Veteran defenseman placed on waivers as Canadiens weigh their options

Nick Leddy has hit the waiver wire, and it's raising eyebrows around the NHL.

When a veteran with that kind of name suddenly becomes available for free, fans immediately think of the Montreal Canadiens.

A waiver claim can sometimes be a shortcut to fill a hole, especially when the schedule tightens up and injuries pile up.

But in the Canadiens' case, it's not really necessary right now.

Montreal is already dealing with a tight roster situation, and every waiver move comes with a direct consequence.

If you bring a player in, you have to send someone else out, and that often creates more disruption than people expect.

There's also the organizational context. Montreal has defensemen pushing for ice time, short-term situations to manage, and a group trying to maintain stability.

Adding a familiar name just because he's available isn't always the best reason.

On top of that, using a roster spot on a veteran automatically blocks someone else in the system.

And in Montreal, that kind of logjam comes at a cost, especially when you're trying to grow your group without shooting yourself in the foot.

At the end of the day, yes, it's a surprise to see Leddy on waivers.

Yes, it looks like an opportunity on paper. But it's exactly the kind of opportunity where the Montreal Canadiens look, evaluate, and then pass, unless there's a clear and immediate need.

You never know, because the NHL loves curveballs.

But if Montreal makes a move here, it'll have to be for a rock-solid reason, not just noise.

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