NHL season opens on the 10th when is the last time a team can waive a player to remove him from the roster? IE the day they need to be copliant. the 9th or the 8th? Also on the last day of waivers if a player is claimed I assume the claiming team has to have the roster and cap space to add him? IE they cant claim somebody on the 10th and then waive someone the same day. A team like the Blackhawks should probably waive a extra player or 2 IE carry a 21 man roster so they could add a player if there are any surprise cuts on the last day with so many teams up against the cap. IE either players that have waivers that can go down for one day or someone like Zaitsev that no on would claim at 4.75 MIL
looking at last year players were waived on the 9th claimed on the 10th and the season started on the 11th. So this year the last day to waive a player to not have them on the opening roster is the 8th because it has to be set the 9th, season starts the 10th. last year there were 5 players claimed in total on the 10th and 5 players claimed in total sept 30th- Oct 9th
Rosters are due 5pm on the 9th (based on past precedent - I actually haven't seen an official deadline)
So to avoid being on the roster, they need to be waiver 2pm on the 8th, so that they are either claimed or cleared 2pm on the 9th.
A team can still waiver a player on the 9th, but that player would count as on the roster for cap purposes at the 5pm deadline (unless there's a specific opening night exception I'm missing)
Teams can
claim players on the 9th and add them in time to be on the opening roster