The Nashville Predators have waived defenseman Victor Bartley, according to The Globe & Mail’s James Mirtle.
The Predators recently claimed defenseman Petter Granberg off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs, making the blue line in Music City pretty crowded. Granberg hasn’t officially been added to the active roster, but once he is the Preds need to move someone out and it’s going to be Bartley’s exit making space for Granberg.
The team is likely looking to move Bartley to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL if he clears.
The 27-year-old Bartley has played just one game this season. It’s a tough blue line to crack for the guys on the fringes and it will be for Granberg, even if the team is higher on him than they are on Bartley. With Shea Weber, Seth Jones, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and Roman Josi as locks in the lineup nightly, there’s not much room for new faces.
It’ll be particularly difficult for Granberg who is coming off an Achilles injury and could use a conditioning stint in the AHL to get back up to speed. That’s most likely why the Maple Leafs waived him in the first place. He’s coming close to a return and requires waivers to get to the AHL.
Bartley has played a total of 112 NHL games spread across four seasons, totaling one goal and 22 assists.
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