Pittsburgh Penguins forward Danton Heinen and Edmonton Oilers forward Noah Philp are among six players placed on waivers on Sunday.
New York Islanders defenceman Ethan Bear, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Marshall Rifai and Utah Mammoth defender Juuso Valimaki have also been waived as the NHL’s holiday roster freeze has been lifted.
Oilers forward David Tomasek is also on unconditional waivers to have his contract terminated.
Heinen, 30, has a goal and an assist in 13 games with Pittsburgh this season. He has also skated in 12 games with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, scoring six goals with 17 points.
The Langley, B.C. native has skated in 579 career NHL games, scoring 97 goals with 243 points. He is in the final season of a two-year, $4.5 million contract.
Philp has two goals and one assist in 15 games with the Oilers this season.
Bear has yet to suit up for the Islanders this season after starting the campaign on the Injured Reserve. He spent the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, scoring 10 goals with 46 points in 62 games. He signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Islanders on July 1.
Rifai has been skating with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on a conditioning loan, appearing in one game this season. He landed on the long-term IR after suffering a wrist injury during preseason play.
Valimaki has been out since March after having season-ending ACL surgery and was given an expected recovery timeline of eight to nine months.