The Penguins have recalled Rafael Harvey-Pinard from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Bryan Rust is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, so Harvey-Pinard was recalled to serve as an extra body on Saturday. Kevin Hayes will replace Rust in the lineup.
Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA
NHL Transactions & Roster Moves
The Senators have recalled Hunter Shepard from Belleville (AHL).
Shepard takes Mads Sogaard's spot on the Senators' roster and figures to backup Leevi Merilainen on Saturday. Shepard has gone 5-6-1 with a 3.41 GAA and .897 SV% in 12 AHL games this season.
The Senators have assigned Mads Sogaard to Belleville (AHL).
Sogaard played briefly in Colorado on Thursday and it went terribly. After replacing Leevi Merilainen, Sogaard allowed five goals on 16 shots and was replaced by Merilainen. Hunter Shepard was recalled from the AHL to take Sogaard's spot on the the roster.
The Senators have assigned Stephen Halliday to Belleville (AHL).
Halliday was a healthy scratch in Colorado on Thursday with Lars Eller returning to the lineup, so he returns to the AHL so he can play. Halliday has split his season between the AHL and NHL, tallying six assists in 18 games with Ottawa. He'll be one of the first forwards to get recalled when the Senators need a body in the future.
Vilmanis has been recalled from Charlotte (AHL) and will make his NHL debut on Saturday.
Vilmanis was a fifth-round pick in 2022 and will make his NHL debut after 92 career AHL games with Charlotte. This year, he has eight goals and 11 assists (19 points) in 31 games. He'll suit up on the Panthers' fourth line with Luke Kunin and Jack Studnicka.
The Wild have recalled Ben Jones from Iowa (AHL).
Joel Eriksson Ek suffered an undisclosed injury on Thursday and is questionable to play Saturday. With Jones getting called up, it suggests that Eriksson Ek won't play and Jones will draw in as the No.4 centre.
The Rangers have assigned Justin Dowling to Hartford (AHL).
Dowling appeared in two games during his call-up but was a healthy scratch vs. the Sabres on Thursday. His demotion suggests that Noah Laba will be back in the Rangers' lineup on Saturday.
The Blackhawks have recalled Stanislav Berezhnoy from Rockford (AHL).
With Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom both dealing with illnesses, Berezhnoy's call-up suggests that neither of them travelled to Nashville for Saturday's game. So look for either Berezhnoy to make his NHL debut or for Drew Commesso to start for a second night in a row.
Dries has been recalled from Grand Rapids (AHL).
Dries last appeared in the NHL in 2022-23 with Vancouver and has earned his first call up since after Detroit announced they had recalled the forward from Grand Rapids (AHL) on Friday. The 31-year-old veteran forward has been enjoying a succesful run with Grand Rapids to start this season, with 11 goals, 25 points and 16 PIMs in 26 games played.
Jones has been loaned to Rochester (AHL).
Jones failed to appear in a game during his recent call up to the Sabres and has been returned on loan to the Rochester Americans (AHL). The 25-year-old is having an incredibly succesful run in the minors so far this season, with two goals and 30 points in 27 games played.
Ginning has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL).
With the Flyers battling some injuries up front, they have recalled Ginning from Lehigh Valley (AHL). The 25-year-old forward has three points (1G / 2A) with Lehigh Valley this season.
Commesso has been recalled from Rockford (AHL).
With Arvid Soderblom (illness) uncertain for Friday's game against the Washington Capitals, the Blackhawks have recalled Commesso from Rockford (AHL). If Soderblom is unable to suit up, Commesso will draw into the lineup as Spencer Knight's backup.
Korchinski has been recalled from Rockford (AHL).
With an illness circulating around the Blackhawks' dressing room and several players listed as game-time decisions, the team has recalled Korchinski from Rockford (AHL). The 21-year-old Korchinski has 19 points (2G / 17A) in 32 games with Rockford this season.
Lindbom has been recalled from Henderson (AHL).
Carter Hart suffered a lower-body injury yesterday and Adin Hill (lower body) is nearing a return, but is not ready yet, resulting in Vegas recalling Lindbom from Henderson (AHL). The 22-year-old Lindbom appeared in seven games for Vegas earlier this season (1-4-2), posting a 3.14 GAA and .870 SV%. He has been terrific at the AHL level this season, posting a 2.08 GAA and .926 SV% in 12 games with Henderson (6-3-3).
Giles has been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
Giles played three games for the Sharks this season, recording one assist, but will return to the AHL. The undrafted 26-year-old forward has nine points (5G / 4A) in 28 games with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) this season.
Quillan has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Quillan played three games for the Maple Leafs this season, but will return to the Marlies (AHL). The undrafted 23-year-old forward has 23 points (5G / 18A) in 26 games with the Marlies this season.
Ivan has been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL).
Ivan made his NHL debut last season and scored eight points (5G / 3A) in 40 games with the Avalanche, but has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. The 23-year-old Czech forward has eight points (2G / 6A) in 28 games with the Eagles (AHL) this season.
Nystrom has been reassigned to Chicago (AHL).
In 33 games this season, his first exposure to the NHL, Nystrom has eight assists and is averaging 15:37 time-on-ice. He has impressed coaches, but with Jaccob Slavin (upper body) expected to return in Carolina's next game, Nystrom has been reassigned to the Chicago Wolves (AHL).
Leonard has been assigned to Grand Rapids (AHL)
Leonard played the previous two games for the Red Wings, but he will return to the lineup on Monday against the Ottawa Senators. The 27-year-old Leonard has four points (2G / 2A) in nine games this season.
The Golden Knights recalled Coghlan from Henderson (AHL) on Thursday.
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.