For the second day in a row, there was activity on the waiver wire, but this time it wasn't related to contract termination and included a former first-round pick.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed 2012 first-round choice Brendan Gaunce on waivers with the intention of moving him to the American Hockey League, CapFriendly stated in a post on X on Sunday afternoon.
The 24 games that the Sudbury, Ontario native played in this season with the Blue Jackets at the NHL level saw him collect four points (two goals, two assists), six penalty minutes, and a minus-seven rating. For Cleveland, Gaunce participated in 46 AHL games and scored 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists).
Brendan Gaunce will be sent to the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters, who will play the Hershey Bears in the Eastern Conference Final, if he clears waivers on Monday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. ET.
In other relevant news, Ilya Usau, a forward prospect for the Tampa Bay Lightning, has cleared unconditional waivers and will have his contract terminated in its final year. Usua is anticipated to make his KHL comeback, and while it's unknown whose team he will play for, it's likely to be Dynamo Minsk, his local team.
