The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Colton Orr on waivers Wednesday.
Orr has played only five games this season, scoring one goal and registering five penalty minutes.
If no NHL team picks him up off waivers, the 29-year-old will join the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
“Colton will have to go and play with the Marlies for a while,” said Leafs coach Ron Wilson.
“We have a lot of guys coming back. The game has changed a little bit and he hasn’t had many opportunities this year. He will go down there and play in a lot of situations that he normally wouldn’t play in up here.”
Orr, who is regarded as one of the toughest players in the NHL, signed a four-year $4 million contract with the Leafs in the summer of 2009.
In his first season with the Leafs, Orr registered career highs in goals with four, points with six and penalty minutes with 239.
Orr has battled some injuries this season and has been a healthy scratch for a large portion of the games he has missed. Orr suffered a concussion last season in a fight with George Parros of the Anaheim Ducks and only played 46 games.
Earlier this week the Leafs waived forward Philippe Dupuis, who was not claimed by another team and subsequently sent down to the Marlies.
POLL:
Is placing Colton Orr on waivers the right decision?
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