The Capitals have put Remi Poirier on waivers, extending a busy stretch of goalie movement around the league.
Washington’s decision comes just one week after it acquired the 25-year-old from New Jersey for a 2027 seventh-round pick, a move made after the Capitals lost their own AHL goalie and No. 3 option, Clay Stevenson, on waivers to Winnipeg. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the waiver move this afternoon.
Poirier’s time with the Devils was brief, too. New Jersey had claimed him off waivers from Dallas, but the path to playing time was already crowded there. The Devils were dealing with uncertainty in net with Jake Allen and Nico Daws, then further tightened things up by trading for Connor Hellebuyck, effectively closing the door on any realistic chance for Poirier to see game action.
Washington didn’t offer much more room. With Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren ahead of him, Poirier was always facing an uphill climb to stick in the NHL picture.
The Capitals carried three goaltenders on the roster over the past week, but the expectation was that Poirier would clear and land with AHL Hershey. The next 24 hours will decide whether that happens.
If he gets through waivers, Poirier would give Hershey a major boost. Last season, he tied Devon Levi for the most games played in the AHL at 52, posted a 2.61 GAA that ranked 13th in the league, finished second in wins with 27, and put up a .912 SV%, good for eighth.
Hershey has been one of the league’s most successful organizations, with two Calder Cup titles in the past four years, and it currently sits eighth in the standings. The Bears have also had solid goaltending already, with former NHLer Cal Petersen handling the crease so far. But Petersen is on a one-year AHL deal and is not eligible for an NHL call-up, which leaves a real need for Poirier to stay in the organization as a depth option.
That won’t stop other teams from taking a shot. Poirier carries an expiring $850,000 deal, and clubs around the league can claim him.
Dallas stands out as a possible landing spot; if the Stars were the only team to put in a claim, they could assign him right back to the Texas Stars. Texas is sitting last in the AHL standings and has gotten uneven results from Brandon Halverson in net since losing Poirier, who made 137 appearances for the club from 2022-26.
For Poirier, the likeliest outcome still seems to be a return to the American League, where he can finally get steady game action after a chaotic start to the season. He’s not the only player on waivers today, either, with Chicago also placing a player on the wire.
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