Call up / Send down
The Lightning have sent Gabriel Dumont to Syracuse (AHL).
The Lightning are entering their bye week, so sending Dumont to Syracuse is a cap move and allows Dumont to play in the AHL while the Lightning are off.
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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves
Call up / Send down
The Lightning have sent Erik Condra to Syracuse (AHL).
The Lightning are entering their bye week, so sending Condra to Syracuse is a cap move and allows Condra to play in the AHL while the Lightning are off.
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have sent Joakim Ryan to San Jose (AHL).
Ryan, 23, was a seventh round pick in 2012 and has nearly topped his career-high in AHL points already this season. The New Jersey native has 25 points (5G / 20A) in 39 games with the Barracuda and patiently awaits his NHL debut.
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have sent Ryan Carpenter to San Jose (AHL).
Carpenter was back in the lineup last night in Boston after sitting for two straight games and has totalled four points (2G / 2A) in 11 games with the Sharks. He returns to the Barracuda where he has registered 20 points (8G / 12A) in 29 games this season.
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have recalled Tim Heed from San Jose (AHL).
Heed has been called up a few occasions, but has only appeared in one game with the Sharks this season. The 26-year-old blueliner has posted fantastic numbers with the Barracuda so far this season, collecting 11 goals and 26 assists (37 points) in 34 games—that is good for second on the team and leads all San Jose defensemen.
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have recalled Kevin Labanc from San Jose (AHL).
Labanc was sent down for a quick stint with the Barracuda and returns to the Sharks after missing the last two games. The rookie winger has collected seven goals and seven assists (14 points) in 40 games and should draw back into the lineup on Saturday.
Call up / Send down
The Avalanche have sent Eric Gelinas to San Antonio (AHL).
Gelinas cleared waivers last week but wasn’t sent down right away. Gelinas was a healthy scratch for the last two games and heads to San Antonio for the first time. During his last AHL stint, Gelinas had five points (1G / 4A) in 13 games with Albany in 2013-14.
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have sent Evan Rodrigues to Rochester (AHL).
Rodrigues was recalled yesterday in case Evander Kane couldn’t play and since Kane was good-to-go, Rodrigues has been returned to Rochester (AHL).
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have recalled Jordan Weal from Lehigh Valley (AHL).
Weal, 24, leads the Phantoms with 47 points (15G / 32A) in 43 games and that ranks him second in the AHL. With Travis Konecny out for at least one month, Weal has been recalled and skated with Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek in Friday’s practice.
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Canadiens recalled Michael McCarron and he'll be in the lineup on Thursday.
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have recalled Derek Grant from Rochester (AHL).
Grant had three assists in 35 games with the Sabres earlier this season before ending up in Nashville via waivers. He had one assist in six games with Nashville but was reclaimed by the Sabres last week. With Evander Kane listed as a game-time decision, Grant has been recalled and could draw into the lineup tonight.
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have recalled Evan Rodrigues from Rochester (AHL).
Rodrigues, 23, could draw into the lineup for a banged up Evander Kane on Thursday. Rodrigues has no points in two games with the Sabres this season, but has 27 points (9G / 18A) in 43 games with Rochester.
Call up / Send down
The Wild have sent Alex Tuch to Iowa (AHL).
Tuch failed to record a point while firing seven shots and averaging 11:54 TOI in his first three NHL games. The 2014 No.18 overall pick returns to Iowa, where he has 11 goals and 11 assists (22 points) in 34 games this season.
Call up / Send down
The Avalanche have recalled Jeremy Smith from San Antonio (AHL).
Smith will come up and serve as Calvin Pickard’s backup after going 5-8-0 with a 2.57 GAA and .911 SV%. This move is likely more about getting Spencer Martin games while Pickard is playing well then wanting to call-up Smith.
Call up / Send down
The Avalanche sent Spencer Martin to San Antonio (AHL).
Calvin Pickard has played well recently, so the Avalanche likely want to allow Martin to get some games in with San Antonio while Pickard starts with the big club. He has swapped places with Jeremy Smith and goes to the Rampage with a 15-10-0 record, 2.72 GAA and .912 SV% in 28 games.
Call up / Send down
The Wild have sent Mike Reilly to Iowa (AHL).
Reilly, 23, was a fourth round pick in 2011 who put up huge offensive numbers at the University of Minnesota, but has had a tough time producing in the NHL. The Chicago native has just one goal in 17 games with Minnesota this season and heads back to Iowa where he has 15 points (4G / 11A) in 29 games.
Call up / Send down
The Wild have recalled Gustav Olofsson from Iowa (AHL).
Olofsson, 22, has scored five goals with 16 assists (21 points) in 45 games with Iowa this season. He played one game with Minnesota this season and has three games of NHL experience so far. He could draw into the lineup tonight vs. the Blackhawks.
Call up / Send down
Marcus Sorensen will make his NHL debut on Tuesday.
Sorensen was a fourth round pick of the Ottawa Senators, but now a member of the Sharks, will make his NHL debut tonight in Buffalo. He will skate on the fourth line and comes to the Sharks after scoring 13 goals with 14 assists (27 points) in 39 games with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) this season.
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.