The Coyotes have reassigned Adin Hill to Tucson (AHL).
Hill’s return to the AHL suggests that Antti Raanta is set to return from his lower-body injury on Saturday. Hill has gone 14-10-0 with a 2.41 GAA and .911 SV% with the Roadrunners this season.
NHL Transactions & Roster Moves
Call Up
The Bruins have recalled Paul Postma from Providence (AHL).
Postma has picked up five assists in five games since joining Providence (AHL). His call-up suggests that one or both of Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug won’t be available tonight after getting hurt in Tuesday’s win in Carolina. Postma had one assist in 12 games with the Bruins earlier this season.
The Bruins have recalled Anton Blidh from Providence (AHL).
Blidh, 23, has scored nine goals with 13 assists (22 points) in 59 games with Providence (AHL) this season. His call-up likely means that Jake DeBrusk will not play on Thursday after getting hurt in Tuesday’s game.
The Maple Leafs have recalled Garret Sparks from Toronto (AHL).
Sparks has been impressive in the AHL this season, going 24-8-1 with a 1.78 GAA and .936 SV% in 35 games with the Marlies. Sparks has been recalled to backup Curtis McElhinney tonight in Buffalo because Frederik Andersen (upper-body) was hurt yesterday.
The Jets have recalled Eric Comrie from Manitoba (AHL).
With Steve Mason already out for a couple of weeks and Michael Hutchinson leaving Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury, Comrie comes up as the Jets’ temporary No.2 netminder. Winnipeg wants to get Hellebuyck some rest, so Comrie could see some playing time during this call-up. The 22-year-old has gone 17-11-3 with a 2.56 GAA and .918 SV% in 31 games with the Moose, but has allowed nine goals on 74 shots (.878 SV%) in two career NHL games.
The Stars have recalled Dillon Heatherington from Texas (AHL).
Heatherington has one assist in five games with the Stars this season but has spent most of the season in Texas, where he has picked up 17 points (3G / 14A) across 52 contests. Marc Methot was hurt on Tuesday, so Julius Honka will likely draw into the lineup on Tuesday, leaving Heatherington as the Stars seventh defenseman.
Call Up
The Rangers have recalled Ryan Sproul from Hartford (AHL).
Sproul has picked up 10 goals and 15 assists (25 points) in 44 games with the Wolf Pack this season. He had two assists in four games with the Rangers earlier this year and has been recalled because Anthony DeAngelo was hurt on Monday.
Send Down
The Blues have reassigned Ville Husso to San Antonio (AHL).
Husso was recalled to backup Jake Allen on Monday and he could be recalled again to do the same on Thursday, but that is all dependant on Carter Hutton’s health.
Send Down
The Lightning have reassigned Louis Domingue to Syracuse (AHL).
After Tuesday, the Lightning are off until Saturday, so Domingue heads to Syracuse where he will likely start Wednesday and maybe Friday as well. However the Lightning said they plan on carrying three goalies right now, so Domingue AHL stint will likely be short lived.
The Maple Leafs have recalled Andreas Johnsson from Toronto (AHL).
Johnsson, 23, was a seventh round pick in 2013 and could make his NHL debut on Wednesday. Johnsson has ripped up the AHL this season, leading the Marlies with 54 points (26G / 28A) in 54 games this season.
The Maple Leafs have recalled Calle Rosen from Toronto (AHL).
With Nikita Zaitsev battling an illness, Rosen has been summoned from the AHL, where he has picked up 17 points (1G / 16A) in 50 games. He had one assist in four games with the Maple Leafs earlier this season.
The Sabres have recalled Linus Ullmark from Rochester (AHL).
Ullmark has gone 20-11-4 with a 2.44 GAA and .923 SV% in 42 games with Rochester this season. He stopped 44 of 45 shots in a wing effort in his only start with the Sabres this season. Ullmark is the Sabres’ goalie of the future and could get a few starts down the stretch.
The Blues have recalled Ville Husson from San Antonio (AHL).
Husso was Jake Allen’s backup on Saturday but went down to get a start with San Antonio, where he posted a 21-save shutout on Sunday, and he returns to backup Allen tonight in Anaheim. Husso’s recall means that Carter Hutton still is not ready to go.
Call Up
The Lightning have recalled Peter Budaj from Syracuse (AHL).
Budaj has been sidelined with a leg injury since December 29th, but just wrapped up a conditioning stint with Syracuse. Budaj was 0-1-1 with a 2.95 GAA and .887 SV% with the Crunch and returns to the Lightning where he was 3-3-1 with a 3.80 GAA and .878 SV% before getting hurt. Louis Domingue hasn’t been much better and the two of them will stay on the roster behind Andrei Vasilevskiy. With the trade deadline behind us, the Lightning can carry all three goalies without any issue.
The Flames have sent Jon Gillies to Stockton (AHL).
Gillies, 24, went 2-2-1 with a 2.78 GAA and .904 SV% in seven games with the Flames while Mike Smith (lower-body) was sidelined. With Smith set to return tonight, Gillies returns to Stockton where he has gone 14-12-2 with a 2.61 GAA and .915 SV% this season.
The Coyotes have recalled Dylan Strome from Tucson (AHL).
Strome, who struggled with the Coyotes earlier in the season, has been lighting up the AHL since. The 2015 third overall pick has 22 goals and 27 assists (49 points) in 44 games with the Roadrunners and will likely draw into the Coyotes lineup on Sunday. The 21-year-old has just two points (1G / 1A) in 18 career NHL games so far.
The Blues have recalled Chris Butler from San Antonio (AHL).
The veteran blueliner has great numbers in the AHL throughout his career, but hasn’t been able to translate it into NHL success. Butler, who has 24 points (8G / 16A) in 52 games with the Rampage this season has no points in two games with the Blues.
The Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman from Manitoba (AHL).
With Dmitry Kulikov out, Joe Morrow will draw into the lineup on Saturday and Poolman has been recalled to serve as an extra defenseman. Poolman has just one goal in 15 games with the Jets this year, but has picked up 10 points (1G / 9A) in 17 games with the Moose.
Sanheim has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) and will play on Saturday.
Sanheim, 21, has picked up one goal and 15 assists (16 points) in 18 games with the Phantoms this season. Today he will play his first NHL game since January 13th and comes up with five points (1G / 4A) and a minus-10 rating in 35 NHL games.
Bailey was recalled from Rochester (AHL) and will play on Saturday.
Bailey, who has 10 points (6G / 4A) in 27 games with Rochester this season will replace Kyle Okposo (concussion) in the lineup on Saturday. Bailey has seven points (4G / 3A) in 47 career NHL games with the Sabres.
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.