Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA

NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Mark Alt(RD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have recalled Mark Alt from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Alt has picked up five goals and four assists (nine points) in 16 games with the Phantoms this season. Alt has not picked up a point in six games with the Flyers and he has been recalled before Samuel Morin because Morin is dealing with an injury.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2017-12-02T10:16:32.000Z
Mark Alt
Jean-Francois Berube(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Blackhawks have recalled J-F Berube from Rockford (AHL).

Corey Crawford was placed on IR on Friday afternoon, so Berube has been recalled to serve as the Blackhawks’ No.2 behind Anton Forsberg. Chicago has a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, so Berube, who is 6-6-0 with a 2.54 GAA and .913 SV% in 12 AHL starts could make his Blackhawks debut this weekend.

Source:
Eric Lear 2017-12-01T14:34:32.000Z
Jean-Francois Berube
Matt Tennyson(RD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have sent Matt Tennyson to Rochester (AHL).

Tennyson failed to record a point in 14 games with the Sabres this season, but with Zach Bogosian set to make his season debut on Friday, Tennyson heads to the AHL. Tennyson had seven points (3G / 4A) in nine games the last time he was in the AHL (2016-17).

Source:
@BuffaloSabres 2017-12-01T12:57:47.000Z
Matt Tennyson
Josh Archibald(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Penguins have sent Josh Archibald to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) on a conditioning assignment.

Archibald has been with the Penguins for the duration of the season but has only appeared in two games, so his assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will allow him to get some playing time. Archibald had 16 goals and 13 assists (29 points) in 61 AHL games last season.

Source:
@penguins 2017-12-01T10:55:47.000Z
Josh Archibald
Danick Martel(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have loaned Danick Martel to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Martel failed to record a point in four games with the Flyers, so he returns to the Phantoms where he has 14 goals and five assists (19 points) in 17 contests. His return to the AHL suggests that Jordan Weal will be back in the lineup on Saturday--but it could also simply be a paper transaction since the Flyers have three days off.

Source:
@NHLFlyers 2017-11-29T13:04:57.000Z
Danick Martel
Garnet Hathaway(RW)|PHI
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flames have recalled Garnet Hathaway from Stockton (AHL).

Jaromir Jagr was unavailable for Tuesday’s game vs. the Maple Leafs so Hathaway’s recall suggests that Jagr won’t be available on Thursday. The heavy winger (6-foot-2 / 208 lbs.) has registered 11 goals and eight assists (19 points) in 18 games with Stockton this season.

Source:
Aaron Vickers 2017-11-29T11:51:36.000Z
Garnet Hathaway
Casey DeSmith(G)|DAL
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Penguins have recalled Casey DeSmith from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

DeSmith, 26, has gone 9-2-1 with a 2.29 GAA and .924 SV% in 12 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. With Matt Murray leaving Monday’s game following a collision with Jakub Voracek, DeSmith’s call-up suggests that Murray will miss some time and roll with DeSmith and Tristan Jarry as their goaltending duo. In his only NHL appearance, DeSmith allowed three goals on 15 shots during a relief appearance in a 7-1 loss in Winnipeg.

Source:
Pittsburgh Penguins 2017-11-28T11:57:57.000Z
Casey DeSmith
Ryan Murphy(RD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Wild have recalled Ryan Murphy from Iowa (AHL).

Murphy who moved around the NHL a few times this summer eventually landed in Minnesota and has picked up one goal and 10 assists (11 points) in 18 games with Iowa. The former junior start is still trying to get his career on track after recording just 37 points (6G / 31A) in 151 career NHL games with the Hurricannes.

Source:
Michael Russo 2017-11-27T14:11:33.000Z
Ryan Murphy
Eric Comrie(G)|WPG
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Jets have recalled Eric Comrie from Manitoba (AHL).

Steve Mason left Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury so Comrie has been recalled to serve as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup on Monday. Comrie was a second round pick of the Jets in 2013 and has gone 8-4-1 with a 2.30 GAA and .927 SV% in 13 starts with the Moose this season.

Source:
Jason Bell 2017-11-27T10:38:46.000Z
Eric Comrie
Mario Kempe(LW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Coyotes have sent Mario Kempe to Tucson (AHL).

Kempe picked up two goals and two assists in 18 games with the Coyotes this season but has been a healthy scratch in the last five games. Kempe has been sent back to Tucson so the Coyotes could recall Dylan Strome.

Source:
Craig Morgan 2017-11-27T09:36:06.000Z
Mario Kempe
Dylan Strome(C)|WSH
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Coyotes have recalled Dylan Strome from Tucson (AHL).

Strome has ripped it up at lower-levels early in his career but still hasn’t been able to find his stride in the NHL. He will look to change that this time around after picking up eight goals and 18 assists (26 points) in 15 games with the Roadrunners this season.

Source:
Craig Morgan 2017-11-27T09:34:52.000Z
Dylan Strome
Denis Malgin(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Panthers have recalled Denis Malgin from Springfield (AHL).

Malgin, 20, has split his time between Florida and Springfield this season and this call-up will likely result in him drawing into the lineup for the injured Evgeni Dadonov (shoulder). Malgin has 14 points (4G / 10A) in 13 AHL games but has failed to record a point in five games with the Panthers.

Source:
Mike Morreale 2017-11-27T09:28:33.000Z
Denis Malgin
Nikolay Goldobin(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Canucks have recalled Nikolay Goldobin from Utica (AHL).

Goldobin, 22, has had a strong start to the year with Utica, collecting seven goals and 12 assists (19 points) in 18 games. The Russian winger could make his season debut this afternoon and returns to the Canucks where he had three goals in 12 games last season.

Source:
Vancouver Canucks 2017-11-26T10:38:32.000Z
Nikolay Goldobin
Jordan Szwarz(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Bruins recalled Jordan Szwarz from Providence (AHL) and he's expected to play Sunday.

Szwarz has split his 2017-18 campaign between the NHL and AHL and has collected three assists in nine games with Boston. During his time with Providence, Szwarz has eight points (5G / 3A) in six contests. He is expected to take Peter Cehlarik’s (knee) spot in Sunday’s lineup.

Source:
Kevin Dupont 2017-11-26T09:45:39.000Z
Jordan Szwarz

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.