NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Yegor Chinakhov(RW)|CBJ
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Yegor Chinakhov (back) has been activated off the injured/Non-Roster list and was loaned to Cleveland (AHL).

Chinakhov had yet to appear this season for Columbus after missing most of training camp with a back injury but has been activated off the injured/Non-roster list and was loaned to Cleveland (AHL). The 22-year-old was Columbus' 2020 first-round pick (21st overall) and had four goals, nine assists, 44 SOG, 10 PIMs, and a -6 plus/minus.

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2023-10-25T20:29:58.372Z
Yegor Chinakhov
Patrick Brown(C)|BOS
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Patrick Brown has been reassigned to Providence (AHL).

Brown failed to pick up a point in any of the three games he dressed in for the Bruins this season and has been assigned to Providence (AHL) on Wednesday. The 31-year-old veteran is in his eighth NHL season and will head to the AHL for the first time since he captained the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) in 2020-21.

Source:
Mark Diver 2023-10-25T19:52:41.276Z
Patrick Brown
Robert Hagg(D)|VGK
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Call Up
Robert Hagg has been recalled from San Diego (AHL).

Hagg signed a one-year, $775,000 deal with Anaheim in the offseason and has been recalled from San Deigo (AHL) for the first time this season. The 28-year-old is entering his eighth NHL season with his fifth team after putting up two goals, five assists, 26 PIMs, 40 SOG and a -5 plus/minus in 38 games with Detroit in 2022-23.

Source:
Anaheim Ducks 2023-10-25T16:24:51.293Z
Robert Hagg
Dylan Coghlan(D)|FA
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Call Up
Dylan Coghlan has been recalled from Springfield (AHL).

Coghlan has a goal, an assist, six PIMs, and a -1 plus/minus through five games with Springfield (AHL) and has been recalled Tuesday. The 25-year-old defenseman is in his fourth NHL season and had three assists, and 29 SOG in 17 games played with Carolina in 2022-23. With the injury to Brett Pesce (lower body), Coghlan will provide the Hurricanes with some defensive depth.

Source:
Carolina Hurricanes 2023-10-24T15:35:00.131Z
Dylan Coghlan
Gustav Lindstrom(RD)|MON
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Call Up
Gustav Lindstrom has been recalled from Laval (AHL) on an emergency basis.

Lindstrom was recalled by the Canadiens and could be an option to replace David Savard (upper-body) on Tuesday as they play the second half of a back-to-back. The 38th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft played 36 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, recording eight points (1G / 7A) in 36 games.

Source:
Montreal Canadiens 2023-10-24T14:43:50.026Z
Gustav Lindstrom
Clay Stevenson(G)|WAS
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The Capitals have reassigned Clay Stevenson to Hershey (AHL).

Stevenson has been serving as Darcy Kuemper's backup, with Charlie Lindgren sidelined with an injury. Hunter Shepard will replace him in that role on Tuesday. Stevenson has gone 4-1-0 while allowing 10 goals on 119 shots (.916 SV%) in five career AHL games.

Source:
@Capitals 2023-10-24T13:21:07.849Z
Clay Stevenson
Hunter Shepard(G)|FA
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The Capitals have recalled Hunter Shepard from Hershey (AHL).

Shepard is a 27-year-old career AHLer, who has gone 2-0-0 while allowing six goals on 52 shots (.885 SV%) in his first two starts with Hershey this season. He replaces Clay Stevenson on the Capitals' roster and figures to serve as Darcy Kuemper's backup vs. the Maple Leafs.

Source:
@Capitals 2023-10-24T13:19:36.725Z
Hunter Shepard
Justin Sourdif(RW)|WAS
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Justin Sourdif has been loaned to Charlotte Checkers (AHL).

Sourdif failed to pick up a point in any of the three games he appeared in for the Panthers but only averaged 8:50 TOI and had two SOG in his first appearance in the NHL and has been loaned to Charlotte (AHL) Monday. The 21-year-old returns to the Checkers, where he had seven goals and 24 poitns in 48 games played in 2022-23.

Source:
David Dwork 2023-10-23T21:39:07.634Z
Justin Sourdif
Daemon Hunt(D)|CBJ
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Daemon Hunt has been recalled from the Iowa Wild (AHL).

Hunt was the Wild's 2020 third-round pick (65th overall) and has been recalled to Minnesota Monday for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old defensemen had yet to pick up a point with Iowa (AHL) but had seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through four games. Hunt has a shot to make his NHL debut if John Merrill is held out of the lineup due to injury Tuesday.

Source:
Michael Russo 2023-10-23T21:36:35.001Z
Daemon Hunt
Zach Sanford(LW)|FA
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Zach Sanford has been recalled from Tucson (AHL).

Sanford has registered one point (0G / 1A) in three games with the Tuscon Roadrunners this season and will hope to make his NHL season debut for the Coyotes with this most recent call-up. Sanford and Jan Jenik, who were both called up on Monday, are both candidates to cycle in and out of the lineup as Jason Zucker will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Source:
Arizona Coyotes PR 2023-10-23T18:45:30.858Z
Zach Sanford
Jan Jenik(C)|OTT
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Call Up
Jan Jenik has been recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL).

Jenik has already played two games for the Coyotes this season, going without a point and registering four hits and four penalty minutes. Jenik and Zach Sanford, who were both called up on Monday, are both candidates to cycle in and out of the lineup as Jason Zucker will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Source:
Arizona Coyotes 2023-10-23T18:43:04.957Z
Jan Jenik
Cal Foote(D)|FA
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Cal Foote has been recalled from Utica (AHL).

Foote has yet to make his debut with the Devils but could find his way into the lineup after being recalled from the Utica Comets of the AHL on Monday. In three games with the Comets, Foote scored two points (1G / 2A) and had a -3 plus/minus rating. He had seven points (2G / 5A) in 50 NHL games last season between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators.

Source:
New Jersey Devils 2023-10-23T15:09:09.902Z
Cal Foote
Jacob Bernard-Docker(D)|BUF
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Jacob Bernard-Docker was recalled from Belleville (AHL) on Monday.

Bernard-Docker was recalled by Ottawa after a brief two-game stint with Belleville (AHL) where he had zero points and a +1 plus/minus rating. The 26th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has two points (0G / 2A) in 33 career NHL games across the last four seasons. He is projected to play alongside Thomas Chabot on the Senators' third defensive pairing.

Source:
Sens Media 2023-10-23T14:22:53.910Z
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Vinni Lettieri(C)|FA
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Call Up
The Wild recalled Lettieri from Iowa (AHL) on Sunday.

Lettieri most recently appeared in the NHL last season with the Bruins, where he played just one game. He'll fill the open spot on the Wild roster after Sammy Walker was re-assigned to Iowa earlier today. Lettieri has one goal, two assists and 14 shots on goal in four AHL games this season.

Source:
@mnwildPR 2023-10-22T21:19:22.561Z
Vinni Lettieri
Sammy Walker(C)|FA
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The Wild re-assigned Walker to Iowa (AHL) on Sunday.

Walker returns to Iowa after a brief cameo with the Wild following the placement of Alex Goligoski on LTIR. In two games with Minnesota, Walker registered zero points and one shot on goal with an ATOI of 10:05. He'll return to the AHL where he's also been held pointless in two appearances this season.

Source:
Michael Russo 2023-10-22T16:34:27.953Z
Sammy Walker

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.