Andrey Pedan placed on waivers, Megna and Chaput clear

With the season around the corner, the Vancouver Canucks opening night roster is taking shape. Among the finale cuts the team has made is defenceman Andrey Pedan, who’s been placed on waivers.

This move ultimately suggests that the Canucks currently favour Alex Biega over Pedan, which is somewhat curious considering the former had a stronger showing at training camp. As Ryan Biech wrote last week, throughout his career in the minors Pedan has been excellent at tough, physical defensive play and transitioning the puck out of the zone. While the Canucks top six on the blueline is predictable, Pedan seems to be a depth player who can make the team better when stepping into the lineup.

On the other hand, Biega is a 29-year-old journeyman who played 36 games with the Canucks last season. The difference in value between the two players is likely marginal at most, but waiving a 24-year-old instead of a 29-year-old player is a little odd for a team with its eyes set on the future.

A lot of players are going on waivers this point right before the beginning of the season, meaning there’s a pretty decent chance Pedan makes it down to Utica without getting claimed. Pedan was also cleared through waivers prior to last season. Sticking with waivers, both Jayson Megna and Michael Chaput, who were placed on waivers yesterday for the purpose of assignment, have cleared.