Toronto Maple Leafs place Wayne Simmonds on waivers

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Wayne Simmonds on waivers, according to multiple reports.

Simmonds, 34, is one of three players on Tuesday’s waiver wire, along with Nashville Predators forward Zach Sanford and Seattle Kraken guard Magnus Hellberg.

The Maple Leafs’ waiver of Simmonds comes less than two months after the club circulated an email to the National Hockey League publicizing his availability.

Simmonds has one assist in four games with the Maple Leafs this year. He’s signed through the end of the season with a $900,000 NHL cap and his deal allows him to submit a 10-team roster without trades.

Toronto had already waived Simmonds on Oct. 9. He cleared the next day and was temporarily assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL before being brought back to the NHL less than a week later.

The Los Angeles Kings originally selected Simmonds in the second round (61st overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft. The 6’2″ right winger 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 Sabers from Buffalo.

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 UFA in July.

This is the first time Sanford has been 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 in July, but was picked up by the Ottawa Senators in October. after playing one match with the Sens, Hellberg returned to the Kraken just over a month later.