Dowling, signed to a two-year $1.5 million contract last summer, is likely headed to Abbotsford if he clears waivers.
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Vancouver Canucks forward Justin Dowling is on waivers, the NHL team announced Wednesday.
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Dowling was signed to a two-year contract last summer — his cap hit is $750,000 — initially to serve as the team’s fifth center on the depth chart behind Brandon Sutter.
But Sutter is dealing with long-haul COVID-19 and hasn’t played a minute this season, which elevated Dowling in the rotation. Even after the team added checking center Juho Lammikko on the eve of the season, Dowling was a regular presence in the lineup.
The 31-year-old has four points in 22 games of the year but has mostly been a healthy scratch of late. He also missed two weeks last fall because of injury and then nearly three weeks in January after landing on the COVID-19 protocol list.
With Dowling the Canucks had 23 players on their NHL roster. Dowling, along with Jason Dickinson and Ashton Sautner, was scratched on Wednesday night vs. the New York Islanders.
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Winger Matt Highmore went on the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday and could be re-activated on Saturday, ahead of the Canucks’ home game vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs, so the team would need to create a roster spot for Highmore. And given how head coach Bruce Boudreau has been deploying his players, Highmore would go back into the lineup and Dowling would drop yet another peg on the depth chart to sit 15th.
The team is also hopeful defenseman Travis Hamonic will be able to play soon as well, so roster moves were inevitable — Sautner as well as fellow defenseman Noah Juulsen can be assigned to AHL Abbotsford without waivers.
A prolific AHL scorer, Dowling seems destined for Abbotsford if he clears waivers Friday.