramel has turned heads in preseason and is still battling for a roster spot. He is not expected to dress for the final preseason game, but the extra practice time with the NHL group should still help his development.
Minnesota still has four more roster moves to make before it gets down to the 23-man limit. Those decisions could come through more AHL assignments, injured reserve placements or trades.
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