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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Roland McKeown(RD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have sent Roland McKeown to Charlotte (AHL).

McKeown, 20, was drafted 50th overall in 2014 and was acquired from the Kings last season in a trade that sent Kris Versteeg to Los Angeles. McKeown spent last year in Kingston (OHL), posting 42 points (7G / 35A) in 59 games.

Source:
Ken Preston 2016-10-14T10:21:23.000Z
Roland McKeown
Charlie Lindgren(G)|WSH
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Canadiens have recalled Charlie Lindgren from St. John’s (AHL).

With Carey Price (illness) out for the season opener, Lindgren comes up from St. John’s to backup Al Montoya on Thursday. Lindgren won his NHL debut last year and posted a 30-9-1 record, 2.13 GAA and .925 SV% with St. Cloud State (NCHC) before signing with the Habs.

Source:
Renaud Lavoie 2016-10-12T12:13:29.000Z
Charlie Lindgren
Brooks Laich(C)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have sent Brooks Laich to Toronto (AHL).

Laich had seven points (1G / 6A) in 21 games with the Maple Leafs last year, equalling his total from the first 60 games of the year with Washington. The veteran seemed to have found a nice fit in Toronto, but the youth movement has forced him back to the AHL for the first time since 2005-06.

Source:
James Mirtle 2016-10-11T17:17:17.000Z
Brooks Laich
Mike Sislo(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Avalanche have sent Mike Sislo to San Antonio (AHL).

Sislo is no stranger to the AHL after spending the majority of the last three seasons in Albany. In 2015-16 he had 53 points (27G / 26A) in 57 AHL games, only to score three goals with one assist in 18 games with the Devils.He will likely be one of the first forwards that the Avalanche recall.

Source:
@Avalanche 2016-10-11T17:32:49.000Z
Mike Sislo
Mark McNeill(C)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Blackhawks have sent Mark McNeill to Rockford (AHL).

Four rookie forwards made the Blackhawks’ opening night roster, but McNeill is not one of them. McNeill will start the year in Rockford, where he has 48 goals and 44 assists (92 points) in 127 games over the last two seasons.

Source:
Chris Hine 2016-10-11T15:01:45.000Z
Mark McNeill
Linden Vey(RW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flames have sent Linden Vey to Stockton (AHL).

Vey worked in the Flames’ top-6 throughout the preseason, but was one of the last cuts after clearing waivers. He had 15 points (3G / 12A) in 26 games with Utica (AHL) last year and should post solid numbers in Stockton this year.

Source:
Wes Gilbertson 2016-10-11T15:00:30.000Z
Linden Vey
Tristan Jarry(G)|PIT
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Penguins have sent Tristan Jarry to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

Jarry was set to start the season as Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup after Matt Murray suffered a broken hand in the World Cup of Hockey, but after they claimed Mike Condon this afternoon, Jarry heads back to the AHL to start the year. The 21-year-old was 17-13-3 with a 2.69 GAA and .905 SV% in 33 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year.

Source:
Wes Crosby 2016-10-11T13:30:30.000Z
Tristan Jarry
Alex Stalock(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Wild have assigned Alex Stalock to Iowa (AHL).

Stalock was 3-5-2 with a 2.94 GAA and .884 SV% in nine starts and four relief appearances last year and signed with the Wild this offseason. He was always viewed as the No.3 option behind Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper, so this move is no surprise.

Source:
@mnwild 2016-10-11T13:28:13.000Z
Alex Stalock
Christoph Bertschy(C)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Wild have assigned Christoph Bertschy to Iowa (AHL).

It looked as if Bertschy was going to crack the Wild’s opening night roster, but they were able to get Teemu Pulkkinen off of waivers this afternoon and had to send a forward back to Iowa. Bertschy had 35 points (11G / 24A) in 35 AHL games last season.

Source:
@mnwild 2016-10-11T13:26:27.000Z
Christoph Bertschy
Ondrej Pavelec(G)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
Pavelec cleared waivers and will be assigned to Manitoba (AHL).

Pavelec has been replaced by Connor Hellebuyck, who will share the crease with Michael Hutchinson to start 2016-17. Pavelec heads to Manitoba where he will likely serve as their starter and provide goaltending depth incase Hellebuyck or Hutchinson get hurt or struggle.

Source:
Ken Wiebe 2016-10-11T13:22:52.000Z
Ondrej Pavelec
Brendan Lemieux(LW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Jets have assigned Brendan Lemieux to Manitoba (AHL).

Lemieux was the 31st overall pick in 2014 and will start the year in Manitoba. The son of former NHLer Claude Lemieux had 32 goals and 30 assists (62 points) in 45 OHL games with Barrie and Windsor last season. The 20-year-old also had three points (2G / 1A) in five AHL games and should be a key contributor to the Moose’s success this season.

Source:
Ken Wiebe 2016-10-11T11:02:46.000Z
Brendan Lemieux
Anthony Mantha(RW)|PIT
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Red Wings have assigned Anthony Mantha to Grand Rapids (AHL).

Mantha made a strong case to make the Red Wings’ opening night roster, scoring three goals in five preseason games, but the Red Wings’ deep forward group will force Mantha to start the year in the AHL. The 22-year-old had 21 goals and 24 assists (45 points) in 60 games with the Griffins last season.

Source:
@DetroitRedWings 2016-10-11T10:58:30.000Z
Anthony Mantha
Curtis Lazar(C)|EDM
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Senators have sent Curtis Lazar to Binghamton (AHL).

Lazar is recovering from mono and on Monday he was cleared for contact. The Senators believe the fastest way for him to get ready to play in the NHL is to go back to Binghamton. With Lazar going back, Tom Pyatt and Phil Varone will fill in on the third line.

Source:
Ottawa Senators 2016-10-11T10:18:53.000Z
Curtis Lazar
Griffin Reinhart(D)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Oilers have sent Griffin Reinhart to Bakersfield (AHL).

Reinhart, 22, was the fourth overall pick in 2012 but has struggled to develop into the the top-4 defenseman he was expected to become. He has only appeared in 37 career NHL games and will start the 2016-17 season with Bakersfield, where he had 10 points (2G / 8A) in 30 games last year.

Source:
Bob Stauffer 2016-10-07T18:10:16.000Z
Griffin Reinhart

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.