Blue Jackets Place Heinen and Andrae on Waivers Amid Roster Cuts
The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forward Danton Heinen and defenseman Emil Andrae on waivers, making them available to other NHL teams. Both players have struggled offensively this season—Heinen with no points in 10 games, Andrae with two assists in five games. If claimed, they could be assigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, as the Blue Jackets continue to trim their roster.
The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Danton Heinen and defenseman Emil Andrae on waivers on November 4, 2026, making them available to any of the other 31 NHL teams. If claimed, they would be assigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters; if not claimed, they remain with the organization but are effectively out of the NHL roster picture for now. Heinen, 31, has recorded zero points in 10 games this season after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in December 2025 in exchange for forward Egor Chinakhov. Last season, he contributed 10 points in 33 games for Columbus. Andrae, 24, a Swedish defenseman, has two assists and no goals in five games, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time. He was acquired from Toronto via a trade that sent Kirill Marchenko to the Maple Leafs and Matthew Knies to Columbus. Andrae is under a two-year, $3.1 million contract and previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers, where he recorded 13 points in 61 games last season. Both players are on expiring contracts—Heinen’s is one-year at $1 million, Andrae’s has one year remaining.
The move reflects broader roster trimming as Columbus adjusts to a competitive season. Heinen’s lack of production despite prior success with Boston and Pittsburgh underscores the risk of relying on veteran depth without immediate impact. Andrae’s limited role and offensive output suggest he may not fit into the team’s evolving defensive structure. The Blue Jackets, seeking to optimize performance amid tight cap sp
The waiver placement of Heinen and Andrae signals a shift toward performance-based roster management in the NHL, where underperforming veterans or high-cost prospects are quickly reassessed. This move could influence how teams evaluate depth players during the season, especially those on short-term deals with limited upside. For AHL affiliates like Cleveland, such moves may increase player turnover and pressure on development systems to produce results quickly. The broader market for NHL roster spots remains tight, and these waivers may create opportunities for smaller-market teams seeking low-cost depth. A comparable case is the 2019 waiver claim of defenseman Mattias Ekholm by the Dallas Stars, which reshaped their defensive corps. Here, the impact may be more subtle—this reflects a trend toward agility in roster decisions rather than dramatic shifts. What to watch for next: whether other teams claim these players, and how the Blue Jackets adjust their forward and defense pairings in