The Vancouver Canucks on Monday claimed defenseman Ryan Stanton on waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks.

Stanton, 24, played one regular-season game with the Blackhawks last season, with a plus-1 rating, one shot on goal and two penalty minutes. He spent most of the season with the Blackhawks' American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, where he had three goals, 22 assists and 126 penalty minutes in 73 games.

The Detroit Red Wings have assigned forward Gustav Nyquist to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press.

Goaltender Petr Mrazek also was sent to Grand Rapids, and forward Darren Helm will be put on long-term injured reserve, according to the report.

Nyquist played in all 14 games for the Red Wings during the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but a number of offseason additions, plus the re-signing of Daniel Cleary earlier this month, created a glut of forwards on the Detroit roster.

The St. Louis Blues announced Sunday the club assigned forward Chris Porter to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

The Blues’ roster is now set at 23 players.

Porter, 29, dressed in 29 games for the Blues last season. He had two goals and six assists.

Jonathan Drouin, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, will not begin his NHL career just yet.

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced their final roster moves before the start of the regular season, and Drouin has been sent to the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Drouin had 41 goals and 105 points in 49 regular-season games and 13 goals and 44 points in 21 postseason contests for the Mooseheads in 2012-13, partnering with No. 1 pick Nathan MacKinnon to form one of the top duos in junior hockey.

MacKinnon is not expected to go back to Halifax, so Drouin will need to find a new partner. He's almost certain to be a top player for Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships as well.

The New York Rangers made their final cuts before the regular season Sunday, and forward Chris Kreider was among them.

Kreider saw exactly half of his ice time at even strength during the preseason with Rick Nash and Brad Richards, according to the line combinations tool at DobberHockey.com. It was the team's nominal top line during camp. The likely No. 1 center, Derek Stepan, was not practicing because he didn't have a contract, and wings Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin were still rehabbing injuries.

The 22-year-old Kreider was a breakout star in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, making his NHL debut and scoring five goals in New York's run to the conference finals. He had only two goals and one assist in 23 games during his first regular season with the Rangers in 2012-13.

The Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday assigned forwards Jeremy Morin and Brandon Pirri, along with goaltender Antti Raanta, to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.

Chicago's active roster includes 13 forwards, nine defensemen and two goaltenders.

Defenseman Kris Letang, a Norris Trophy finalist last season, is out with a lower-body injury and won't skate for the rest of the weekend, the Pittsburgh Penguins said Saturday.

The Penguins aren't sure if Letang's absence will be short-term or if it's an extended injury.

The New York Islanders announced Saturday that defenseman Ryan Pulock, their first-round pick (No. 15) in the 2013 NHL Draft, has agreed to terms on a three-year entry-level contract.

Pulock, a native of Dauphin, Manitoba, scored 45 points (14 goals, 31 assists) in 61 games last season with the Brandon Wheat Kings during his third Western Hockey League campaign.

The Dallas Stars on Saturday reduced their roster by seven players, all of whom will report to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.

The Stars' training camp roster stands at 29 players: three goaltenders, eight defensemen and 18 forwards.

The New York Islanders on Saturday loaned three players to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and released four others from tryout agreements.

Forward Jason Clark, along with defensemen Marc Cantin and Andrey Pedan have been loaned to Bridgeport. Forward Greg Miller and defensemen Mike Dalhuisen and Mike Keenan have been released from their amateur tryout agreements, while defenseman Dallas Jackson was released from his professional tryout agreement.