NHL Hockey Player News

Jonatan Berggren has been reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL).

Berggren has been reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL after playing two games with the Red Wings, recording two points (0G / 1A), and averaging 11:36 time-on-ice. Berggren was originally recalled to replace Dylan Larkin (undisclosed), who has been away from the team. Nothing is official yet, but Berggren's reassignment to the AHL is an indication that Larkin might return to the lineup on Saturday.

Jonatan Berggren
Ilya Solovyov has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

Solovyov has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL, likely to add some depth to their defensive core after Nikita Zadorov was traded yesterday to the Vancouver Canucks. The 23-year-old Solovyov was drafted 205th overall by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has five points (2G / 3A), a +5 plus/minus rating, and 12 penalty minutes in 16 games with the Wranglers this season.

Ilya Solovyov
Kent Johnson has been recalled from the Cleveland Monsters (AHL).

Johnson will head back to Columbus four weeks after his surprise demotion to Cleveland (AHL) after he was recalled to replace the injured Damon Severson (oblique). The 21-year-old high-end prospect has re-found his game in the minors, with five goals, 10 assists, and a +5 plus/minus in 10 games played. He returns to Blue Jackets, where he had 16 goals, 24 assists, 126 SOG and 14 PIMs in 79 games played in 2022-23.

Kent Johnson
Will Butcher has cleared waivers and is expected to be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

Butcher had yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury but was placed on waivers Tuesday by Pittsburgh and cleared with expectations to assign him to the AHL. The 28-year-old did not appear in the NHL in 2022-23, but had a successful campaign with the Texas Stars (AHL) where he had six goals, 43 points and a +11 plus/minus in 65 games played.

Will Butcher
Akito Hirose has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).

Hirose last played on November 18th but has since served as a healthy scratch, prompting his reassignment to the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL. In a corresponding move, the Canucks have recalled veteran defenceman Matt Irwin, who has yet to play at the NHL level this season but has eight points (0G / 8A) in 12 games with Abbotsford.

Akito Hirose
Linus Karlsson has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL).

Karlsson made his NHL debut with the Canucks on November 16 and could be an option to draw back into their lineup after being recalled from Abbotsford (AHL) on Wednesday. In 17 games with Abbotsford, Karlsson has 15 points (3G / 12A) and a +5 plus/minus rating.

Linus Karlsson
Matt Irwin has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL).

Irwin was an NHL regular with the Washington Capital last season, scoring five points (2G / 3A) in 61 games but has exclusively played in the AHL this season with the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring two points (0G / 2A) in 13 games. Irwin was recalled along with Linus Karlsson and could serve as a replacement for Akito Hirose, who was reassigned to Abbotsford in a corresponding move.

Matt Irwin
Jordan Oesterle has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

Oesterle played four games with the Flames earlier this season, going without a point, but has spent most of his time in the AHL with the Calgary Wrangler where he has eight points (0G / 8A) in 12 games. During his brief stint with the Flames, he played almost exclusively with either Dennis Gilbert or Nikita Zadorov.

Jordan Oesterle
Samuel Laberge has been recalled from Utica (AHL) Wednesday.

Laberge is an undrafted left-winger who has spent the last three seasons with the Utica Comets of the AHL, scoring 32 points (14G / 18A) in 104 combined games. The 26-year-old Laberge has yet to play an NHL game and will likely serve as a depth forward for the Devils while they are without Erik Haula and Timo Meier.

Samuel Laberge
Brandon Biro has been recalled from Rochester (AHL).

Biro played several games with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, where he has 12 points (6G / 6A) in 10 games, after returning from an injury that derailed a hot start to his NHL campaign. Before his injury, Biro played two games with the Sabres, scoring two goals while averaging 13:00 time-on-ice.

Brandon Biro
Phil Di Giuseppe will be a healthy scratch Tuesday vs. Anaheim.

Di Giuseppe has dressed in every Canuck game this season but will be the odd man out Tuesday vs. Anaheim as Cole McWard makes his season debut. The 30-year-old left-winger has been enjoying his most productive career season to date with his three goals, five assists, 30 SOG, 13 PIMs and +5 plus/minus in 22 games this season.

Phil Di Giuseppe
Spencer Stastney has been reassigned to Milwaukee (AHL).

Stastney appeared in the Predators' previous five games and picked up a goal, four SOG, four PIMs and a +4 plus/minus during his short showing but has been reassigned to Milwaukee (AHL) Tuesday. The 23-year-old defender returns to the minors, where he had a goal and three assists in 10 games prior to his promotion.

Spencer Stastney
Jacob Moverare has been loaned to the Ontario Reign (AHL).

The revolving door of roster moves continues for Jacob Moverare who was recalled from Ontario (AHL) on Tuesday. The 25-year-old defensemen returns to the Kings where he failed to pick up a point in two games played in his previous appearances while averaging only 14:58 TOI. He has yet to score in 21 career games played but has two assists and 21 SOG during that span.

Jacob Moverare
Devon Levi has been loaned to the Rochester Americans (AHL).

With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (.918 SV%) playing so well and Eric Comrie locking down the backup spot, Devon Levi has been loaned to Rochester (AHL) for more game action. The 21-year-old struggled through injuries so far this season with his 3-4-1 record, 3.73 GAA and .876 SV%. He will head to Rochester for the first time in his career after making the immediate leap to the NHL from the NCAA near the end of 2022-23.

Devon Levi
Adam Edstrom has been reassigned to Hartford (AHL).

Edstrom did not see any NHL time during his very brief call up and will head back to Hartford (AHL) on Tuesday. The 23-year-old forward has yet to make his NHL debut but heads back to Hartford, where he had seven goals, two assists, 14 PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in 18 games prior to his promotion.

Adam Edstrom

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.