The Ottawa Senators waived defenceman Christian Wolanin today, ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 26-year-old was a 4th round draft pick (107th overall) by the Senators back in 2015 and spent his developmental years at the University of North Dakota, before becoming an AHL All-Star in 2018-19. Wolanin, a native of Quebec, has appeared in 15 games for the Senators in 2020-21, registering 3 assists, with an average ice-time of 13 minutes.
Fan expectation was reasonably high for Wolanin entering this season, as he appeared to be a staple on the team’s left side in the early parts of the season. The emergence of Mike Reilly, and solid Erik Brannstrom has displayed during his NHL stint, has pushed Wolanin further down the depth chart.
#24 has looked notably slower this season, and hasn’t shown many flashes of the potential he oozed coming out of college. He did only play in 12 games (9 AHL, 3 NHL) last season after suffering from a torn labrum. Since the injury, Wolanin hasn’t exactly looked the same, and given his age and experience, can’t exactly be afforded the same amount of time as some of the other Senators prospects.
Regardless of his failure to meet any lofty expectations, taking Christian Wolanin out of the line-up in place of Josh Brown, Erik Gudbranson or Braydon Coburn won’t sit well with many fans. The move does also take a considerable amount of offensive prowess out of the Senators defence-core. The move is likely being made to give the Senators roster some more flexibility ahead of the trade deadline, and conclusion of the college hockey season which will likely see Jacob Bernard-Docker turn pro and join Ottawa.
UFA Group 6 Update:
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 9, 2021
These are the prospective players that will become UFAs this year because they haven't met the required NHL accrued games at the age of 25 or older. Players displayed in **bold can still meet the required GP to retain their RFA status
North Division pic.twitter.com/F0nzr3bzHH
If unclaimed, Wolanin looks set to become a UFA in the offseason. Prior to this season, the player could have qualified for RFA status by reaching 71 games played in the NHL. However, Wolanin would need to play in 13 of Ottawa’s 21 remaining games, and seeing as that a Taxi Squad assignment is imminent if he clears, he may not be a Senator for much longer anyways.
The demand for depth defenceman is high at this time of year, as contending teams look to load up on bodies ahead of the playoffs. With Wolanin being available for free, it’s entirely possible that someone takes a flyer on him. If that’s the conclusion of Christian Wolanin’s time in Ottawa, he’ll likely be looked on as yet another young asset the Senators failed to get the best out of.