The Red Wings have reassigned Zach Aston-Reese to Grand Rapids (AHL).
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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves
The Red Wings have recalled Austin Czarnik from Grand Rapids (AHL).
The Red Wings have recalled Zach Aston-Reese from Grand Rapids (AHL).
Aston-Reese was recently signed and started the season in Grand Rapids, where he was held off the scoresheet in his debut. He was recalled ahead of Saturday's game with Robby Fabbri out, but he is not expected to play vs. Tampa Bay.
The Sharks have recalled Jacob Peterson from San Jose (AHL).
Peterson made a big impact with the Sharks at the end of last season, posting eight points (2G / 6A) in 11 games. He started the year in the AHL, posting one assist in his first game. He'll replace Mikael Granlund (IR) in the lineup on Saturday, as the fourth-line centre.
The Maple Leafs have recalled Simon Benoit from Toronto (AHL).
Benoit has been sent down and recalled frequently, most likely as a paper transaction. He is expected to serve as the Maple Leafs' No.7/reserve defenseman for Saturday's game against the Wild.
Aliases Protas has been loaned to the Hershey Bears (AHL).
Protas was the odd man out of the Capitals' roster and has been loaned to Hershey (AHL) Friday as they had to call up a third goaltender due to Darcy Kuemper leaving for the birth of his child. The 22-year-old forward is expected to return to Washington as Kuemper also returns and will be looking to build off his four goal, 11 assist, and 83 SOG campaign in 2022-23 across 58 games played.
Clay Stevenson has been recalled from the Hershey Bears (AHL).
Amidst the news that Darcy Kuemper may be absent from the Capitals matchup Friday vs. Pittsburgh due to the birth of his child, Clay Stevenson has been recalled from the Hershey Bears (AHL). The 24-year-old netminder was signed as an undrafted free-agent out of Dartmouth Collect (NCAA) ahead of the 2022-23 and has yet to make an NHL appearance. In his first season in the minor leagues he posted a 19-12-3 record with a .916 SV% and a 2.54 GAA for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) in 2022-23. He is expected to backup Charlie Lindgren if Kuemper is unable to go.
Jordan Spence has been recalled from the Ontario Reign (AHL).
Spence was originally assigned to the minors to start the season but has been recalled from the Ontario Reign (AHL) ahead of the Kings' matchup Saturday vs. Carolina. The 22-year-old made headlines in the offseason after being the first Australian born NHL player to participate in a game located in Australia due to the preseason Global Series. In 2022-23 he appeared briefly for the Kings, picking up an assist and six SOG in six games played. He has officially changed his number from 53 to 21 for the 2023-24 campaign.
Jaret Anderson-Dolan has been recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Anderson-Dolan was waived by Los Angeles last Sunday but has been recalled from Ontario (AHL) ahead of the Kings' game Saturday vs. Carolina and is expected to appear on the fourth line. The 24-year-old centre had seven goals, five assists, 54 SOG, two PIMs and a -11 plus/minus in 46 games with Los Angeles in 2022-23.
David Jiricek has been recalled from the Cleveland Monsters (AHL).
Jiricek was recalled by the Blue Jackets after their star defenseman Zach Weresnki was placed on injured reserve earlier this morning. The talented young Czech defenseman had 38 points (6G / 32A) in 55 games with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL. Jiricek was the sixth overall pick of the Blue Jackets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and could be an interesting piece on the back end if Werenski is forced to miss significant time.
Jack Studnicka has been recalled on an emergency basis from Abbotsford (AHL).
Vancouver played their opening night victory vs. Edmonton with only 17 skaters and have been granted the right to recall Jack Studnicka on an emergency basis from Abbotsford (AHL) without it effecting the teams' salary cap. The 24-year-old centre had four goals, four assists, 65 SOG, 16 PIMs and a -12 plus/minus in 48 games with Vancouver and Boston in 2022-23 and will be looking to stick with the team longer than his original emergency call up.
Jonas Rondbjerg has been recalled from Henderson (AHL).
Rondbjerg was recalled from the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) Thursday ahead of Vegas' game vs. San Jose due to the two game suspension to Brett Howden and the injury to William Carrier (upper body). The 24-year-old forward appeared in 13 games in 2022-23 for Vegas and failed to pick up a goal while collecting an assist, four PIMs and a -5 plus/minus. He is expected to line up on the Golden Knights' fourth line alongside Keegan Kolesar and Nicholas Roy.
Toronto has loaned Simon Benoit to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Benoit was recalled from Toronto (AHL) ahead of the Maple Leafs' season opener Wednesday vs. Montreal but was a healthy scratch and has been loaned back to Marlies on Thursday. The 25-year-old defensemen signed a one-year contract worth $775,000 during the offseason with the Maple Leafs after three goals, 10 points and 60 PIMs in 78 games played with Anaheim in 2022-23.
Simon Holmstrom has been recalled from his loan from Bridgeport (AHL).
The Islanders' waived Ross Johnston Tuesday which allowed them the salary expansion to recalled Simon Holmstrom from his loan from Bridgeport (AHL) ahead of their season opener. The 22-year-old right-winger was originally drafted by the Islanders in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (23rd overall) and appeared in 50 games in his rookie season in 2022-23, picking up six goals, three assists and 39 SOG.
Zach Bogosian has been recalled from Syracuse (AHL).
Bogosian cleared waivers on Tuesday but has been recalled from Syracuse (AHL) on Wednesday. The 33-year-old defenseman missed the Lightnings' season-opening win over Nashville but will mark his 16th NHL season when he makes his first appearance for Tampa. He had a goal, four assists, 54 SOG, 42 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 46 games played with the Lightning in 2022-23.
Simon Benoit has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Benoit cleared waivers yesterday but has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) Wednesday. The 25-year-old defenseman signed a one-year, $775,000 contract during the offseason after three goals, seven assists, 82 SOG, 60 PIMs and a -29 plus/minus in 78 games played with Anaheim in 2022-23.
David Rittich has cleared waivers and been loaned to Ontario (AHL).
Rittich being loaned to the Ontario Reign of the AHL signifies that the Los Angeles Kings will begin their 2023-24 campaign with Cam Talbot and Phoenix Copley as their goaltending tandem. Rittch had a phenomenal preseason with the Kings, posting a 1.17 GAA and a .960 SV% in three appearances (2-0-0), and will be eager to get back to the NHL level if Copley falters early on.
Akito Hirose has been recalled from the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL).
Vasily Podkolzin has been assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL).
Podkolzin recorded seven points (4G / 3A) in 39 games with Vancouver last season to go with 18 points (7G / 11A) in 28 games with Abbotsford (AHL). Vancouver's first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft will likely see time between both squads again this season. Akito Hirose was recalled from Abbotsford but is unlikely to see much playing time with Vancouver's recent addition of Sam Lafferty.
Easton Cowan has been reassigned to the London Knights (OHL).
Cowan was selected by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft (28th overall) and had an incredibly impressive training camp but has been reassigned to the London Knights (OHL) for the 2023-24 season. The 18-year-old forward returns to junior hockey where he had 20 goals, 33 assists, 47 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus in 68 games in 2022-23.
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.