Waiving Lyon?

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger believes that, should the Red Wings waive a goaltender and attempt to send him down to Grand Rapids, they’re going to pick Alex Lyon:

Alex Lyon, Detroit

The Red Wings carried three goaltenders for most of last season, but general manager Steve Yzerman said this summer he prefers to move forward with only two on the roster. That means one of Ville Husso, Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon could be waived, and whoever it is likely would be the top target for any team looking for help in the crease.

Husso has the biggest cap hit of the three, entering the final season of his deal with an average annual value of $4.75 million. Yzerman signed Talbot to a two-year contract worth $2.5 million per season just this summer, so his spot on the NHL roster should be secure.

That leaves Lyon, who is also entering the final year of his deal but carries a cap hit of only $900,000. That figure, combined with his wealth of experience, could make him an attractive waiver claim. Lyon had 44 NHL stars last season, posting a .904 save percentage (just above the league average). There were stretches last season when Lyon appeared to be the Red Wings’ best goalie, and he’s only two years removed from starting playoff games in Florida ahead of Sergei Bobrovsky, so the talent is evident. He also showed well in his two starts for Team USA at the World Championships this summer.

As is the case with most goalies looking to establish themselves as NHL starters, consistency is the issue for Lyon. He ended last season on a 3-10-3 run with a .887 during that span. Perhaps Yzerman ends up reluctantly holding three goalies again, but if not, I could see Lyon getting claimed before making it down to Grand Rapids.

Continued (paywall); I just don’t see the Wings waiving Lyon until the goaltending situation sorts itself out after the first month of the season, presuming that he loses out to Husso or Talbot.