LA Kings waive first round pick, Blackhawks claim veteran defenceman

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Liam McCormick
January 3, 2024 (12:24)

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Moments ago, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news that the Chicago Blackhawks have claimed defenceman Jaycob Megna on waivers from the Seattle Kraken.

Megna, now 31 years old, was a seventh round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2012. Since then, he's gone on to play a career between the NHL and AHL as a depth defender, but has racked up a total of 141 career games with 25 points. This season, he's only played two games with the Seattle Kraken's AHL team.

The Blackhawks are likely placing a claim on Megna as he would immediately be a serviceable defenceman for the rebuilding team. The Hawks aren't looking for quality necessarily, just players who can eat away minutes this season.

Also on waivers today is Tobias Bjornfot of the LA Kings. Still just 22 years old and drafted in the first round in 2019, Bjornfot has accumulated 117 career games played with 15 points. For the Kings, the roster move was necessary to bring up Brandt Clarke, but they are risking a good player in Bjornfot. While the offensive game may not be there yet with the expectations of a first round draft pick, Bjornfot is still young and has been developing at the NHL level. With a cap hit of just $775K for the next two seasons, Bjornfot could be claimed by a team looking to take him on as a development project.