The Islanders have recalled Otto Koivula from Bridgeport (AHL).
Koivula has two assists in six games with Bridgeport this season. With Matt Martin and Tom Kuhnhackl out long-term, Koivula is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday.
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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves
The Maple Leafs have reassigned Kevin Gravel to Toronto (AHL).
Gravel appeared in three games with the Maple Leafs during his call-up but returns to the Marlies with Travis Dermott (shoulder) set to make his season debut on Tuesday. Gravel has no points in three AHL games this season.
Mahura has been called-up from San Diego (AHL) and is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday.
Mahura has failed to record a point in six AHL games this season but is expected to replace Brendan Guhle in the lineup on Tuesday. Mahura had one goal and four assists in 17 games with the Ducks a season ago.
The Predators have recalled Colin Blackwell from Milwaukee (AHL).
Blackwell has one goal and two assists in eight games with Milwaukee this season. With Filip Forsberg likely out and Matt Duchene questionable, Blackwell could make his season debut on Tuesday. The former seventh-round pick has no points in six career NHL games.
The Red Wings have recalled Joe Hicketts from Grand Rapids (AHL).
Hicketts has had a great start to his AHL season, picking up seven assists in his first eight games. The 23-year-old defenseman has three assists in 16 career NHL games and could make his season debut on Tuesday.
The Rangers have recalled Filip Chytil from Hartford (AHL).
With Mika Zibanejad dealing with an injury, Chytil comes up and could draw into the lineup on Tuesday. Chytil has had a nice start to the season, tying for the team lead with nine points (3G / 6A) in nine games with Hartford.
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The Penguins have reassigned Joseph Blandisi to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Blandisi was a healthy scratch on Saturday and heads back to the AHL with Alex Galchenyuk and Brian Dumoulin set to return on Tuesday. Blandisi had no points in one AHL game prior to getting called up.
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The Penguins have reassigned Adam Johnson to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Johnson served as a healthy scratch in the last two games and with Alex Gelchenyuk nearing a return to the lineup, Johnson heads back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). The 25-year-old had two assists in one AHL game before he was called up.
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The Golden Knights have assigned Garret Sparks to Chicago (AHL).
Sparks allowed two goals on 14 shots after replacing Marc-Andre Fleury in Vegas’ loss to the Avalanche last Friday. With Malcolm Subban back on the ice on Monday, Sparks heads back to Chicago, where he is 2-2-1 with a 2.15 GAA and .936 SV% this season.
The Golden Knights have assigned Nicolas Roy to Chicago (AHL).
Roy scored his first career goal on Sunday but gets sent back to the AHL on Monday. The Golden Knights are off until Thursday, so this could simply be a paper move but Alex Tuch is also nearing a return to the lineup so Roy could be clearing a roster spot for him to be activated.
The Golden Knights have assigned Jake Bischoff to Chicago (AHL).
Bischoff played in four of the last five games but gets sent back to Chicago which could mean one of two things. Either it’s just a paper move because the Golden Knights are off until Thursday. Or Nate Schmidt, who was a full participant in Monday’s practice is ready to take his spot in the lineup back.
The Golden Knights have assigned Nicolas Hague to Chicago (AHL).
Hague had three shots while playing 18:34 TOI last night and has two assists in eight NHL games overall. The Golden Knights are off until Thursday, so this could be nothing more than a money-saving paper move. However, Nate Schmidt was also a full participant in Monday’s practice, so it could also be a sign that he will return to the lineup on Thursday.
The Jets have recalled Logan Shaw from Manitoba (AHL).
Shaw has registered three goals and two assists (five points) in eight games with the Moose this season. He comes up to replace Mason Appleton, who was placed on IR with a broken foot. Shaw has 31 points (12G / 18A) in 180 career NHL games with the Panthers, Ducks and Canadiens.
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The Wild have reassigned Gerald Mayhew to Iowa (AHL).
Mayhew's return to the AHL suggests that one or both of Jordan Greenway and Kevin Fiala are good to go on the Wild's upcoming two-game road trip. Mathew performed well in his first taste of the NHL, scoring two goals in six games. He returns to Iowa where he had six points (3G / 3A) in four games before getting called up.
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The Senators have reassigned J.C. Beaudin to Belleville (AHL).
Beaudin has played in three straight games with the Senators while Artem Anisimov and Colin White are out and his "demotion" is likely just a paper move. The Senators are off until Saturday so they get some salary savings by sending Beaudin down for a few days but look for him to return for the game in Boston.
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The Senators have reassigned Filip Chlapik to Belleville (AHL).
The Senators don't play again until Saturday so it is entirely possible that Chlapik returns to the Senators prior to their game in Boston. The 22-year-old bumped Bobby Ryan from the lineup on Sunday but failed to record a point while playing just 6:06 TOI. He has one goal in six games with Belleville.
The Predators have reassigned Anthony Richard to Milwaukee (AHL).
The Canucks have recalled Adam Gaudette from Utica (AHL).
The Wild have reassigned Kaapo Kahkonen to Iowa (AHL).
Cehlarik has been recalled from Providence (AHL) and will play on Sunday.
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.