NHL Hockey Player News

Chris Tierney(C)|FA
Call Up
Call Up
Chris Tierney has been recalled from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).

Tierney had two goals, three points, three SOG and a +1 plus/minus rating through five games previously with the Panthers in his last stint with the club. In 20 games with Charlotte (AHL) he had three goals, 16 points, 10 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus.

Source:
Florida Panthers 2023-01-05T22:06:58.953Z
Chris Tierney
Felix Sandstrom(G)|BUF
Send Down
Send Down
Felix Sandstrom has been assigned to Lehigh Valley (AHL) for a conditioning stunt.

Sandstrom has a 1-6-1 record, 3.37 GAA and .888 SV% and will head to Lehigh Valley (AHL) for a conditioning stint for the first time this season. The 25-year-old rookie netminder was the odd man out as Philadelphia decided to keep Samuel Ersson on the active roster.

Source:
Jordan Hall 2023-01-05T16:58:24.403Z
Felix Sandstrom
Jakub Vrana(LW)|NSH
Send Down
Send Down
Jakub Vrana has cleared waivers and will head down to Grand Rapids (AHL).

Vrana has not played since Oct. 15th due to personal reasons and was surprisingly waived Tuesday but cleared waivers and will now head to Grand Rapids (AHL) for the foreseeable future. The 26-year-old had a goal, two points and five SOG in his short two-game stint prior to stepping away from the team.

Source:
Detroit Red Wings 2023-01-04T20:05:10.779Z
Jakub Vrana
Jonas Rondbjerg(RW)|VGK
Send Down
Send Down
Jonas Rondbjerg has been reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL).

Rondbjerg failed to pick up a point while getting six SOG, four PIMs and a -5 plus/minus rating across nine games with the Golden Knights but has been reassigned to Henderson (AHL). Prior to his promotion previously he had eight goals, seven assists, and a +6 plus/minus through 23 games with the Silver Knights.

Source:
Vegas Golden Knights 2023-01-04T19:14:50.555Z
Jonas Rondbjerg
Byron Froese(C)|FA
Send Down
Send Down
Byron Froese has been reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL).

Froese had only played in one game with the Golden Knights and picked up two PIMs and a -1 plus/minus through 7:01 TOI in a bottom-six role. He will head back to Henderson (AHL) where he had six goals, 15 assists, 30 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus in 32 games prior to his promotion.

Source:
Vegas Golden Knights 2023-01-04T19:20:57.767Z
Byron Froese
Nick Cicek(D)|FA
Send Down
Send Down
Nick Cicek has been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).

Cicek had four assists, 11 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 10 games with the San Jose Sharks but will head back down to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL). In 15 games with the Barracuda previously, he had zero points and 18 PIMs with a -11 plus/minus.

Source:
San Jose Sharks PR 2023-01-04T19:28:05.851Z
Nick Cicek
Brett Seney(LW)|CHI
Call Up
Call Up
Brett Seney has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs (AHL).

Seney has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) after putting up 14 goals, and 38 points in 32 games to place him second in the AHL in scoring. The 26-year-old will hope to add to the 55 career NHL games he has played previous to 2022-23 where he had five goals, eight assists, and a -15 plus/minus across three seasons.

Source:
Chicago Blackhawks 2023-01-04T17:13:28.191Z
Brett Seney
Lukas Reichel(LW)|CHI
Call Up
Call Up
Lukas Reichel has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs (AHL).

Reichel ranks fifth in the AHL in scoring with 14 goals, 22 assists and six PIMs through 32 games with Rockford (AHL) but will be recalled by the Chicago Blackhawks for a second time Wednesday. The 2020 1st-round pick (17th overall) had played in one game previously this season with Chicago, picking up a -1 plus/minus across 13:58 TOI.

Source:
Chicago Blackhawks 2023-01-04T17:15:45.319Z
Lukas Reichel
Jansen Harkins(C)|ANA
Send Down
Send Down
Jansen Harkins has been reassigned to Manitoba (AHL) after clearing waivers Wednesday.

Harkins had three goals, two assists, 12 PIMs and 18 shots through 22 games with the Jets prior to his demotion to Manitoba (AHL). Harkins cleared waivers Wednesday meaning he will be eligible to dress when the Moose take on Laval (AHL) in their next matchup.

Source:
Illegal Curve 2023-01-04T16:17:50.203Z
Jansen Harkins
Alex Nedeljkovic(G)|PIT
Send Down
Send Down
Alex Nedeljkovic has been assigned to Grand Rapids (AHL) on a conditioning loan.

2022-23 has been a nightmare for Nedeljkovic, who has a 2-4-2 record, 4.09 GAA and .880 SV%. He will head back to Grand Rapids (AHL) in hope of refinding his game similar to the .932 SV% he posted in 23 games in 2020-21 which had many people thinking he was the Red Wings' goalie of the future.

Source:
Grand Rapids Griffins 2023-01-04T16:12:51.079Z
Alex Nedeljkovic
Jacob Bernard-Docker(D)|BUF
Send Down
Send Down
Jacob Bernard-Docker has been reassigned to Belleville (AHL).

Bernard-Docker will head back to Belleville (AHL) after an assist, seven PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through nine games with Ottawa. Prior to his promotion previously, he had an assist and six PIMs in eight games with Belleville and will be hoping to be back with the big club again soon.

Source:
Bruce Garrioch 2023-01-03T16:03:53.365Z
Jacob Bernard-Docker
Chris Tierney(C)|FA
Send Down
Send Down
Chris Tierney has been reassigned to Charlotte (AHL).

Tierney had two goals, one assist, three shots and a +1 plus/minus rating in five games with the Panthers but will head back down to Charlotte (AHL) for the second time this season. The 28-year-old had three goals, 13 assists, 10 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus in 19 games with the Checkers before his promotion.

Source:
David Dwork 2023-01-03T15:18:55.269Z
Chris Tierney

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.