While some Montreal Canadiens fans were waiting to see if a claim was put in on former forward Nikita Scherbak, the team made a different move instead. The team placed veteran defender David Schlemko on waivers with the intent to assign him to the Laval Rocket.
Schlemko (MON) on waivers. All cleared from yesterday
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 7, 2019
Schlemko had a short stint with the Laval Rocket last year, but in that case it was a conditioning stint after suffering an injury during the preseason. He played three AHL games, earning one assist.
He has played 45 games over the last two seasons with the Canadiens, scoring one goal and adding six assists. This year, he has two assists in 18 games.
The timing of the move is interesting as Karl Alzner, who has yet to play a game after being recalled from the Rocket, could have been sent to Laval without needing to go on waivers.
As the Canadiens are at 23 players, Schlemko could not have been added to the roster from the injured reserve list without a corresponding move.
