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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Nikita Zaitsev(RD)|FA
Call Up
Call Up
Nikita Zaitsev has been recalled from Belleville (AHL).

Zaitsev will be called up to Ottawa as a depth piece and will likely only be up with the big club for the weekend. The 31-year-old had one assist and six PIMs through seven games earlier in the season prior to being demoted.

Source:
Darren Dreger 2022-12-01T16:56:15.224Z
Nikita Zaitsev
Andrej Sustr(D)|FA
Call Up
Call Up
Andrej Sustr has been recalled from the Iowa Wild (AHL).

Sustr should serve as the extra defenseman with Jonas Brodin being announced injured Thursday. The 32-year-old had five assists and a +6 plus/minus through 15 games with Iowa (AHL) this season. If he does crack the lineup for the Wild he will build off his 69 points (11G/58A) and 333 SOG through 361 career NHL games played.

Source:
Minnosta Wild 2022-12-01T16:20:58.281Z
Andrej Sustr
Cole Bardreau(C)|FA
Call Up
Call Up
Cole Bardreau has been recalled from loan from Bridgeport (AHL).

Bardreau has five goals, four assists and 23 PIMs through 19 games with Bridgeport (AHL) prior to his call-up Thursday. The 29-year-old last played in the NHL in 2019-20 where he played in 10 games, picking up a goal, an assist and 10 SOG through.

Source:
Ethan Sears 2022-12-01T15:38:53.898Z
Cole Bardreau
Hudson Fasching(RW)|CBJ
Call Up
Call Up
Hudson Fasching has been recalled from Bridgeport (AHL).

Fasching earned his call-up as he had seven goals, three assists and 10 PIMs through 18 games with Bridgeport (AHL) prior to the news he had been recalled. The 27-year-old has never played in more than 11 games in a season but has made an NHL appearance in five separate ones, picking up a goal and two assists and a -6 plus/minus across 38 total NHL games played.

Source:
Ethan Sears 2022-12-01T15:43:20.312Z
Hudson Fasching
Erik Kallgren(G)|NJD
Send Down
Send Down
Erik Kallgren has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

Ilya Samsonov's return from injury means Kallgren will head to the Marlies (AHL) after posting a 3-2-4 record, 2.67 GAA and .898 SV% in 10 GP with the Maple Leafs prior to his demotion. In one game played with the Marlies earlier in the season, he posted a 4.35 GAA and .889 SV%.

Source:
Lance Hornby 2022-11-30T20:08:13.827Z
Erik Kallgren
Samuel Fagemo(LW)|WPG
Send Down
Send Down
Samuel Fagemo will be loaned back to the Ontario Reign (AHL).

Fagemo has been loaned by to Ontario where he posted six goals, two assists and a -7 plus/minus through 15 games with the Reign (AHL). He will hope to head back to Los Angeles where he will look to build off the four career NHL games played with zero points he has in previous seasons if he is called up and makes the lineup again.

Source:
LA Kings PR 2022-11-30T17:26:34.951Z
Samuel Fagemo
Lias Andersson(C)|FA
Send Down
Send Down
Lias Andersson has been loaned to the Ontario Reign (AHL).

Andersson will head back to the Ontario Reign (AHL) for the second time this season where he had five goals and nine points in 12 games prior to his callup. In his one game with Los Angeles, he had one shot and 8.37 TOI in limited minutes.

Source:
LA Kings Insider 2022-11-29T17:17:55.900Z
Lias Andersson
Samuel Fagemo(LW)|WPG
Call Up
Call Up
Samuel Fagemo has been recalled from the Ontario Reign (AHL).

Fagemo has earned the call-up after posting six goals, two assists and a -7 plus/minus through 15 games with the Ontario Reign (AHL). He heads up to Los Angeles where he will look to build off the four career NHL games played with zero points he has in previous seasons.

Source:
LA Kings Insider 2022-11-29T17:10:52.821Z
Samuel Fagemo
Jean-Luc Foudy(C)|FA
Call Up
Call Up
Jean-Luc Foudy has been called up from the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

Foudy has excelled in his second AHL season with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) collecting five goals and 14 points through 18 games prior to his first NHL call-up Monday from the Avalanche. If the 20-year-old makes it into the injured Avalanche lineup it will be his NHL debut.

Source:
Peter Baugh 2022-11-28T19:19:19.973Z
Jean-Luc Foudy
Egor Zamula(D)|CBJ
Call Up
Call Up
Egor Zamula has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Zamula is back up with the Flyers where he posted two assists, a +1 plus/minus with four SOG through nine games in his previous stint with Philadelphia earlier in the season. He will be looking to add to his 21 career NHL games played and improve on his -4 plus/minus rating across those games.

Source:
Adam Kimelman 2022-11-28T18:01:14.730Z
Egor Zamula
Robin Salo(D)|FA
Call Up
Call Up
Robin Salo has been recalled from Bridgeport (AHL).

Salo had two goals and four PIMS in four games in his previous stint with the New York Islanders and will hope to build off those numbers after being recalled from Bridgeport (AHL) Monday. In the AHL, he had an assist and a -2 plus/minus in a short two-game showing.

Source:
New York Islanders 2022-11-28T15:25:52.337Z
Robin Salo
Kevin Bahl(D)|CGY
Call Up
Call Up
Kevin Bahl has been recalled from Utica (AHL).

Bahl will make his second appearance with the Devils after being recalled from Utica (AHL) after collecting one assist and two PIMs in a quick three-game stint with the club. Bahl previously had a short three-game showing with New Jersey this year where he failed to pick up any points but also had two PIMs.

Source:
Mike Morreale 2022-11-28T15:10:18.427Z
Kevin Bahl
Nico Daws(G)|NJD
Call Up
Call Up
Nico Daws has been recalled from Utica (AHL).

Daws will be called up to New Jersey for the first time this season and it appears he will back up Vitek Vanecek right away. Prior to his promotion, the 22-year-old netminder had a 3-4-1 record, a .906 SV% and a 2.46 GAA. He played in 25 games with the Devils last season, struggling with a .893 SV% and 3.11 GAA.

Source:
Mike Morale 2022-11-28T15:12:12.748Z
Nico Daws

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.