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

NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Mirco Mueller(LD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have assigned Mirco Mueller to Worcester (AHL) on a conditioning stint.

Mueller has not dressed for the Sharks since December 11th. With the All Star break looming, he will head to Worcester to get a couple of games in, before likely returning to the team next week. With Justin Braun out, Mueller will have a good chance to work his way back into the lineup.

Source:
Curtis Pashelka 2015-01-20T22:41:47.000Z
Mirco Mueller
Dylan DeMelo(D)|WPG
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sharks have recalled Dylan DeMelo from Worcester (AHL).

DeMelo, 21, was a sixth-round pick (179th overall) of the Sharks in 2011. He has three goals and 10 assists (13 points) in 38 games with Worcester this season. He has been recalled because Justin Braun is out and Mirco Mueller has been sent down on a conditioning stint.

Source:
Curtis Pashelka 2015-01-20T22:40:02.000Z
Dylan DeMelo
Tyler Wotherspoon(D)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flames have recalled Tyler Wotherspoon from Adirondack (AHL).

Wotherspoon, 21, has been recalled to serve as the Flames seventh defenseman with Ladislav Smid going on IR. Wotherspoon has two goals and 13 assists (15 points) in 38 games AHL games. He had four assists in 14 games with the Flames last season .

Source:
Randy Sportak 2015-01-20T14:33:43.000Z
Tyler Wotherspoon
Drew Shore(C)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flames have sent Drew Shore back to Adirondack (AHL).

Shore, 23, did not record a point in the only game that he appeared in with the Flames. He heads to Adirondack, where he is expected to make his debut with the team this week. He has 30 AHL points (9G / 21A) in 35 games with San Antonio this season.

Source:
Randy Sportak 2015-01-20T14:32:15.000Z
Drew Shore
Stuart Percy(D)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled Stuart Percy from Toronto (AHL).

Percy, 21, had three assists in eight games with the Maple Leafs earlier in the season. With Toronto struggling mightily as of late, they recall Percy to provide a change of pace on the blue line.

Source:
James Mirtle 2015-01-20T11:03:49.000Z
Stuart Percy
Josh Leivo(LW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled Josh Leivo from Toronto (AHL).

Leivo, 21, has been recalled in the midst of a terrible slump for the Maple Leafs. He has registered one goal in eight games with the Maple Leafs this season. His recall is likely just a way for the Leafs to shake things up.

Source:
James Mirtle 2015-01-20T11:02:17.000Z
Josh Leivo
Troy Bodie(LW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have reassigned Troy Bodie to Toronto (AHL).

Bodie did not record a point and had five penalty minutes in five games with the Maple Leafs during his recall. With the Marlies he has five goals and two assists in 32 games.

Source:
James Mirtle 2015-01-20T10:33:31.000Z
Troy Bodie
Ryan Murphy(RD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have assigned Ryan Murphy to Charlotte (AHL).

The Hurricanes played their final game before the All Star break on Monday, so they have sent Murphy back so he can participate in the AHL All Star weekend. Since being recalled in late December, he has four assists with a plus-1 rating in 10 games. Expect him to be recalled after the All Star break.

Source:
Michael Smith 2015-01-20T10:29:33.000Z
Ryan Murphy
Bobby Farnham(RW)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Penguins have recalled Bobby Farnham from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).

Farnham, 25, has played in 10 NHL games with Pittsburgh this season, averaging 7:22 minutes per contest with 19 penalty minutes. He made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh on December 13 at Columbus. Farnham has played in 27 AHL contests with WBS, where he has contributed four points (1G / 3A) and 117 penalty minutes.

Source:
Pittsburgh Penguins 2015-01-20T10:06:16.000Z
Bobby Farnham
Oliver Lauridsen(D)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have recalled Oliver Lauridsen from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Lauridsen, 25, has two goals and three assists in 38 games with Lehigh Valley. He has not played with the Flyers this season, but has two goals and one assist in 15 career NHL games. He will replace the injured Nick Schultz in the lineup on Tuesday.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2015-01-20T10:03:35.000Z
Oliver Lauridsen
Brandon Manning(LD)|FA
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have recalled Brandon Manning from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Manning, 24, has one assist in two games with the Flyers this season. While in Lehigh Valley, he leads all defenseman and is second on the team in scoring with 25 points (6G / 19A) in 36 games. He will replace Carlo Colaiacovo in the lineup on Tuesday.

Source:
Sam Carchidi 2015-01-20T10:02:22.000Z
Brandon Manning
Matt Ellis(LW)|
Call up / Send down
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have sent Matt Ellis back to Rochester (AHL).

Ellis appeared in four games during his recall. He has three shots, two penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating. With the Sabres done until after the All Star break, they send Ellis back as they expect a few forwards to return after the break.

Source:
Bill Hoppe 2015-01-19T11:15:13.000Z
Matt Ellis

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.