Devils' Gusev clears waivers

New Jersey Devils forward Nikita Gusev cleared waivers after being put up for grabs on Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The 28-year-old winger has tallied just a pair of goals and three helpers in 20 games this season. His underlying numbers haven't been strong, either.

Nikita Gusev, placed on waivers by NJ, has not worked out as expected. He ranks near the bottom of the league this season in WAR, in large part due to his horrible finishing and defensive play. Some offensive flahes but overall not... not good. #NJD pic.twitter.com/YBw2RSUft0

- JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 1, 2021

Gusev arrived in New Jersey with plenty of hype. The Devils surrendered second- and third-round picks for him in July 2019. He was originally a seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012 but never suited up for the team. He was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 as part of the expansion draft process before being dealt to the Devils.

The Russian winger had an excellent career in the KHL, recording 82 points in 62 games during his final season with SKA Saint Petersburg in 2018-19. He was also integral to the Olympic Athletes from Russia's gold medal at the PyeongChang Games, leading the tournament with 12 points in six contests.

Gusev was productive in 2019-20, registering 44 points in 66 games with the Devils, but was unable to replicate that success.

He's in the final year of his contract carrying a $4.5-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

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