Golden Knights place goaltender Oscar Dansk on waivers
Goaltender Oscar Dansk was placed on waivers by the Golden Knights on Friday, one day after he started in the team’s preseason victory at Los Angeles.
Dansk, who recorded 17 saves in the 7-2 win, can be claimed by any of the other 30 teams before 9 a.m. Saturday with no compensation to the Knights.
If Dansk clears waivers, he remains under contract with the Knights is expected to be sent to Chicago of the American Hockey League.
By waiving Dansk early in training camp, it is less likely he will be claimed, as most teams aren’t currently in the market for a backup goaltender with limited NHL experience.
The move also could be a precursor to a trade, since Dansk wouldn’t have to clear waivers with a new team. A similar situation occurred last season when the Knights waived backup goaltender Calvin Pickard and traded him to Toronto the following day.
Dansk is competing with Maxime Lagace for the No. 3 goaltender spot in the organization behind backup Malcolm Subban.
Dansk went 3-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage before he injured his knee Oct. 30 against the New York Islanders.
He compiled a 13-3-4 record with a 2.44 goals against and a .918 save percentage last season in the AHL.
Defenseman Zac Leslie, who was acquired in a trade with Los Angeles in February, and forward Alex Gallant also were placed on waivers.
Sneak preview?
Defenseman Erik Karlsson could make his preseason debut on Saturday when the Sharks host the Knights at 7 p.m. at SAP Center.
The Knights pursued the two-time Norris Trophy winner before he was traded to San Jose on Sept. 13. Karlsson has been skating with Marc-Edouard Vlasic in practice.
Sharks coach Peter DeBoer did not say Friday whether Karlsson would play, and the team isn’t expected to announce its roster until Saturday.
”We’ve seen him enough,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “He’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL. We know what he is.”
Holding a grudge
When defenseman Deryk Engelland dropped the gloves with Los Angeles’ Kyle Clifford on Thursday, he was standing up for teammate Reilly Smith after the Kings forward took a run at the Knights’ forward in front of the benches.
But Engelland also got a measure of payback for an incident on Feb. 26 when Clifford blindsided Oscar Lindberg in the neutral zone. Lindberg missed a month with a concussion.
“Kyle Clifford plays a hard game,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “I give him credit for playing the way he plays. He knows Deryk Engelland and nobody else is going to back away, so he stepped up. But I didn’t see anybody taking any cheap shots.”
Roster cuts
Defenseman Zach Whitecloud was one of 10 training camp cuts announced by the Knights on Friday. Whitecloud played in one NHL game last season after signing as a free agent out of Bemidji State.
Also joining the Chicago Wolves training camp are defensemen Dylan Coghlan, Kevin Lough and Jimmy Oligny, forwards Reid Duke, Tomas Hyka, Brooks Macek, Gage Quinney and Tyler Wong, and goaltender Zach Fucale.
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Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
