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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Nicolas Hague(D)|NSH
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The Golden Knights have recalled Nic Hague from Chicago (AHL).

Vegas is set to start a four-game road-trip on Tuesday so Hague and Nic Roy come up from the AHL as reserves. For Hague, he has appeared in eight games with Vegas this season, tallying two assists, nine shots and seven hits while playing 14:59 ATOI. With Nate Schmidt back on the blueline, it may be difficult for the young defenseman to get into the lineup on this trip.

Source:
Danny Webster 2019-11-04T15:13:52.741Z
Nicolas Hague
Oscar Fantenberg(LD)|FA
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The Canucks have recalled Oscar Fantenburg from a conditioning loan with Utica (AHL).

Fantenberg did not register a point in two games with the Comets and returns to Vancouver because Quinn Hughes suffered a lower-body injury on Friday night. Fantenberg or Ashton Sautner will likely replace Hughes on Saturday night.

Source:
@Canucks 2019-11-02T17:40:37.944Z
Oscar Fantenberg
Peter Cehlarik(LW)|FA
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The Bruins have recalled Peter Cehlarik from Providence (AHL).

Cehlarik will draw into the Bruins lineup on Saturday with Brett Ritchie sidelined with an infection. Cehlarik has enjoyed a terrific start to the 2019-20 AHL season, registering 10 points (6G / 4A) in seven games. He has 10 points (5G / 5A) in 38 career games with Boston.

Source:
Boston Bruins 2019-11-02T15:05:59.109Z
Peter Cehlarik
Jakob Lilja(LW)|
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The Blue Jackets have reassigned Jakob Lilja to Cleveland (AHL).

Lilja appeared in the last two games while replacing an injured Alexandre Texier but heads to the AHL for the first time in his career. Kole Sherwood comes up from Cleveland (AHL) to take his spot on Saturday.

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2019-11-02T14:21:31.886Z
Jakob Lilja
C.J. Suess(LW)|FA
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Call Up
The Jets have recalled C.J. Suess from Manitoba (AHL).

Suess could be making his NHL debut on Friday nought, altering scoring one goal in eight games with the Moose. The former fifth-round pick will replace Luca Sbisa in the lineup as the Jets go back to the traditional 12 forwards, six defensemen look.

Source:
Winnipeg Jets 2019-11-01T18:12:45.703Z
C.J. Suess
Sven Baertschi(LW)|FA
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The Canucks have recalled Sven Baertschi from Utica (AHL).

Baertschi was a surprise training camp casualty but has unsurprisingly dominated the AHL since then, tying for 10th in the league in points with 10 (2G / 8A) in just seven games. Micheal Ferland suffered an upper-body injury in a fight with Kyle Clifford on Wednesday, so look for Baertschi to take his spot in the lineup on Friday.

Source:
Rick Dhaliwal 2019-11-01T14:20:15.527Z
Sven Baertschi
Nic Petan(C)|FA
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The Maple Leafs have loaned Nic Petan to Toronto (AHL).

Toronto is actively shopping Petan right now but hasn't had any suitors yet. Petan has been a healthy scratch in three straight games and eight of the last nine, so he heads to the Marlies to get some playing time. In his most recent AHL stint, Petan had 52 points (15G / 37A) in 52 games with the Manitoba Moose back in 2018.

Source:
David Pagnotta 2019-11-01T14:17:05.834Z
Nic Petan
Liam O'Brien(C)|UTA
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The Capitals have recalled Liam O'Brien from Hershey (AHL).

Both Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nic Dowd are dealing with injuries and questionable for Friday's game, so O'Brien comes up and could make his season debut vs. Buffalo. The 25-year-old centre has just two points (1G / 1A) in 17 career NHL games and has registered three goals in his first nine AHL games this season.

Source:
Samantha Pell 2019-11-01T14:14:23.034Z
Liam O'Brien
Samuel Morin(D)|INA
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The Flyers sent Samuel Morin to Lehigh Valley (AHL) on Thursday.

Morin appeared in just one game of the Flyers' first 11 games with the Flyers and swaps places with Phillipe Myers so he can get some playing time in the AHL. The former first-round pick has played very little hockey since 2018, appearing in just 17 AHL games and eight NHL games thanks to a knee injury.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2019-11-01T14:03:37.273Z
Samuel Morin
Mikhail Vorobyev(C)|FA
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The Flyers sent Mikhail Vorobyov to Lehigh Valley (AHL) on Thursday.

Vorobyov appeared in five straight games for the Flyers, posting one assist in 9:04 ATOI. The Flyers are on a two-game losing skid so they made some roster moves ahead of their Friday/Saturday back-to-back. Vorobyov was replaced on the roster by German Rubtsov, who is expected to make his NHL debut in New Jersey.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2019-11-01T13:59:45.013Z
Mikhail Vorobyev
Carsen Twarynski(LW)|FA
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Call Up
The Flyers recalled Carsen Twarynski from Lehigh Valley (AHL) on Thursday.

Twarynski started the season with Philadelphia and scored one goal in his first six career NHL games. Upon returning to Lehigh Valley, the 21-year-old was held pointless in four games. Now, he comes back to the NHL where he is expected to play on the fourth line in New Jersey.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2019-11-01T13:57:27.550Z
Carsen Twarynski
German Rubtsov(C)|FA
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Call Up
The Flyers recalled German Rubtsov from Lehigh Valley (AHL) on Thursday.

Rubtsov is a former first-round drafted pick (No.22 overall in 2016) and he was one of three players to be summoned from the AHL ahead of Friday's game in New Jersey. Rubtsov could make his NHL debut today after registering six points (1G / 5A) in his first seven games of the AHL season.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2019-11-01T13:55:42.536Z
German Rubtsov
Ville Heinola(D)|WPG
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The Jets have sent Ville Heinola to Manitoba (AHL).

Heinola was a healthy scratch for the last two games and with the addition of Luca Sbisa he gets pushed to the AHL. He was also up against the nine-game mark that would burn the first year of his entry-level contract. This summer's No.20 overall pick had five points (1G / 4A) in eight games with the Jets.

Source:
Mitchell Clinton 2019-10-31T17:53:19.702Z
Ville Heinola

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.