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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Linus Karlsson(C)|VAN
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Linus Karlsson has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).

Karlsson was impressive in his season debut, going without a point, but tallying three shots, one hit, and a +1 plus/minus in only 11:54 time-on-ice. Despite his strong performance, Karlsson has been reassigned to Abbotsford of the AHL, a sign that the team is hopeful Andrei Kuzmenko will be able to return to the lineup on Saturday.

Source:
Jeff Paterson 2023-11-17T18:41:01.719Z
Linus Karlsson
Jan Jenik(C)|OTT
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Call Up
Jan Jenik has been recalled from the Tucson (AHL).

Jenik was called up from the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL on Friday morning after news broke that Barret Hayton would miss four to six weeks with an upper-body injury. Jenik was the 65th overall pick of the Coyotes in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and has scored 28 points (9G / 19A) in 39 games over the last two seasons with the Roadrunners.

Source:
Craig Morgan 2023-11-17T17:47:39.170Z
Jan Jenik
Alex Nedeljkovic(G)|SJS
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Alex Nedeljkovic (lower body) has been reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) on a conditioning stint.

Nedeljkovic has not played since October 24th, a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, where he allowed four goals on 34 shots (.882 SV%). Nedeljkovic has been on the injured reserve since then with a lower-body injury and, as he approaches his return, will join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL for a conditioning stint. When Nedeljkovic is deemed ready to return, Magnus Hellberg will likely be sent back down to the AHL.

Source:
Matt Vensel 2023-11-17T15:35:38.885Z
Alex Nedeljkovic
Akito Hirose(LD)|FA
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Akito Hirose has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).

Hirose appeared in the Canucks' previous two games but has been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL) Thursday as Vancouver is in need of a forward after Andrei Kuzmenko (undisclosed) was pronounced out. The 24-year-old defensemen returns to the AHL, where he failed to pick up a point in 11 games prior to his promotion.

Source:
Rick Dhaliwal 2023-11-16T22:37:23.884Z
Akito Hirose
Linus Karlsson(C)|VAN
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Linus Karlsson has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL) and is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday vs. Calgary.

Karlsson was awarded the greatest birthday gift Thursday as he was recalled from Abbotsford (AHL) and is expected to make his NHL debut vs. Calgary. The 24-year-old winger will replace Andrei Kuzmenko (undisclosed) who will miss Thursday. He had two goals, 11 points and six PIMs in 13 games played with Abbotsford.

Source:
Jeff Paterson 2023-11-16T22:51:47.782Z
Linus Karlsson
Ryan Suzuki(C)|CAR
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Ryan Suzuki (shoulder) has been reassigned to Springfield (AHL) after recovering from a preseason injury.

The 28th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft has yet to make his NHL debut but had 32 points (13G / 19A) in 50 AHL games a season ago. Suzuki will start his 2023-24 campaign with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

Source:
Walt Ruff 2023-11-16T20:03:08.633Z
Ryan Suzuki
Tobias Bjornfot(D)|FLA
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Tobias Bjornfot has been assigned to Ontario (AHL) on a conditioning loan.

Bjornfot was injured in the Kings opening game on October 11th and will join the Ontario Reign on a conditioning assignment after finally being cleared to return to play. Bjornfot was the 22nd overall pick of the Kings in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He has 15 points (1G / 14A) in 117 career NHL games.

Source:
Russell Morgan 2023-11-16T19:22:12.354Z
Tobias Bjornfot
Filip Roos(D)|FA
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Call Up
Filip Roos has been recalled from Rockford (AHL).

Roos played 17 games with the Blackhawks last season, tallying three points (1G / 2A), and may get the opportunity to make his season debut with the team after being recalled on Thursday. The Swedish defenceman has four points (1G / 3A) in 10 games with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL this season. The transaction was made in correspondence to Nikita Zaitsev being placed on the Blackhawks' Non-Roster list due to a personal matter.

Source:
Chicago Blackhawks 2023-11-16T16:31:40.771Z
Filip Roos
Trey Fix-Wolansky(RW)|NYR
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Trey Fix-Wolansky has been recalled from Cleveland (AHL) and is a game-time decision on Thursday vs. Arizona.

