Maple Leafs place Wayne Simmonds on waivers

The Maple Leafs waiving Simmonds comes less than two months after the club circulated an email around the National Hockey League making his availability known.

Simmonds has one assist in four games with the Maple Leafs this year. He’s signed through the end of the season at a $900,000 NHL cap hit and his deal allows him to submit a 10-team no-trade list.

Toronto previously waived Simmonds on Oct. 9. He cleared the following day and was temporarily assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies before being brought back up to the NHL less than a week later.

The Los Angeles Kings originally selected Simmonds in the second round (No. 61 overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. The 6’2″ right wing has 263 goals and 525 points in 1,023 career NHL games with the Kings, Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres.

Sanford, 28, has two points (one goal, one assist) in eight games with the Predators this season. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with Nashville as a UFA back in July.

This is Sanford’s first time on the waiver wire. Drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2013, Sanford has 48 goals and 97 points in 297 career games with the Capitals, Predators, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets.

Hellberg, 31, has already been waived and claimed twice this season. He signed with Seattle back in July but was claimed by the Ottawa Senators in October. After playing one game with the Sens, Hellberg returned to the Kraken just over a month later.