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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Sven Andrighetto(RW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Canadiens have recalled Sven Andrighetto from St. John’s (AHL).

Andrighetto, 23, has two assists in eight games with the Canadiens this season and 22 points (8G / 14A) in 19 AHL contests. Andrighetto is not expected to be in the lineup on Friday though.

Source:
Renaud Lavoie 2016-12-23T11:49:36.000Z
Sven Andrighetto
Tanner Kero(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Blackhawks have recalled Tanner Kero from Rockford (AHL).

With Marian Hossa (upper-body) not playing on Friday, Kero has been recalled and will make his season debut. The 24-year-old forward has seven goals and 13 assists (20 points) in 28 games with Rockford this season.

Source:
Mark Lazerus 2016-12-22T13:53:24.000Z
Tanner Kero
Wade Megan(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
Wade Megan was recalled on Wednesday; will make his NHL debut on Thursday.

Megan, 26, was a fifth round pick (No.138 overall) in 2009 and tonight will be his NHL debut. Megan has picked up 13 goals and 11 assists (24 points) in 28 games with Chicago (AHL) this season. He is expected to centre the Blues’ third line with Robby Fabbri and Dmitrij Jaskin on his wings.

Source:
Jeremy Rutherford 2016-12-22T12:47:59.000Z
Wade Megan
Mike McKenna(G)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Panthers have recalled Mike McKenna from Springfield (AHL).

Roberto Luongo is dealing with an undisclosed injury, so McKenna has been recalled to serve as James Reimer's backup on Thursday. The 33-year-old has gone 4-6-0 with a 3.10 GAA and .894 SV% in 13 AHL games.

Source:
Gearge Richards 2016-12-22T10:50:32.000Z
Mike McKenna
Byron Froese(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs recalled Byron Froese from Toronto (AHL).

Froese, 25, has scored 12 goals and five assists (17 points) in 26 games with the Marlies. Froese appeared in 56 games with he Maple Leafs last season and he is expected to make his season debut tonight vs. the Avalanche.

Source:
Kristen Shilton 2016-12-22T10:45:13.000Z
Byron Froese
Michael Leighton(G)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have sent Michael Leighton to Charlotte (AHL).

Leighton played OK when he was called upon during Eddie Lack’s 14-game absence with a concussion. With Lack activated from IR yesterday, Leighton returns to the AHL, where he has gone 7-2-0 with a 1.80 GAA and .933 SV% in 12 games.

Source:
Ken Preston 2016-12-22T10:18:48.000Z
Michael Leighton
Michael Bournival(LW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Lightning have recalled Michael Bournival from Syracuse (AHL).

Bournival, 24, has no points in three games with the Lightning, but has collected 13 points (5G / 8A) in 24 games with Syracuse this season. His recall suggests the Lightning may have someone banged up and questionable for Thursday’s game.

Source:
Joe Smith 2016-12-22T10:13:31.000Z
Michael Bournival
Jared Coreau(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Red Wings have recalled Jared Coreau from Grand Rapids (AHL).

Jimmy Howard was hurt in the Red Wings’ loss in Tampa Bay last night, so Coreau has been recalled to serve as their No.2 netminder. Howard’s injury appeared to be serious, so Coreau could be up long-term. Coreau made his NHL debut on December 3rd, he allowed four goals on 36 shots in a loss in Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-6 netminder has gone 11-6-0 with a 2.18 GAA and .924 SV% in 17 games with the Griffins.

Source:
@DetroitRedWings 2016-12-21T10:48:22.000Z
Jared Coreau
Tanner Richard(C)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Lightning recalled Tanner Richard from Syracuse (AHL) on Monday.

The Lightning’s forward group is banged up, so Richard has been recalled and could make his NHL debut on Tuesday. The 23-year-old, former third round pick (71st overall in 2012) has picked up seven goals and 10 assists (17 points) in 22 games with the Crunch this season.

Source:
Joe Smith 2016-12-20T10:42:00.000Z
Tanner Richard
Matt O'Connor(G)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Senators have recalled Matt O’Connor from Binghamton (AHL).

Andrew Hammond was hurt in Sunday’s game in Brooklyn so O’Connor has been recalled presumably to serve as Mike Condon’s backup in Chicago. The 24-year-old has gone 7-9-0 with a 2.78 GAA and .898 SV% in 17 games with Binghamton (AHL).

Source:
Bruce Garrioch 2016-12-20T10:27:58.000Z
Matt O'Connor
Jhonas Enroth(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have sent Jhonas Enroth to Toronto (AHL).

Enroth served as Frederik Andersen’s backup or the last two games while Antoine Bibeau was in the AHL getting some game action. They have swapped places so Enroth returns to the Marlies, where he is 1-0-0 with an .889 SV%.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2016-12-20T10:24:45.000Z
Jhonas Enroth
Spencer Martin(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Avalanche have sent Spencer Martin to San Antonio (AHL).

Martin served as Calvin Pickard’s backup for three games while Semyon Varlamov was sidelined with a groin injury. With Varlamov back on Tuesday, Martin returns to San Antonio, where he has gone 11-7-0 with a 2.31 GAA and .924 SV%.

Source:
Ryan Boulding 2016-12-20T09:32:58.000Z
Spencer Martin
Adam Pardy(D)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Predators have recalled Adam Pardy from Milwaukee (AHL).

Pardy made his Predators debut on December 8th, but has spent the majority of the year in Milwaukee, where he has collected seven points (2G / 5A) in 16 games. Pardy has been recalled to serve as the Predators’ seventh defenseman on their road-trip because P.K. Subban did not travel with the team due to an upper-body injury.

Source:
Nashville Predators 2016-12-19T12:57:47.000Z
Adam Pardy
Pat Cannone(C)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Wild have recalled Pat Cannone from Iowa (AHL).

Cannone has picked up four goals and 12 assists (16 points) in 29 games with Iowa this season. The 30 year has earned an NHL call-up after spending the last five years in the AHL. Cannone is expected to make his NHL debut on Tuesday with Erik Haula injured.

Source:
Michael Russo 2016-12-19T11:41:57.000Z
Pat Cannone
Frank Vatrano(RW)|ANA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Bruins have recalled Frank Vatrano from Providence (AHL).

Vatrano was on a conditioning stint with Providence over the weekend and scored a goal in both games. Vatrano had been sidelined with torn ligaments in his foot that he suffered in the preseason. The 22-year-old has eight goals and three assists (11 points) in 39 career NHL games (all in 2015-16). Expect him to be in the lineup on Tuesday.

Source:
Boston Bruins 2016-12-19T11:12:14.000Z
Frank Vatrano

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.