Fix-Wolansky has 16 points (4G / 12A) in 11 games with the Cleveland Monsters this season and 87 points (33G / 54A) in 72 games dating back to the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign. The seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has yet to make his mark at the NHL level, scoring only three points (2G / 1A) in 15 career games, but could make his Blue Jackets season debut on Thursday.

Source:
Coby Maeir 2023-11-16T16:07:04.856Z
Trey Fix-Wolansky
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby(LW)|FA
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Call Up
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has been recalled from Manitoba (AHL).

Jonsson-Fjallby had three goals, two assists, and a +2 plus/minus in 10 games with Manitoba (AHL) and has been recalled to Winnipeg for the first time this season. The 25-year-old appeared in 50 games in 2022-23 for Winnipeg and had 14 points (6G/8A). He should replace Rasmus Kupari (upper body) who is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.

Source:
Winnipeg Jets 2023-11-15T23:11:16.522Z
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
Vladislav Kolyachonok(D)|DAL
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Vladislav Kolyachonok has been recalled from Tucson (AHL).

With the news that Juuso Valimaki is expected to miss an extended period with an upper-body injury, the Coyotes have opted to recall Kolyachonok from the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL. In 11 games with the Roadrunners, Kolyachonok has three points (2G / 1A) and a +5 plus/minus rating. He was the 52nd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Source:
Craig Morgan 2023-11-15T17:00:46.526Z
Vladislav Kolyachonok

NHL Roster Moves

NHL roster moves are essentially transactions that alter a team’s lineup. The roster move could make the team better or worse. In some cases, the move is inconsequential. Fan favourites could leave for greener pastures. A struggling player could get sent down to the farm team. A lousy contract might get put on waivers. Even worse, players may get strategically buried on the long-term injury reserve list because they’re not worth the cap hit. The possibilities are somewhat endless.

Types of NHL Roster Moves

Don’t worry; Daily Faceoff has you covered when trying to grasp the concept of a league ruled by the complexities of the almighty salary cap. Below, we break down the strategy behind roster moves so you can get a leg up in your DFS league.

Free agent signings

NHL rosters are primarily constructed by player signings. The front office reaches out to what are referred to as “free agents.” Both the front office and the player’s agent work out the terms of a deal. How teams sign deals varies depending on what type of free agents they’re dealing with.

Rookie Deals

Rookie’s sign something called an entry-level contract which is usually capped at a certain amount of money per year. Under the NHL’s current collective bargaining agreement, the longest an entry-level contract can be signed is three years.

Restricted Free Agent Contracts

After that, a player becomes a restricted free agent (RFA). Technically, they can sign with teams outside of who they played for in the past season by accepting an offer sheet. That said, if the player’s first team extends a qualifying offer, any team competing for the player’s services will have to offer up a certain amount of compensation in the form of draft picks. Of course, that’s if the player agrees to the offer sheet and their current team doesn’t match it.

Unrestricted Free Agent Contracts

Players can become unrestricted free agents (UFA) when their current RFA deal is up and they can go wherever they want. If they sign a contract extension, they can sign for up to eight years. Alternatively, they can sign a seven-year deal if they test the open market. Fun fact: pending UFAs might be motivated to play their hearts out to secure the bag in their next deal. Keep that in mind, fantasy players.

Blockbuster trades

Trades make for some of the most interesting NHL roster moves. To this day, the infamous Patrick Roy deal still gets talked about in NHL circles. What happens in a trade is that two or maybe even three teams link up and iron out a deal. There might be deals that are referred to as “hockey trades,” meaning that both teams get something of equal value. For example, one team gives up a first-line centre for a top-pairing right-handed defenceman. Some NHL trades involve bad teams selling off their moveable assets, such as upcoming free agents, for future considerations, including draft picks or prospects.

Injuries

Depending on how badly a player gets injured, several things can happen. They can be out of a game or two, with the team opting to keep the severity of the injury private (a common pet peeve for fantasy players). Players can be put on the injury reserve for injuries that can keep them out for a calendar week. This frees up a roster spot so someone from within the team’s system, or sometimes outside of it, can come in and replace them while they’re getting back in tip-top shape. If the player needs over a week to recover after a serious injury, they will get put on long-term injury reserve.

