NHL Hockey Player News

Bo Horvat(C)|NYI
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Call up / Send down
The Canucks have sent Bo Horvat (shoulder) to Utica (AHL) for a conditioning stint.

Horvat has been out with shoulder injury, but sending him on a conditioning stint is a good sign that the Canucks are planning to keep Horvat with the big club. He can stay with Utica for a maximum of two weeks.

Source:
Ann Schmaltz 2014-10-19T14:04:59.000Z
Bo Horvat
Ryan Spooner(C)|
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Call up / Send down
The Bruins have assigned Ryan Spooner to Providence (AHL).

Spooner did not record a point and had a minus-2 rating in his first five games this season. He was a healthy scratch in the last two games and played just 4:22 in his last contest. Expect to see him back with the Bruins at some point this year.

Source:
Joe McDonald 2014-10-19T11:39:45.000Z
Ryan Spooner
Frank Corrado(D)|
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Call up / Send down
The Canucks have recalled Frank Corrado from Utica (AHL).

Corrado, 21, has no points with a minus-1 rating in three games with Utica this season. He had one goal in 15 games with the Canucks last season and has been recalled because Ryan Stanton suffered a lower-body injury on Friday.

Source:
Ben Kuzma 2014-10-18T14:57:08.000Z
Frank Corrado
Eriah Hayes(RW)|
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Call up / Send down
The Sharks have recalled Eriah Hayes from Worcester (AHL).

Hayes had a worthy enough training camp that he wasn’t reassigned to AHL Worcester until the Sharks had already played their season opener. He’s back already for Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, where he’ll be slotted on the wing of the fourth line with Andrew Desjardins and Adam Burish, in place of John Scott.

Source:
Kevin Kurz 2014-10-18T14:00:35.000Z
Eriah Hayes
Petr Mrazek(G)|DET
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Call up / Send down
The Red Wings have recalled Petr Mrazek from Grand Rapids (AHL).

Mrazek has been recalled to backup Jonas Gustavsson tonight vs. Toronto. Jimmy Howard is dealing with a sore groin and won't dress tonight, but Mrazek is expected to be sent down after the game. He is 1-1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .907 SV% in two starts in the AHL this year.

Source:
Ansar Khan 2014-10-18T12:55:56.000Z
Petr Mrazek
Chris Mueller(RW)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Rangers have recalled Chris Mueller from Hartford (AHL).

Mueller tallied a goal, posted a plus-one rating, and recorded two shots on goal in Hartford’s regular season opener on Oct. 12 at Syracuse. He also registered three points (one goal, two assists), posted a plus-one rating, and recorded five shots on goal in four preseason games with the Rangers this year.

Source:
blueshirtsunited.com 2014-10-17T14:08:59.000Z
Chris Mueller
Darnell Nurse(D)|EDM
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Call up / Send down
The Oilers have sent Darnell Nurse back to the OHL.

Nurse had no points with a minus-2 rating and two shots in his first two NHL games. The 19-year-old will get one more year of junior and have a chance to stick with the Oilers full-time next season. He had 13 goals with 37 assists (50 points) in 64 games with Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) last season.

Source:
Elliotte Friedman 2014-10-17T12:11:02.000Z
Darnell Nurse
Brody Sutter(C)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have sent Brody Sutter to Charlotte (AHL).

Sutter, 23, made his NHL debut on Thursday in Carolina’s 2-1 shootout loss at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. He is in his third full professional season and has played in all three of Charlotte’s games thus far this year.

Source:
Ken Preston 2014-10-17T11:58:17.000Z
Brody Sutter
Patrick Brown(C)|BOS
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Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have sent Patrick Brown to Charlotte (AHL).

Brown, 22, made his NHL debut with Carolina on Opening Night, Oct. 10, and has averaged 9:37 of ice time while playing in all four of the Hurricanes’ games this season. In 2013-14, he scored 15 goals and earned 15 assists (30 points) in 40 games during his senior season at Boston College.

Source:
Ken Preston 2014-10-17T11:57:14.000Z
Patrick Brown
James Sheppard(LW)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Sharks have assigned James Sheppard (knee) to Worcester (AHL) for a conditioning stint.

Sheppard was skating with the Sharks and nearing a return from his knee injury, but San Jose has sent him down to get him back into game-shape, before he returns to the lineup. There is no word on who will be headed back to the minors when Sheppard is healthy, but it will likely be Chris Tierney.

Source:
Kevin Kurz 2014-10-17T10:43:48.000Z
James Sheppard
Dennis Everberg(RW)|
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Call up / Send down
The Avalanche have sent Dennis Everberg to Lake Erie (AHL).

The Avalanche had to make a roster move with Reto Berra going down with an injury last night. Everberg has been a nice find for the Avs after coming over from Sweden this offseason. He is not cut out for a fourth line role and he is on a two-way contract, so he is the one who gets sent down. Expect to see him back with the big club this season.

Source:
Mike Chambers 2014-10-17T10:20:34.000Z
Dennis Everberg
Sami Aittokallio(G)|INA
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Call up / Send down
The Avalanche have recalled Sam Aittokallio from Lake Erie (AHL).

Semyon Varlamov was placed on IR prior to last night's game and Reto Berra was injured in the game, so Aittokallio has been recalled to serve as the Avs' second netminder alongside Calvin Pickard. The 22-year-old netminder mdae one start with the Avalanche last season and went 15-15-3 with a 2.65 GAA and .909 SV% with Lake Erie.

Source:
Mike Chambers 2018-07-18T17:53:31.312Z
Griffin Reinhart(D)|
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Call up / Send down
The Islanders have sent Griffin Reinhart to Bridgeport (AHL).

Reinhart had no point and was a minus-1 while averaging 14:23 TOI in his first three NHL games. With Calvin de Haan coming off of injured reserve, the Islanders had to make a move. Reinhart was the youngest of the crop so they have sent him back to the AHL to continue to develop his game.

Source:
Arthur Staple 2014-10-16T12:56:55.000Z
Griffin Reinhart
Josh Jooris(C)|
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Call up / Send down
The Flames have recalled Josh Jooris from Adirondack (AHL).

Jooris, 24, was an undrafted free-agent who has no points in two games in his second AHL season. He had 11 goals and 16 assists (27 points) in 73 games a season ago.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2014-10-16T10:55:48.000Z
Josh Jooris
Jonathan Drouin(LW)|COL
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Call up / Send down
The Lightning have assigned Jonathan Drouin to Syracuse (AHL) for a rehab assignment.

Drouin said that his fractured thumb has healed and that he expects to play in Syracuse on Friday. Going to Syracuse is about Drouin getting his timing back and getting some game experience before he makes his NHL debut. He can stay in Syracuse for a maximum of two weeks and at this time there is no timetable for when he is expected to return to the Lightning.

Source:
Matt Baker 2014-10-16T10:09:33.000Z
Jonathan Drouin

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.