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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Dennis Hildeby(G)|TOR
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Hildeby has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

Hildeby has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) a day before the Maple Leafs end of season matchup vs. Ottawa on Wednesday. The 24-year-old has played exceptionally well when called upon this season, shown by his 5-6-4 record, .912 SV% and 2.90 GAA.

Source:
David Alter 2026-04-14T18:10:45.874Z
Dennis Hildeby
Artur Akhtyamov(G)|TOR
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Toronto has sent Artur Akhtyamov to the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on Tuesday.

Akhtyamov's brief NHL stint is over for the time being after the 24-year-old net-minder was returned to the Toronto Marlies (NCAA) on Tuesday in exchange for Dennis Hildeby. Akhtyamov made his NHL debut this season but has struggled mightily in just three appearances, with a 0-2-0 record, a 5.24 GAA and .877 SV%.

Source:
David Alter 2026-04-14T18:12:29.610Z
Artur Akhtyamov
Rafael Harvey-Pinard(LW)|PIT
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The Penguins have recalled Rafael Harvey-Pinard from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

With Pittsburgh expected to sit some regulars for their final game of the season on Tuesday vs. St. Louis, they have recalled Rafael Harvey-Pinard from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). The 27-year-old winger has earned his first call-up of the season after putting up 19 goals and 36 points in 64 games played in the minors.

Source:
@penguins 2026-04-14T16:32:12.811Z
Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Rory Kerins(C)|CGY
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Kerins has been recalled from the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

Kerins was one of the AHL top players this season with 54 points in 55 games played and has earned himself a call up from the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) for the Flames final game of the season. The 24-year-old has yet to pick up a point in his two appearances with the Flames this season and is expected to compete for a spot on Calgary's opening night roster in 2026-27.

Source:
Calgary Flames 2026-04-14T16:16:21.418Z
Rory Kerins
Liam Foudy(C)|NYI
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The Islanders have recalled Liam Foudy from Bridgeport (AHL).

With New York's 82nd game meaning little, the Islanders have recalled Liam Foudy from Bridgeport (AHL) on Tuesday ahead of their game vs. Carolina. The 26-year-old is with his third NHL franchise of his career and has yet to appear with New York this season. He excelled in Bridgeport (AHL) this season, with 25 goals and 46 points in 58 games played.

Source:
@NYIslanders 2026-04-14T14:38:10.919Z
Liam Foudy
Victor Eklund(LW)|NYI
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The Islanders have recalled Victor Eklund from Bridgeport (AHL).

Eklund is one of the Islanders' most coveted prospects and has been recalled from Bridgeport (AHL) on Tuesday with expectations to make his NHL debut vs. Carolina. Eklund was the Hurricanes' 2025 1st round pick (16th overall) and he's excelled since making his trip across the pond to join Bridgeport last month, with two goals and nine points in his first 7 games played.

Source:
New York Islanders 2026-04-14T14:35:33.415Z
Victor Eklund
Aleksei Kolosov(G)|PHI
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The Flyers have recalled Aleksei Kolosov from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

With Philadelphia expected to sit their regulars for rest on Tuesday vs. Montreal, Aleksei Kolosov has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) and is expected to play on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has made four appearances with the Flyers this season, struggling with a 0-2-0 record, 4.00 GAA and .830 SV%. He'll hope to better his fortunes in Game 82 on Tuesday.

Source:
Philadelphia Flyers 2026-04-14T14:20:21.475Z
Aleksei Kolosov
Oliver Bonk(D)|PHI
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The Flyers have recalled Oliver Bonk from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Bonk is one of Philadelphia's most coveted prospects and has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) for the first time on Tuesday with the Flyers' expected to sit some regular for Game 82 vs. Montreal. Bonk was drafted in the 1st round of the 2023 NHL Draft (22nd overall) but experienced some ups and downs in his first professional season in the AHL, with six goals, 19 points and a -10 plus/minus.

Source:
Philadelphia Flyers 2026-04-14T14:18:54.067Z
Oliver Bonk
Hunter McDonald(D)|PHI
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The Flyers have recalled Hunter McDonald from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Philadelphia is locked into their playoff spot allowing players like Hunter McDonald to be recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) with expectations he will be making his NHL debut on Tuesday. The 23-year-old was Philadelphia's 2022 sixth round pick (165th overall) and he's spent the last two seasons with Lehigh Valley after a successful NCAA career at Northeastern University.

