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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Ryan MacInnis(C)|FA
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The Blue Jackets have assigned Ryan MacInnis to Cleveland (AHL).

MacInnis appeared in seven games during his call-up but was a healthy scratch for the last five games. His demotion made room for Cam Atkinson (ankle) to be activated from IR. He returns to Cleveland, where he has 15 points (3G / 12A) in 28 games.

Source:
Alison Lukan 2020-01-15T17:18:04.958Z
Ryan MacInnis
Joel Farabee(LW)|CGY
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The Flyers have sent Joel Farabee to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Carter Hart will miss 2-to-3 weeks with an abdominal strain and that affected their cap situation. Farabee had to be sent down in order to call-up Alex Lyon to serve as Brian Elliott's backup on Wednesday. Chris Stewart was also placed on waivers, so expect Farabee to be recalled tomorrow once Stewart is claimed or clears waivers (most likely).

Source:
@NHLFlyers 2020-01-15T17:13:03.812Z
Joel Farabee
Alex Lyon(G)|BUF
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The Flyers have recalled Alex Lyon from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Lyon will serve as Brian Elliott's backup for at least two weeks because Carter Hart is out with an abdominal strain. The 27-year-old, who has 13 games of NHL experience, has gone 9-11-2 with a 2.56 GAA and .916 SV% in 23 AHL games this season.

Source:
@NHLFlyers 2020-01-15T17:10:49.106Z
Alex Lyon
John Quenneville(C)|FA
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The Blackhawks have reassigned John Quenneville to Rockford (AHL).

Quenneville was sent down after playing nine games with the Blackhawks, keeping him waiver exempt. The 23-year-old did not register a point during his promotion but has 13 points (8G / 5A) in 19 AHL games.

Source:
Ben Pope 2020-01-14T17:54:09.525Z
John Quenneville
Rasmus Sandin(D)|WSH
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The Maple Leafs have recalled Rasmus Sandin from Toronto (AHL).

Sandin has been all over the place this season. He started the year in the NHL, posting two assists in six games, was then sent to the AHL and then loaned to Team Sweden for the World Juniors, where he had 10 points (3G / 7A) in seven games. Toronto is trying to sort some stuff out defensively, so it looks like they'll give the 19-year-old another look.

Source:
Lance Hornby 2020-01-13T17:35:35.789Z
Rasmus Sandin
David Kase(C)|PHI
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The Flyers reassigned David Kase to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Kase played just 5:00 TOI in Saturday's loss to the Lightning. He returns to the AHL with Connor Bunnaman coming the other way to serve as the Flyers' fourth-line centre on Monday. Kase has three goals and four assists (seven points) in 29 AHL games this season.

Source:
Adam Kimelman 2020-01-13T03:09:24.543Z
David Kase
Connor Bunnaman(C)|FA
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The Flyers recalled Connor Bunnaman from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Bunnaman will be the latest Phantom to get a shot to stick on the Flyers fourth line. Recalling Bunnaman will allow Scott Laughton to move back to the wing, where head coach Alain Vigneault thinks he "best helps the team." Bunnaman has four goals and one assist (five points) in 21 AHL games this season.

Source:
Adam Kimelman 2020-01-13T03:09:10.469Z
Connor Bunnaman
Cory Schneider(G)|FA
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The Devils have recalled Cory Schneider from Binghamton (AHL).

With Mackenzie Blackwood hurt and Louis Domingue starting last night, it's entirely possible that Schneider will start tonight vs. the Lightning. However, Domingue played well last night, it is his former team in town and the guy who stole his job is probably starting, so it could be Domingue on back-to-back nights. Schneider has had a tough time in the AHL so far, going 4-4-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .894 SV% in eight starts.

Source:
@NJDevils 2020-01-12T18:35:46.113Z
Cory Schneider
Jaret Anderson-Dolan(C)|WPG
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The Kings recalled Jaret Anderson-Dolan from Ontario (AHL).

Anderson-Dolan was a second-round pick in 2017 (No.41 overall) and has one assist in five career NHL games. He was called up prior to Thursday's game but did not play but could make his season debut over the weekend while Blake Lizotte is out. The 20-year-old has five goals and 14 assists (19 points) in 36 AHL games this season.

Source:
Jack Harris 2020-01-10T17:29:50.661Z
Jaret Anderson-Dolan
Moritz Seider(D)|DET
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The Red Wings have reassigned Moritz Seider to Grand Rapids (AHL).

Seider was loaned to Team Germany, where he served as team captain and had six assists in seven World Junior games. The 18-year-old played massive minutes for his home country and returns to the Griffins looking to build off of the 12 points (1G / 11A) he accumulated in 28 games earlier in the year.

Source:
Grand Rapids Griffins 2020-01-10T17:26:57.723Z
Moritz Seider
David Gustafsson(C)|WPG
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The Jets have assigned David Gustafsson to Manitoba (AHL).

Gustafsson was loaned to Team Sweden for the World Juniors, where he had one goal and three assists in seven and earned a bronze medal. He had one goal in 22 games with the Jets earlier in the year but will get his first taste of the AHL upon his return to North America.

Source:
Ken Wiebe 2020-01-09T22:44:51.475Z
David Gustafsson

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.