NHL Hockey Player News

Riley Tufte(LW)|BOS
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Riley Tufte has been recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

Valeri Nichushkin did not practice with the Avalanche on Wednesday as he was away from the team for the birth of his child. He has not been ruled out of Thursday's game against the Settle Kraken but if he is unable to go, look for Tufte to slot into the lineup. In his only game this season, Tufte recorded zero points and four shots in 11:28 time-on-ice.

Source:
Colorado Avalanche 2023-11-09T16:17:29.326Z
Riley Tufte
Joel Blomqvist(G)|PIT
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Joel Blomqvist has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

The Penguins have recalled Blomqvist from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL as Tristan Jarry is day-to-day after suffering an undisclosed injury on Tuesday. Magnus Hellberg is expected to fill in for Jarry in his absence and will be backed up by Blomqvist in the interim. In seven games at the AHL level (4-2-0), Blomqvist has a 1.91 GAA and .920 SV%.

Source:
Seth Rorabaugh 2023-11-09T16:08:57.567Z
Joel Blomqvist
Dylan Garand(G)|NYR
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Dylan Garand has been recalled from Hartford (AHL).

With the news that both Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin are dealing with injuries Dylan Garand has been recalled from Hartford (AHL) for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old was the Rangers' 2020 fourth-round pick (103rd overall) and was 3-1-1 with a .914 SV% and 2.63 GAA in five games with Hartford prior to his promotion.

Source:
New York Rangers PR 2023-11-08T22:15:21.063Z
Dylan Garand
Connor Mackey(D)|NYR
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Connor Mackey has been recalled from Hartford (AHL).

Mackey has been recalled for the second time a week from Hartford (AHL) and will hope to make his Rangers' debut if he finds himself in New York's lineup Thursday vs. Minnesota. The 27-year-old had a goal, an assist, 17 PIMs and a +8 plus/minus through seven games with Hartford and returns to the NHL for his fourth NHL season.

Source:
New York Rangers PR 2023-11-08T22:25:34.331Z
Connor Mackey
Louis Domingue(G)|NYR
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Louis Domingue has been recalled from Hartford (AHL).

Igor Shesterkin (undisclosed) is still day-to-day so Louis Domingue has been recalled from Hartford (AHL) and is expected to dress Thursday vs. Minnesota. The 31-year-old may make his first start of the 2023-24 season after Jonathan Quick (upper body) was also announced injured Wednesday. Domingue was recalled from Hartford, where he was 3-1-0 with a .934 SV% and 1.75 GAA.

Source:
New York Ranger PR 2023-11-08T22:20:51.333Z
Louis Domingue
Ondrej Pavel(C)|NSH
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Ondrej Pavel has been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

Pavel made his NHL debut Tuesday and collected one SOG and a -1 plus/minus in 6:59 TOI Tuesday but has been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL) Wednesday with the return of Viktor Olofsson. The 23-year-old returns to the Eagles, where he had six PIMs, a +5 plus/minus and zero points in 10 games prior to his original promotion.

Source:
Ryan Boulding 2023-11-08T20:35:32.620Z
Ondrej Pavel
Calvin Pickard(G)|EDM
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Calvin Pickard has been recalled from Bakersfield (AHL).

Jack Campbell cleared waivers earlier on Wednesday, allowing the Oilers to recall Pickard from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Pickard has not played at the NHL level since a three-game stint with the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021-22 season. The 31-year-old journeyman goaltender has been lights out with the Condors this season, posting a 2.03 GAA and .939 SV% in four games (2-2-0). Stuart Skinner is expected to take priority in the starters crease for the Oilers but after a dreadful 2-8-1 start to the season, the slightest misstep could potentially give Pickard a route to seeing game action.

Source:
Edmonton Oilers 2023-11-08T20:14:11.143Z
Calvin Pickard
Jonas Rondbjerg(RW)|VGK
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Jonas Rondbjerg has been recalled from Henderson (AHL).

With news that Chandler Stephenson is expected to miss the next two games with an upper-body injury, Rondbjerg has been recalled from Henderson (AHL) and will likely play his fourth game of the season for Vegas on Wednesday. Rondbjerg has two points (1G / 1A) with the Golden Knights this season and is expected to skate alongside Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar.

Source:
Sin Bin Vegas 2023-11-08T20:04:45.831Z
Jonas Rondbjerg
Jack Campbell(G)|DET
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Jack Campbell has cleared waivers and been assigned to Bakersfield (AHL).

Campbell has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. After 41 unimpressive games with the Oilers over the past two seasons, Campbell has posted a lacklustre 3.53 GAA and .886 SV%, leading to his placement on waivers on Tuesday. The Oilers, who were largely considered to be Stanley Cup contenders to start the season, are off to a dreadful start, winning only two of their first 11 games (2-8-1). The Oilers will likely recall Calvin Pickard from Bakersfield (AHL) once Campbell clears waivers and will turn to Stuart Skinner for starting duties in the interim.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2023-11-08T19:19:50.917Z
Jack Campbell
Michael Sgarbossa(C)|WAS
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Michael Sgarbossa has been recalled from Hershey (AHL).

With Nicklas Backstrom being placed on the long-term injured reserve and Evgeny Kuznetsov out due to illness, the Capitals have recalled journeyman Michael Sgarbossa from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. In 11 games with the Bears this season, Sgarbossa has 12 points (3G / 9A). Dating back to the 2012-13 season, Sgarbossa has 65 NHL games under his belt, registering 16 points (4G / 12A).

Source:
Stephen Whyno 2023-11-08T15:32:10.474Z
Michael Sgarbossa
Jonah Gadjovich(LW)|FLA
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Jonah Gadjovich has been loaned to Charlotte (AHL) on conditioning purposes.

Gadjovich signed with the Panthers in the offseason but, after serving as a healthy scratch for the team's first 11 games, is being loaned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL for a conditioning assignment. Last season, Gadjovich had seven points (3G / 4A), 57 penalty minutes, and 92 hits in 35 games with the San Jose Sharks.

Source:
Florida Panthers 2023-11-07T16:38:13.785Z
Jonah Gadjovich
Pyotr Kochetkov(G)|CAR
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Pyotr Kochetkov has been recalled from Syracuse (AHL).

With news that Frederik Andersen will be out indefinitely because of a blood clotting issue, the Hurricanes have recalled Kochetkov from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Kochetkov recently had a great three-game stint in the AHL (3-0-0), posting a 1.63 GAA and .932 SV%, which starkly contrasts his poor 4.33 GAA and .836 SV% from an earlier three-game stint (0-3-0) with the Hurricanes. Antti Raanta will likely be the go-to option between the pipes while Andersen is away from the team. The Hurricanes also announced on Monday that veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak will be joining the team on a free-agent tryout.

Source:
Carolina Hurricanes 2023-11-07T15:23:04.729Z
Pyotr Kochetkov
Jonas Rondbjerg(RW)|VGK
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Jonas Rondbjerg has been reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL).

Rondbjerg has a goal, an assist, five SOG, and a +2 plus/minus through three games with Vegas this season but has been reassigned to Henderson (AHL) on Monday. The 24-year-old left-winger returns to the Silver Knights, where he had three assists and two PIMs in six games prior to his original promotion.

Source:
Vegas Golden Knights 2023-11-06T19:38:18.829Z
Jonas Rondbjerg

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.