NHL Hockey Player News

Chris Brown(C)|
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Call up / Send down
The Capitals have sent Chris Brown back to Hershey (AHL).

Brown, 23, had one goal in three games with the Capitals but will head back to the AHL where he had 16 goals and 24 assists (40 points) in 63 games between Portland and Hershey (AHL) a season ago.

Source:
Adam Vingan 2014-10-28T09:52:51.000Z
Chris Brown
Nathan Beaulieu(LD)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Canadiens recalled Nathan Beaulieu from Hamilton (AHL) and he will play Monday.

Beaulieu, 21, started the season with the Habs but failed to record a point while posting a minus-3 rating in four games. He returns to the Habs tonight in Edmonton and will replace Jarred Tinordi on the blueline. He had one assist and nine PIMS in two games with Hamilton.

Source:
Priyanta Emrith 2014-10-27T14:35:28.000Z
Nathan Beaulieu
Reid Boucher(C)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Devils have recalled Reid Boucher from Albany (AHL).

Boucher, 21, was the 99th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. He had seven points (2G /5A) in 23 games with the Devils a season ago and could make his season debut tomorrow vs. the Penguins. Boucher has recorded one goal and three assists in six games with Albany and skated on a line with Adam Henrique and Michael Ryder on Monday morning. Whether or not he plays tomorrow likely depends on the health of Michael Cammalleri who was not on the ice this morning because he was undergoing X-rays.

Source:
Rich Chere 2014-10-27T13:12:22.000Z
Reid Boucher
Mike Blunden(RW)|
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Call up / Send down
The Lightning have reassigned Mike Blunden to Syracuse (AHL).

Blunden had a minus-1 rating in 9:25 of playing time in his second game of the season with Tampa Bay. With Blunden heading back to Syracuse, expect J.T Brown and/or Alex Killorn to be back in the Lightning lineup on Tuesday. Blunden has four points (2G / 2A) in six AHL games.

Source:
Joe Smith 2014-10-27T11:22:16.000Z
Mike Blunden
Jonathan Marchessault(C)|NSH
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Call up / Send down
The Lightning have reassigned Jonathan Marchessault to Syracuse (AHL).

Marchessault played 12:33 and recorded one shot with a minus-1 rating in his Lightning debut on Saturday. With Marchessault heading back to Syracuse, expect J.T Brown and/or Alex Killorn to be back in the Lightning lineup on Tuesday. Marchessault has two goals and five assists in six games with the Crunch.

Source:
Joe Smith 2014-10-27T11:20:44.000Z
Jonathan Marchessault
Alex Wennberg(C)|SJS
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Call up / Send down
The Blue Jackets have sent Alexander Wennberg to Springfield (AHL).

Wennberg, 20, appeared in seven games with the Blue Jackets this season, registering his first NHL point (assist) in his NHL debut on October 9 at Buffalo. He recorded 16 goals and five assists for 21 points with eight penalty minutes in 50 games with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14. The Stockholm, Sweden native was the club’s first pick, 14th overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2014-10-26T14:51:31.000Z
Alex Wennberg
Stuart Percy(D)|
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Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have reassigned Stuart Percy to Toronto (AHL).

Percy had three assists in seven games in his brief stint with the Maple Leafs. He had served as healthy scratch in two out of the last four games. This should keep Jake Gardiner permanently.

Source:
Jonas Siegel 2014-10-26T13:54:39.000Z
Stuart Percy
Anton Forsberg(G)|OTT
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Call up / Send down
The Blue Jackets sent Anton Forsberg back to Springfield (AHL).

Forsberg, 21, did not play in two games since being recalled by the Blue Jackets on October 19. He has gone 1-2-0 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in three games with Springfield this season, stopping 82-of-89 shots faced. He is 4-2-0 with a 1.69 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in seven career AHL games since making his North American professional debut with the Falcons late in the 2013-14 season.

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2014-10-26T11:02:36.000Z
Anton Forsberg
Justin Hodgman(C)|
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Call up / Send down
The Coyotes have recalled Justin Hodgman from Portland (AHL).

Hodgman, 26, will likely make his NHL debut on Saturday. David Moss was not on the ice for the morning skate, suggesting he will be out, which means Hodgman will slide in as a centre and move Sam Gagner to the wing. He has no points in three games with Portland.

Source:
Sarah McLellan 2014-10-25T13:22:59.000Z
Justin Hodgman
Jonathan Marchessault(C)|NSH
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Call up / Send down
The Lightning have recalled Jonathan Marchessault from Syracuse (AHL).

Marchessault, 23, had a hot start with Syracuse, scoring two goals with four assists (6 points) in the first five games. He has two games of NHL experience (with CBJ) but is expected to make his Lightning debut tonight with Ryan Callahan, Alex Killorn, JT Brown and Brett Connolly all sidelined with injuries.

Source:
Joe Smith 2014-10-25T12:03:08.000Z
Jonathan Marchessault
Mike Blunden(RW)|
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Call up / Send down
The Lightning have recalled Mike Blunden from Syracuse (AHL).

Blunden did not record a point in his season debut, but is back with the Lightning for tonight's meeting with the Wild after JT Brown and Brett Connolly were injured on Friday.

Source:
Joe Smith 2014-10-25T12:01:48.000Z
Mike Blunden
Shayne Gostisbehere(D)|CAR
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Call up / Send down
The Flyers recalled Shayne Gostisbehere from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Gostisbehere, 21, was the Flyers third round pick (78th overall) in 2012. The 5-foot-11, 170 lbs. D-man has two assists in three games in his first full year in the AHL. He is expected to make his NHL debut on Saturday vs. the Red Wings because of an injury to Andrew MacDonald.

Source:
Tim Panaccio 2014-10-25T10:09:02.000Z
Shayne Gostisbehere
Mark Alt(RD)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Flyers are expected to recall Mark Alt from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Alt, 23, had four goals and 22 assists (26 points) in 75 AHL games last season and has one goal in three games with Lehigh this season. With Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald both out for four weeks, Alt's stay with the Flyers might be a lengthy one. Expect him to make his NHL debut on Saturday vs. the Red Wings.

Source:
Sarah Baicker 2014-10-24T11:49:55.000Z
Mark Alt
Mike Blunden(RW)|
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Call up / Send down
The Lightning have send Mike Blunden back to Syracuse (AHL).

Blunden's recall did not last long. He played just 10:09 on Tuesday, but will already be back on his way to Syracuse. The Lightning recalled Cedric Paquette as a corresponding roster move.

Source:
Erik Erlendsson 2014-10-24T11:23:46.000Z
Mike Blunden
Joe Morrow(LD)|
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Call up / Send down
The Bruins have recalled Joe Morrow from Providence (AHL).

Morrow, 21, was the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. Morrow was acquired by the Bruins in the Tyler Seguin trade, but he has yet to make an NHL appearance. That is about to change after Zdeno Chara went down with a knee injury on Thursday. Morrow is a big body defenseman who is a good passer with a big shot. He will battle fellow call-up Zach Trotman for playing time while Chara is out.

Source:
Mark Divver 2014-10-24T10:02:44.000Z
Joe Morrow

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.