Looking ahead to when NHL rosters begin to solidify, and teams inevitably face a roster crunch, the waiver wire will become a place to add intriguing talent on the cheap. Today, we will focus on some younger players who could be placed on the wire. Most of these players have obvious flaws, whether it’s a lack of true NHL pace/size or their offense. I’ve looked at the current group of waiver-eligible prospects and evaluated their toolkits to see who might be worth a claim.Here are 11 notable players who could become available during preseason.Nathan Gaucher C | Anaheim Ducks | Age: 22Gaucher is a big center who plays hard and has been a quality two-way pivot for a while. He has some skill, but lacks offensive sense and overall doesn’t make many plays with the puck. He skates fine for his size, but his game can lack pace. His value comes down to the fact that he’s a physical center who gives it his best every game and is quite good defensively. He can play tough minutes and kills penalties very well. He projects as a bottom-six forward or a fourth-line center.Reid SchaeferLW | Nashville Predators | Age: 22Schaefer was very good in the AHL last season. He played limited NHL minutes but showed positive progression. Schaefer is a big, heavy winger who loves to throw his body around and has good skill and finishing ability as well. He’s not a great playmaker, but he does enough around the puck. His skating is the bigger concern, as he has a heavy stride without much quick twitch. The hope is he can have just enough offense to go with a heavy game at even strength that he will be a middle-six winger coaches will love.Matt PoitrasC | Boston Bruins | Age: 22Poitras is very skilled and intelligent. He makes a lot of difficult plays with the puck and can run a pro power play. He can create off the edge, while also showing no fear of attacking the inside despite his 5-foot-11 frame. Poitras doesn’t have the typical athleticism of an NHL forward, though. On top of his frame, he lacks NHL foot speed and isn’t overly physical. He has played NHL games and has NHL skill, but seems like more of a depth forward without adding more elements to his game.