Veteran defenseman Kyle McLaren was placed on waivers on Tuesday, possibly ending his 4 ½ year tenure with the San Jose Sharks. In his time with the Sharks, McLaren spent 301 minutes in the penalty box, scored 12 goals, and landed 71 assists. If McLaren, who was frequently injured during his time with San Jose, isn’t claimed by any other NHL team, he will be assigned to Worcester, the location of San Jose’s top minor league team.

“Kyle has been a tremendous professional through this,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “We’re trying to do what’s right for him, so we’ll see what the next few days brings.”

If healthy, Mclaren could prove to be an excellent addition to a different NHL team. A first round draft pick in 1995, Mclaren has shown excellent defensive ability when staying off the injured reserved list. Mclaren was signed to a three year deal by San Jose in 2007; if Mclaren were to latch on to a different NHL team, the Sharks organization would be on the hook for the remainder of the $7.5 million dollar contract. A new team would also be Mclaren’s third, as he spent the first seven years of his career with the Boston Bruins.