NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Beau Bennett(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Blues have sent Beau Bennett to Chicago (AHL).

Bennett got into the Blues lineup on Monday and got to play with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn, but only recorded just one shot in 12:19 TOI. With Bennett now in the AHL, look for Magnus Paajarvi to draw back in on Thursday.

Source:
Lou Korac 2017-11-14T14:08:01.000Z
Beau Bennett
Curtis Valk(C)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Panthers recalled Curtis Valk from Springfield (AHL) on Monday.

Valk, 24, is an undrafted free agent who is expected to make his NHL debut on Tuesday after recording six goals and nine assists (15 points) in 16 games with the Thunderbirds. Valk is expected to make his debut on the fourth line with Connor Brickley and Michael Haley.

Source:
Matthew DeFranks 2017-11-14T10:27:02.000Z
Curtis Valk
Frederik Gauthier(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have sent Frederik Gauthier to Toronto (AHL).

Nikita Soshnikov had to be recalled by today according to a clause in his contract so Gauthier is the victim of a numbers game and returns to the Marlies having not appeared in an NHL game during his call-up—he has two assists in eight games with the Marlies.

Source:
Toronto Maple Leafs 2017-11-14T10:23:42.000Z
Frederik Gauthier
Nikita Soshnikov(RW)|NYI
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled Nikita Soshnikov from Toronto (AHL).

Soshnikov had to be recalled today by the latest or he was eligible to return to the KHL according to a clause in his contract. The 24-year-old also earned a call-up by recording five goals and seven assists (12 points) in 14 games with the Marlies. Soshnikov has seven goals and seven assists (14 points) in 67 career games with the Maple Leafs.

Source:
Toronto Maple Leafs 2017-11-14T10:22:00.000Z
Nikita Soshnikov
Ben Harpur(LD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Senators have assigned Ben Harpur to Belleville (AHL).

Harpur was a minus-1 with one blocked shot during two games during the Senators Global Series in Sweden. With Mark Borowiecki ready to return to the lineup on Thursday, Harpur returns to Belleville where he has no points and 13 PIMS in three games.

Source:
@Media_Sens 2017-11-14T09:38:48.000Z
Ben Harpur
Jack Rodewald(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Senators have assigned Jack Rodewald to Belleville (AHL).

Rodewald failed to record a point while averaging 7:18 TOI/GM in four games with the Senators. With Bobby Ryan ready to return on Thursday, Rodewald returns to Belleville where he has three goals and one assist in five games this season.

Source:
@Media_Sens 2017-11-14T09:40:16.000Z
Jack Rodewald
Mark Alt(RD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have recalled Mark Alt from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

The Flyers are heading out on a two-game road trip and both Andrew MacDonald and Samuel Morin still injured, Alt will serve as the Flyers seventh defenseman during the brief trip. The 26-year-old has no points in four games with the Flyers and six points (2G / 4A) in 11 AHL games this season.

Source:
Dave Isaac 2017-11-14T09:32:14.000Z
Mark Alt
Phil Di Giuseppe(LW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have recalled Phil Di Giuseppe from Charlotte (AHL).

Di Giuseppe has split his last two seasons between the NHL and AHL, playing a total of 77 games with the Hurricanes—recording 24 points 8G / 16A) in the process. So far this season, the 24-year-old has four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 14 games with Charlotte.

Source:
Cory Lavalette 2017-11-13T09:11:23.000Z
Phil Di Giuseppe
Lee Stempniak(RW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have cut Lee Stempniak’s conditioning stint short due to an upper-body injury.

Stempniak was with Charlotte (AHL) on a conditioning stint as he works his way towards his season debut after missing the first five weeks of the season with a back injury that he’s been dealing with since the offseason. Stempniak is reportedly dealing with an upper-body injury, so it might be an entirely new injury and could land him back on IR as a result. The Hurricanes are playing well without the veteran winger, so they will not rush him back for a game in November. When he is healthy, he is expected to slide onto the third line for Brock McGinn.

Source:
Cory Lavalette 2017-11-13T09:08:32.000Z
Lee Stempniak
Jesse Puljujarvi(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Oilers have recalled Jesse Puljujarvi from Bakersfield (AHL).

Puljujarvi, who had eight points (1G / 7A) in 28 games with the Oilers last year. He opened the season with Bakersfield, where he collected five points (1G / 4A) in 10 games. The Oilers are desperate for offence from someone other than Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Puljujarvi is expected to skate with Milan Lucic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Source:
@EdmontonOilers 2017-11-10T14:56:29.000Z
Jesse Puljujarvi
Zach Fucale(G)|WAS
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Canadiens have recalled Zach Fucale from Laval (AHL).

Fucale, 22, has gone 4-1-0 despite posting a 3.46 GAA and .881 SV% in five games with Laval this season. Fucale will likely back up Charlie Lindgren on Saturday because both Carey Price and Al Montoya are injured right now.

Source:
John Lu 2017-11-10T14:22:53.000Z
Zach Fucale
Dryden Hunt(LW)|CAL
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Panthers have recalled Dryden Hunt from Springfield (AHL).

Hunt, 21, is an undrafted free agent, who has picked up eight points (5G / 3A) in 13 games with Springfield (AHL) this season. Hunt is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday because Jared McCann is battling a lower-body injury. Hunt has some offensive ability, evidenced by his 116-point (58G / 58A) season in Moose Jaw (WHL) in 2015-16.

Source:
Florida Panthers 2017-11-10T10:27:15.000Z
Dryden Hunt
Kevin Roy(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Ducks recalled Kevin Roy from San Diego (AHL) on Wednesday.

Roy, 24, was a fourth round pick in 2012 and gets called up after leading San Diego in points (4G / 7A) through his first 10 games of the season. With Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves all out, the Ducks are in need of forwards that can produce offence.

Source:
Eric Stephens 2017-11-09T10:25:52.000Z
Kevin Roy
Reto Berra(G)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Ducks recalled Reto Berra from San Diego (AHL) on Wednesday.

Berra was recently assigned to San Diego and stopped 38 of 41 shots in his only AHL start of the season. IN two games with the Ducks he has allowed three goals on 25 shots and tonight he will backup Ryan Miller with John Gibson in concussion protocol.

Source:
Eric Stephens 2017-11-09T10:23:12.000Z
Reto Berra

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.