The Washington Capitals placed goaltender Rémi Poirier on waivers on Sunday, a week to the day after he joined the organization.
After losing no. 3 goalie Clay Stevenson to waivers to start the season, the Capitals acquired Poirier from the New Jersey Devils via trade for a seventh-round pick.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the news, which RMNB can confirm.
Poirier, who had spent the last four years as a minor-league player in the Dallas Stars organization, has been in limbo for much of this season. The Devils claimed Poirier off waivers shortly before Opening Night but never played him — they already had a tandem in Jake Allen and Nico Daws, and once they acquired Connor Hellebuyck, they had even less need for Poirier.
During his month in New Jersey, Poirier rarely even practiced with the team and was thrilled to get back on the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
“I did a couple two-on-ones today, I was like a kid on Christmas Day,” he said after his first practice with the Capitals. “I was like, ‘It’s so nice to to take an actual two-on-one and shots from the point.’ I feel like usually goalies hate shots from the point, and today I was so excited to receive them.”
Poirier’s ultimate destination, however, remained a mystery, even to him. The Capitals, like the Devils, have a preexisting goalie tandem of Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, with Poirier seemingly serving as either an eventual minor-league goalie or as trade bait. Now, the team has made its decision.
On Monday, Poirier expressed a desire for stability, either at the NHL or AHL level, after joining his third organization in two months. He’ll likely get that chance if the Capitals can sneak him down to the Hershey Bears.
“Hopefully at some point I can get settled,” Poirier said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be here, in Hershey, or somewhere else…I’m just living day-by-day and hopefully at some point I get a shot in the NHL. If not, I’m going to go work in the American League. It’s not the worst thing ever.”
If Poirier clears waivers, he will join goaltenders Mitch Gibson and Cal Petersen in Hershey. Keeping Poirier in the organization would also give the Capitals more flexibility in the event of an injury: since Petersen is on an AHL contract, he’s ineligible for recall to the NHL.
Poirier posted a 27-19-6 record in 52 AHL games last season for the Texas Stars, netting a 2.61 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and two shutouts. He has yet to make his NHL debut.
