The Pittsburgh Penguins have put defenseman Ilya Solovyov on waivers, and that opens the door for Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes to take a look at a low-cost depth option.
Solovyov is the lone player still waiting to learn his fate after Brett Leason, Stefan Noesen and Chase Stillman all cleared waivers. If he goes unclaimed, he could still be in a position to face the Canadiens on October 31 at the Bell Centre.
That said, the expectation is that he won’t be claimed.
Even so, it’s the kind of move worth tracking because a player becomes available for nothing.
Solovyov, 26, has logged 45 NHL games and produced one goal and 12 points. The 6-foot-3, 229-pound defenseman was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the seventh round, 205th overall, in 2020, and much of his career has been spent moving between the NHL and the American Hockey League.
Last season, he split time between Colorado and Pittsburgh. He picked up three points in 16 games with the Avalanche, then added five assists in 14 games with the Penguins.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious on paper. The Canadiens have given up 4.8 goals per game to start the season and are 1-2-1. Michael Matheson is minus-3 through four games, Noah Dobson is minus-2, and Jayden Struble - pointless in three games - was scratched to make room for Adam Engstrom.
Still, there’s no indication Montreal is leaning toward a claim, and there’s a real argument that the answer is already in the organization rather than outside it.
Solovyov’s size stands out, but a defenseman who has already changed teams from Colorado to Pittsburgh in one season doesn’t automatically solve a blue line that needs steadier play.
And because he’s on waivers, the Canadiens would not have to surrender a draft pick to make a claim. That’s why these lists keep drawing attention: every day, they hand every NHL team a chance to add help without paying a price.
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