On Wednesday morning, the Dallas Stars announced they had placed defenseman Aaron Rome, who has yet to play an NHL game this season, on waivers. Rome, 30, played 27 games for Dallas last season, finishing with five points (0-5-5) and was a minus-2.
Rome had recently returned from a conditioning assignment with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League and practiced with the Stars on Tuesday, when he was paired with Alex Goligoski.
The Stars will know by Thursday morning whether or not Rome, who was signed to a three-year contract to the tune of $4.5 million before last season, has cleared waivers or if he will be heading to the AHL by around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Dallas will host the Calgary Flames at American Airlines Center tomorrow night in the first part of a two-game homestand. Even with Rome being placed on waivers, Dallas currently has seven defensemen on the roster with Kevin Connauton, who was acquired in the pre-deadline deal that sent Derek Roy to the Vancouver Canucks in April, currently being the odd man out at the blue line.
So, it's very likely that first-year Stars coach Lindy Ruff could call up a forward to fill that open roster spot and it appears that Chris Mueller, who has eight points (3-5-8) in four games with Texas, could be who gets recalled from Cedar Park to fill that spot. Mueller appeared in one game for Dallas, the Oct. 3 season opener with the Florida Panthers, before being sent back to the minors.
And then there is also the situation surrounding another forward Ryan Garbutt, who is in New York along with Stars general manager Jim Nill on Wednesday for an in-person hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety after Garbutt hit Anaheim's Dustin Penner in the second period of a 6-3 loss on Sunday night at the Honda Center.
Garbutt, who was not penalized by the on-ice officials for the hit, could be facing a minimum of a five-game suspension but maybe more, especially since Penner did not return to Sunday's game. He did not travel with the Ducks to Toronto in advance of Tuesday's game with the Maple Leafs because he was experiencing headaches.
