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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Austin Czarnik(C)|FA
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Austin Czarnik has cleared waivers and been reassigned to Grand Rapids (AHL).

Czarnik had two goals, an assist, 13 SOG and a +2 plus/minus through 12 games with the Red Wings while averaging 11:27 TOI but will not head back to Grand Rapids (AHL) after passing through waivers Monday. The 30-year-old heads back to Grand Rapids, where he was dominant to start the year, with six goals, eight assists and four PIMs through his first 12 games.

Source:
Detroit Red Wings 2022-12-20T18:44:16.846Z
Austin Czarnik
Nick DeSimone(D)|UTA
Call Up
Call Up
Nick DeSimone has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

DeSimone has four goals and 11 assists, with 18 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus through 20 games with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) prior to his second call-up of the season to the Flames. He has also played in four games with the Flames, where he picked up no points, two PIMs and a -4 plus/minus.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2022-12-20T17:41:51.834Z
Nick DeSimone
Craig Smith(C)|FA
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Craig Smith has cleared waivers and been assigned to Providence (AHL).

Smith will head back to the AHL for the first time since 2013 after clearing waivers Monday. He will head to Providence (AHL) after putting up a goal, three assists, 23 SOG and six PIMs while averaging a career-low 9:53 TOI across 18 games.

Source:
Shawn Hutcheon 2022-12-20T16:43:01.395Z
Craig Smith
Jordan Gross(RD)|FA
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Jordan Gross has been reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).

Gross will head back to Milwaukee (AHL) after a very productive stint with the Predators that saw him pick up his first three career goals, with 20 SOG and a -3 plus/minus while playing 18:49 ATOI nightly in 10 games while playing as Roman Josi's defensive partner. He heads back to Milwaukee, where he had two goals, nine assists and five PIMs in 13 games prior to his previous promotion.

Source:
Nashville Predators 2022-12-20T16:10:52.077Z
Jordan Gross
Arvid Holm(G)|FA
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Call Up
Arvid Holm has been recalled from the Manitoba Moose (AHL).

Holm has been recalled Tuesday to back up David Rittich after having an impressive start to his season in Manitoba (AHL) with a 7-3-2 record, 2.55 GAA, and .923 SV%. If he does see any NHL action it will be his NHL debut.

Source:
Winnipeg Jets PR 2022-12-20T21:56:42.235Z
Arvid Holm
Rasmus Kupari(C)|WPG
Call Up
Call Up
Rasmus Kupari has been recalled from Ontario (AHL).

Kupari has two goals, three assists, 13 SOG, and eight PIMs through 18 games with the Kings and will head back to the big club from the Ontario Reign (AHL) Monday. In the minors he had five goals, nine points and 22 PIMs in 11 games prior to his promotion.

Source:
LA Kings PR 2022-12-19T18:18:27.135Z
Rasmus Kupari
Akira Schmid(G)|VGK
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Akira Schmid has been sent back down to Utica (AHL).

Schmid will head back down to Utica (AHL) after doing a more than admirable job backing up the Devils' crease, posting an incredible 5-3-0 record, 1.96 GAA and .932 SV%. He heads back to the minors, where he was also strong prior to his promotion, with a 2-1-2 record, .918 SV% and 1.97 GAA in a short four game showing.

Source:
Akira Schmid 2022-12-19T17:34:29.149Z
Akira Schmid
Arturs Silovs(G)|PIT
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Call Up
Arturs Silovs has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL).

Silovs has a 9-5-3 record, .887 SV% and 2.92 GAA with the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) and has been recalled Monday by the Vancouver Canucks to be Spencer Martin's backup. Silovs has been recalled previously in his career but has yet to make his NHL debut so if he does see any game action, he will knock that milestone off his checklist.

Source:
Vancouver Canucks 2022-12-19T17:22:14.508Z
Arturs Silovs
Collin Delia(G)|FA
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Colin Delia has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).

Delia was excellent in his only game of action with the Vancouver Canucks prior to being reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL) Monday. He heads back to the minors where he had a 5-3-0 record, .884 SV% and 3.44 GAA prior to his previous promotion.

Source:
Vancouver Canucks 2022-12-19T17:24:54.020Z
Collin Delia
Isaak Phillips(D)|WPG
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Isaak Phillips has been recalled from Rockford (AHL).

Phillips has been recalled from Rockford (AHL) as a replacement after Jarred Tinordi was placed on the injured reserve Monday (face). Phillips has been having a strong season in the AHL, with three goals, 17 points, 32 PIMs and a +17 plus/minus through 25 games played with Rockford.

Source:
Mark Lazerus 2022-12-19T16:39:19.055Z
Isaak Phillips
Arvid Soderblom(G)|CHI
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Arvid Soderblom has been sent back down to the Rockford IceHogs (AHL).

Soderblom will head back down to Rockford (AHL) after it was announced Monday that Alex Stalock will be returning to the Blackhawks from a concussion. The 23-year-old rookie struggled as he filled in for injuries for the last few months, with a 2-10-2 record, 3.45 GAA and .894 SV% in 15 games with Chicago.

Source:
Mark Lazerus 2022-12-19T16:45:48.279Z
Arvid Soderblom
Tommy Novak(C)|PIT
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Call Up
Tommy Novak has been recalled from Milwaukee (AHL).

Novak had been enjoying a fantastic season in Milwaukee (AHL) prior to his call up, ranking 14th in the AHL in points with 11 goals, and 15 assists in 25 games played. Novak has previousy played 27 games in the NHL prior to this season, collecting a goal and seven points while being a -4 plus/minus.

Source:
Nashville Predators 2022-12-19T16:20:29.400Z
Tommy Novak
Josh Dunne(C)|BUF
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Josh Dunne has been recalled from the Cleveland Monsters (AHL).

Dunne has been recalled after it was announced Boone Jenner would miss at least a month due to thumb surgery. In 24 games with Cleveland (AHL), Dunne has five goals, 11 points, 31 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus. He will be looking to pick up his first career NHL point after failing to get any in a brief six game showing with the Blue Jackets back in 2020-21.

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2022-12-19T15:53:25.700Z
Josh Dunne
Logan Brown(C)|LAK
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Call Up
Logan Brown has been recalled from Springfield (AHL).

Brown had two assists and was a -3 plus/minus in a two game conditioning stint with Springfield (AHL) before being recalled to the St. Louis Blues. Brown missed 18 games due to an upper-body injury before being sent down to the minor but prior to his injury, he had no points, five SOG and was a -2 plus/minus through five games with St. Louis.

Source:
Jim Thomas 2022-12-19T15:44:52.626Z
Logan Brown
Mackenzie Blackwood(G)|COL
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Call Up
Mackenzie Blackwood has been recalled from his conditioning stint with Utica (AHL).

Blackwood's time in Utica (AHL) did not go as smoothly as planned as he had a 3.03 GAA and .891 SV% in just two starts with the team. Regardless, he was recalled to the Devils, where he struggled early in the season prior to a knee injury, posting a 4-2-0 record with a 2.79 GAA and .880 SV%.

Source:
New Jersey Devils 2022-12-19T15:34:16.897Z
Mackenzie Blackwood

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.