Source:
Philadelphia Flyers 2026-04-14T14:16:59.589Z
Hunter McDonald
Jacob Gaucher(C)|PHI
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The Flyers have recalled Jacob Gaucher from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

With Philadelphia's final game of the season meaning little on Tuesday, Jacob Gaucher has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) to allow some Flyers' regulars to rest. The 25-year-old had a brief, three game appearance with the Flyers earlier in the season but spent the majority with Lehigh Valley, where he had 20 goals and 36 points in 66 games played.

Source:
Philadelphia Flyers 2026-04-14T14:14:09.829Z
Jacob Gaucher
Anthony Richard(C)|PHI
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The Flyers have recalled Anthony Richard from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

With Philadelphia's final game of the season meaning little, Anthony Richard has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) to allow some Flyers' regulars to get a rest. The 29-year-old has yet to appear in the NHL this season after a 15-game showing in 2024-25, but had 18 goals and 44 points in 63 games with Lehigh Valley (AHL) prior to the call up.

Source:
Philadelphia Flyers 2026-04-14T14:11:11.438Z
Anthony Richard
Ronan Seeley(D)|CAR
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The Hurricanes have recalled Ronan Seeley from Chicago (AHL).

With Carolina expected to dress a lineup of misfits for their season finale, Ronan Seeley has been recalled from Chicago (AHL) and is expected to make his NHL debut on Tuesday. The 23-year-old defensemen was Carolina's 2020 seventh round pick (208th overall) and had 10 goals and 22 points in 67 games with Chicago (AHL) this season.

Source:
Carolina Hurricanes 2026-04-14T14:09:37.057Z
Ronan Seeley
Joel Nystrom(D)|CAR
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The Hurricanes have recalled Joel Nystrom from Chicago (AHL).

With Carolina locked in to a playoff spot, they have recalled Joel Nystrom from Chicago (AHL) to allow some of their regulars to rest for their final game of the season. The 23-year-old defensemen last appeared in an NHL game on January 24th but still has 37 games played this season, picking up a goal and nine points to go alongside his +5 plus/minus.

Source:
Carolina Hurricanes 2026-04-14T14:08:07.591Z
Joel Nystrom
Semyon Varlamov(G)|NYI
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The Islanders have loaned Semyon Varlamov (knee) to Bridgeport (AHL) on an LTIR conditioning assignment.

Varlamov has missed the entire 2025-26 campaign due to a knee injury but had some encouraging news on Tuesday as the 37-year-old veteran was loaned to Bridgeport (AHL) on an LTIR conditioning assignment. The Russian netminder appeared in 10 games as Ilya Sorokin's backup in 2024-25, with a 3-4-3 record, 2.89 GAA and .889 SV%.

Source:
@NYIslanders 2026-04-14T14:06:21.928Z
Semyon Varlamov
Theo Lindstein(D)|STL
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Lindstein has been reassigned to Springfield (AHL).

After a 17-game debut in the NHL, Theo Lindstein has been returned to Springfield as St. Louis season comes near to a close. The 21-year-old picked up two goals and four points during his brief NHL showing but returns to Springfield (AHL) for the playoff push, where he had six goals and 14 points in 56 games played earlier in the year.

Source:
St. Louis Blues 2026-04-14T14:04:21.476Z
Theo Lindstein
Pyotr Kochetkov(G)|CAR
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The Hurricanes recalled Kochetkov from Chicago (AHL) on Monday.

Kochetkov has been out since December 20th with a hip injury but is set to return and was assigned to Chicago (AHL) for a conditioning stint. Prior to his long-term injury, the 26-year-old had a 6-2-0 record with a 2.33 GAA and .899 SV%. Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen have being holding down the crease in his absence.

Source:
@Canes 2026-04-13T22:11:13.635Z
Pyotr Kochetkov
Lenni Hameenaho(RW)|NJD
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The Devils have assigned Lenni Hameenaho to Utica (AHL).

Hameenaho's first season in New Jersey looks to be over after the 21-year-old winger was assigned to Utica (AHL) on Monday. New Jersey's 2023 2nd round pick (58th overall) has enjoyed a solid first season with New Jersey despite occupying a bottom-six role, with two goals, eight points and 14 PIMs in 33 games played in 2025-26.

Source:
@NJDevils 2026-04-13T17:55:56.313Z
Lenni Hameenaho

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.