Call up / Send down
The San Jose Sharks have assigned Matt Pelech to the Worcester Sharks (AHL).
Pelech played just 5:01 in the Sharks season opener last night. Coming up from Worcester is John McCarthy.
NHL Hockey Player News
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled tough-guy Jamie Devane.
Mark Fraser's LTIR designation opened up a roster spot for Devane. He is not fantasy relevant.
Call up / Send down
In a corresponding move to the earlier Alexander Urbom waiver claim, the Capitals have reassigned Michael Latta to the Hershey Bears (AHL).
Latta had 10 goals and 28 assists in 76 games with the Hershey Bears and Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) last season.
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have decided to loan Laughton back to his junior team, the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
Laughton, 19, made the team out of training camp for a second consecutive season, but unlike last season, when he played five games in the NHL before going back to juniors, he was a healthy scratch for the season opener. “Scott was sent back to Oshawa today,” said general manager Paul Holmgren. “We felt this was the right thing to do for Scott and for the Flyers as it relates to his development.”
Call up / Send down
The San Jose Sharks have assigned F Freddie Hamilton to the Worcester Sharks.
Hamilton almost made the roster cut down to 23 but has now been sent down to Worcester where he had 13 goals and 13 assists in 76 games last season. He is a former fifth round pick who is two years removed from 35 goals and 51 assists (86 points) in 61 games in the OHL.
Call up / Send down
The San Jose Sharks have recalled F Matt Pelech from the San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL and assigned F Freddie Hamilton to the Worcester Sharks (AHL).
Pelech appeared in two games with the Sharks last season, recording no points and seven penalty minutes.
Call up / Send down
The Anaheim Ducks assign RW Devante Smith-Pelly to Norfolk (AHL).
He was called up incase Jakob Silfverberg was unable to play today, which evidently is not the case.
Call up / Send down
Penguins forward Chris Conner has been re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.
Conner had a goal and an assist in 12 games with the Coyotes last season. He also had 13 goals and 27 assists (40 points) in 60 games with the Portland Pirates (AHL).
Call up / Send down
Penguins defenseman Harrison Ruopp has been re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.
Ruopp had a goal and 15 assists in 65 games for the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) last season.
Call up / Send down
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Beau Bennett from the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL).
This move comes as no surprise, sending him to the ECHL was nothing more than a paper transaction. He has been recalled and will be in the lineup tomorrow vs. New Jersey.
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have recalled Ryan Murphy from Charlotte.
Murphy was sent down yesterday as a part of the Hurricanes getting their roster down to 23 men. Murphy posseses all the necessary tools to be an elite offensive-defenseman down the road. Once he cracks the Hurricanes roster he should be picked up in deep leagues / keeper leagues.
Call up / Send down
As expected, Troy Bodie returns to the Leafs this morning. He was placed on waivers on Sunday.
Bodie has 11 points in 107 games, he is not fantasy relevant. He will start on the third line with Dave Bolland and Mason Raymond.
Call up / Send down
The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Nathan Beaulieu from Hamilton.
The 17th overall pick in 2011, played six games, recording two assists with the Habs last season. He is a good puck mover from the backend and can score as well, he had seven goals and 24 assists (31 points) in the AHL last season.
Call up / Send down
A day after setting their opening night roster, the Flyers announced that they have recalled forward Adam Hall from their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantom.
The 32-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Flyers on July 4 of this season. He appeared in 11 games, going scoreless and averaging 10:58 of ice-time. He was acquired on waivers at the trade deadline.
Call up / Send down
Beau Bennett has been re-assigned to the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
All preseason Bennett had growing hype because there were reports he would start the season with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. While his re-assignment looks like a paper transaction, it appears as if Jussi Jokinen has slid in with Malkin and Neal instead of Bennett.
Call up / Send down
The New York Islanders have sent Ryan Strome to Bridgeport (AHL).
The Islanders are trying to give the 2011, fifth overall pick more time to develop. He is a good playmaking centre with great hands, but has not completely adapted to the NHL game, but he is close. Strome will certainly be the first forward called up from Bridgeport.
Call up / Send down
Hurricanes assigned D Ryan Murphy to Charlotte (AHL) today.
After four strong years in the OHL, Murphy looked poised to make the opening night roster, but today he was sent down. He will start the year in the AHL, but will likely be the first D-man called up for the Hurricanes.
Call up / Send down
Mika Zibanejad has been assigned to Binghamton (AHL).
This is surprising, Zibanejad had a great preseason and looked like a lock to make the Sens roster. He had seven goals and 13 assists (20 points) in 42 games for Ottawa last season. The move was likely made because Zibanejad is waiver exempt and the Senators did not want to expose Stephane Da Costa to waivers. Expect to see Zibanejad back with Ottawa soon.
Call up / Send down
Wings have assigned Nyquist to Grand Rapids, Ken Holland said.
Nyquist being sent down is a product of the Red Wings being pressed up against the cap. He is waiver-exempt, so he can be sent down and called back up without any risk. Nyquist is clearly talented enough to play for the Red Wings, but is victim of a numbers game. He will most certainly be back in the Red Wings uniform soon.
Call up / Send down
The Los Angeles Kings have sent Tanner Pearson to Manchester (AHL).
Pearson was selected with the 30th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He was always a good offensive player but he has turned himself into a reliable two-way forward which is why he was expected to crack the Kings opening day roster. He and Tyler Toffoli should enjoy a lot of success in the AHL and will likely find themselves in a Kings uniform at some point this year.
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.