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Ducks waive Garbutt, a regular lineup fixture

Anaheim Ducks v Arizona Coyotes

GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 03: Ryan Garbutt #16 of the Anaheim Ducks skates with the puck ahead of Jarred Tinordi #28 of the Arizona Coyotes during the third period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on March 3, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Ducks defeated the Coyotes 5-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Bit of a surprising move out of Anaheim today -- gritty forward Ryan Garbutt has been placed on waivers.

Garbutt, 31, had appeared in all 27 games for the Ducks this year, scoring two goals and three points while averaging 9:10 TOI per night. He was one of just 10 players on the roster to dress for every contest this season, though his minutes had decreased lately -- he hasn’t cracked the 10-minute mark since Nov. 6, and received two of his lowest totals in recent games -- 5:31 in a win over the Sharks on Nov. 26, and 5:50 in a win over Vancouver on Dec. 1.

Last year, Anaheim acquired Garbutt in a midseason deal from Chicago. He performed well for the Ducks, scoring five goals and eight points in 37 games, and scored a goal in the club’s opening-round playoff loss to Nashville.

Garbutt is a polarizing player. Over a two-year span from 2014-15, he was one of the league’s most reckless players and found himself in a slew of disciplinary problems. He has gone a while without running afoul of the Department of Player Safety, though, so perhaps he heeded calls to change his game.

Parting with Garbutt could be part of the youth movement that’s at play in Anaheim. Ondrej Kase, a seventh-round draft pick in 2014, is just one of the rookie forwards who’ve played for the Ducks this season. Joseph Cramarossa is another. Nick Ritchie isn’t a rookie, but he’s still on his entry-level deal.

Garbutt is in the last of a three-year, $5.4 million deal with a $1.8M average annual cap hit. Given his experience and style of play, it’s possible he could be scooped off waivers.