Waivers

In typical NHL roster moves jargon, when a player goes on waivers, other teams can claim them from their current team. A player usually goes on waivers when they’re signed to a one-way deal, meaning they can’t be sent down to the minors willy-nilly like a rookie on a two-way deal. Before the player gets sent down, other teams can claim the player on the “waiver wire.” If the player isn’t claimed, they go to the minors to play in the AHL.

Call Ups

Outside of signings, player callups are one of the most popular NHL transactions. Most teams call up players when they’re performing well in the AHL or if there’s an injury on the main roster. Usually, when a player gets called up to the NHL, one gets sent down to the minors.

Contract Buyouts

Of course, you’ve probably worked with someone who’s pretty lazy. People from afar think that person is a “good fit,” but internally, everyone hates the person. Oftentimes, that person finds a way to get fired. Well, newsflash: the same thing happens in NHL dressing rooms. Sometime players who have a history of poor performance have the audacity to ask for more money come contract time. Their team has the option to buyout their contract, or in extreme cases of misconduct, their contract can be terminated. If they’re not being bought out, the front office is laughing while the player’s agent is showing themselves out of the building. For the players who are actually good and could command big bucks on the open market, teams hustle to get them signed up for a new deal. If the player hits the open market, all bets are off…. Coaching Changes

Losing a head coach that sucked at their job and replacing them with a new one can ignite a team. Historically, decent teams perform strongly when they get a new coach. For how long those “strong performances” sustain themselves over the course of a season is a whole other story.

Rules Around NHL Roster Moves

NHL rules aren’t made to be broken. If they’re written in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), you may as well say they’re written in stone. Let’s talk about those “set in stone” rules.

Trade Deadline

Teams have a certain amount of time each season to make NHL trades and signings. The date varies from season to season, but it usually falls between the end of February and early March so that roster’s are set before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin. After the deadline, players can still be moved, but they will not be eligible to play for the rest of the regular season or playoffs. You’ll usually see prospects who are playing abroad get dealt after the deadline, if any trades are made at all.

[Editor’s note: can include link to new DFO Stanley Cup page here]

Strategy Behind NHL Roster Moves

General managers and hands-on hockey ops executives are always thinking about the future. If their team is going to miss the playoffs and it’s a good draft year, they might be inclined to sell, meaning they’ll try to offload decent players in return for cap space, draft picks and younger players. The opposite can be said for good teams. They’ll be looking to add to what they already have to make a run for the cup.

If you’re a DFS player or even in a dynasty league, you can exploit that by buying low on players who are playing for bad teams but have the potential to increase their production if they get traded to a good team. Having access to a good data set can help ease the trouble of anticipating how good a player will be going to and from a certain team.

The Salary Cap

When general managers sleep at night, they probably have nightmares about the salary cap. “The cap,” as hockey insiders like Frank Seravalli refer to it when discussing NHL transactions, dictates how much a team can spend on its roster. There’s a “floor,” meaning a team has to spend at least this much per year. Then, there’s a “ceiling” that teams can’t go over lest they pay the price in draft pick compensation and fines, amongst other things. The salary cap makes it difficult for teams to trade players with high cap hits. It also creates a market in itself for teams that want to get over the “floor” by taking on other teams’ bad contracts. In a world beyond reality, most would favour a luxury tax system like the one Major League Baseball implements.

How NHL Roster Moves Impact Sports Betting

Look, if you don’t want to put up with another year of getting beat by your co-worker’s child in fantasy, you have to put as much effort into your team as that 10-year-old weasel will. That means keeping up with the news. Changing your lineups on a daily basis. Trading players at their peak value. Buying them from others when they’re at their lowest. For the love all of things good, change your injured players out for healthy ones. If you’re a sports bettor, any NHL roster can change the money line or the total in a game, especially if a star player is hurt or a team is playing its third-string goalie. Staying in the loop will give bettors a better chance at finding an edge.