Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA

NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Joseph Blandisi(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Devils have recalled Joseph Blandisi from Albany (AHL).

Blandisi has seven goals and 15 assists (22 points) in 24 games with Albany this season. The 2012 sixth round pick had no points in three games during his first call-up. He is expected to play on Sunday after Jiri Tlusty was moved to IR on Saturday.

Source:
Rich Chere 2016-01-09T16:16:09.000Z
Joseph Blandisi
Kerby Rychel(LW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Blue Jackets have recalled Kerby Rychel from Lake Erie (AHL).

Rychel continues to be the Blue Jackets favourite call-up. The 21-year-old, former first round pick, has 20 points (5G / 15A) in 21 games with Lake Erie this season. In 11 games with the Blue Jackets, he has picked up three assists. He is expected to skate on the third line as he replaces Nick Foligno (upper-body) in the lineup.

Source:
Shawn Mitchell 2016-01-09T16:04:13.000Z
Kerby Rychel
Paul Carey(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Capitals have recalled Paul Carey from Hershey (AHL).

Carey is in his first season with the Capitals organization. He has 12 goals and 11 assists (23 points) in 35 games with Hershey this season. With Marcus Johansson suspended and Mike Richards not ready, Carey has been recalled and will make his Capitals debut on Saturday. He has one assist in 23 career NHL games with the Avalanche.

Source:
Isabelle Khurshudyan 2016-01-09T16:03:40.000Z
Paul Carey
Emerson Etem(RW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Rangers have sent Emerson Etem to Hartford (AHL) on a conditioning stint.

Etem was a healthy scratch on Tuesday and has averaged just 11:05 TOI in 19 games this season. He has played on the fourth line for the majority of the year, a spot that does not fit his playing style. He has reportedly been the subject of some trade calls recently, but as of now he heads the Hartford for a conditioning stint.

Source:
Steve Zipay 2016-01-08T14:50:26.000Z
Emerson Etem
Chris Tierney(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have recalled Chris Tierney from San Jose (AHL).

After recording just eight points (3G / 5A) in 36 games with the Sharks this season, Tierney was sent to the AHL, where he collected one goal and two assists in two games and was promptly called back to the Sharks.

Source:
Kevin Kurz 2016-01-08T14:50:22.000Z
Chris Tierney
Mike Reilly(D)|CAR
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Wild have recalled Mike Reilly from Iowa (AHL).

Reilly, 22, has five goals and 13 assists (18 points) in 32 games with Iowa this season. The highly-touted offensive defenseman didn’t make his NHL debut during his last call-up, but with Nate Prosser dealing with an injury, he could get into the lineup this time around.

Source:
Michael Russo 2016-01-08T12:18:34.000Z
Mike Reilly
Paul Thompson(LW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Devils have recalled Paul Thompson from Albany (AHL).

Thompson has registered 16 points (7G / 9A) in 22 games with Albany. The 27-year-old had 55 points in 73 games last year, so he has offensive ability and with Tuomo Ruutu out, Thompson is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday.

Source:
Mike Morreale 2016-01-08T11:32:41.000Z
Paul Thompson
Jim O'Brien(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Devils have recalled Jim O’Brien from Albany (AHL).

O’Brien is in his first year with the Devils organization. The former first round pick (29th overall in 2007) has 12 points (7G / 5A) in 17 games with Albany. O’Brien has 12 points (8G / 4A) in 63 career NHL games with the Senators.

Source:
Mike Morreale 2016-01-08T11:27:59.000Z
Jim O'Brien
Marc-Andre Gragnani(D)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Devils have recalled Marc-Andre Gragnani from Albany (AHL).

Gragnani is in his first season with the Devils organization. He has 15 assists in 24 games with Albany and tonight he is expected to make his Devils debut. Gragnani has 18 career points (3G / 15A) in 74 NHL games.

Source:
Mike Morreale 2016-01-08T11:26:44.000Z
Marc-Andre Gragnani
Joe Cannata(G)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Canucks have reassigned Joe Cannata to Utica (AHL).

Cannata was serving as Jacob Markstrom’s backup while Ryan Miller was injured, but he did not get into a game. Cannata returns to Utica, where he is 9-5-2 with a 2.49 GAA and .907 SV% this season.

Source:
Josh Clipperton 2016-01-07T17:18:25.000Z
Joe Cannata
Alex Stalock(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have recalled Alex Stalock from San Jose (AHL).

Stalock was with the Barracuda on a conditioning stint, he went 2-0-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .930 SV%. He’ll be back with the Sharks as Martin Jones’ backup—he is 2-5-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .893 SV% with San Jose this season.

Source:
San Jose Sharks 2016-01-07T17:16:01.000Z
Alex Stalock
David Dziurzynski(LW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Senators have reassigned David Dziurzynski to Binghamton (AHL).

Dziurzynski has been a healthy scratch in the last three games and with the returns of Milan Michalek and Cody Ceci, the Senators needed to clear some room on the roster. Dziurzynski had three assists in 12 games with the Senators.

Source:
@Senators 2016-01-07T17:00:34.000Z
David Dziurzynski
David Pastrnak(RW)|BOS
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Bruins have recalled David Pastrnak from Providence (AHL).

Pastrnak is expected to be in the lineup on Friday for the first time October 31st. Pastrnak was in practice on Thursday and skated on the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Loui Ericsson. Pastrnak has two goals and two assists (four points) in 10 games this season.

Source:
Joe Haggerty 2016-01-07T13:15:18.000Z
David Pastrnak
Chris Gibson(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Islanders have sent Chris Gibson back to Bridgeport (AHL).

Gibson only entered one game during his call-up, stopping 16 of 17 shots in the Islanders loss in Pittsburgh last night. Gibson heads back to Bridgeport where he is 11-5-3 with a 1.99 GAA and .928 SV% this season.

Source:
@NYIslanders 2016-01-05T18:29:11.000Z
Chris Gibson

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.