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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Ryan Sproul(RD)|
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The Red Wings have recalled Ryan Sproul from Grand Rapids (AHL).

With Jakub Kindl (knee) out for the next two games, Sproul has been recalled to serve as the Red Wings extra defenseman. He has registered eight goals and 16 assists (24 points) in 53 games with Grand Rapids this season.

Source:
Helene St. James 2014-02-25T11:40:34.000Z
Ryan Sproul
Jack Hillen(D)|FA
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Call up / Send down
Capitals have re-assigned Hillen to Hershey (AHL) on a long-term injury/illness exception conditioning loan.

Hillen, 28, played in two games with the Capitals this season before suffering a right tibial plateau fracture on October 3 against Calgary. Hillen has missed Washington’s last 57 games due to the injury. Hillen recorded nine points (three goals, six assists) and 14 penalty minutes in 23 games with the Capitals last season.

Source:
Capitals PR 2014-02-25T10:09:36.000Z
Jack Hillen
Kristers Gudlevskis(G)|FA
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Gudlevskis made a name for himself with Latvia in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Now it looks like the 21-year-old goaltender might also be on Tampa Bay’s roster when the NHL schedule resumes.

They need him as an insurance policy because backup netminder Anders Lindback hasn’t been cleared to play after sustaining an ankle injury. Gudlevskis would likely serve as Ben Bishop's back-up, but his unreal 55 save performance vs. Team Canada in Sochi, shows he can handle the NHL.

Source:
Sports Talk Florida 2014-02-25T10:08:10.000Z
Kristers Gudlevskis
Dmitrij Jaskin(RW)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Blues have recalled Dmitrij Jaskin from Chicago (AHL).

Jaskin has skated in seven games with the Blues this season, he has one goal and one assist in those contests. While in the AHL he has 28 points (14G / 14A) in 39 games. Jaskin was the Blues second round pick (41st overall) in the 2011 NHL draft.

Source:
Norm Sanders 2014-02-24T23:08:00.000Z
Dmitrij Jaskin
Brandon McMillan(LW)|
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The Coyotes have recalled Brandon McMillan from Portland (AHL).

McMillan has 11 goals and 16 assists in 46 games with Portland this season. He has yet to suit up in a game with the Coyotes but has tallied 11 goals and 15 assists in 91 career NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks.

Source:
Eric Stephens 2014-02-24T23:06:06.000Z
Brandon McMillan
Eric Gelinas(D)|FA
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The Devils have recalled defenseman Eric Gelinas from Albany (AHL).

Gelinas, 22, played five games for the Albany (0G / 2A / +3) since he was sent down January 31. He had to sit out four AHL games earlier in the month as he was ineligible to play during the NHL’s Olympic break because he spent too much time on New Jersey’s roster. On the season, Gelinas has six goals and 16 assists (22 points in 44 games with New Jersey.

Source:
Pete Dougherty 2014-02-24T22:54:09.000Z
Eric Gelinas
Simon Moser(C)|INA
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The Predators have recalled Simon Moser from Milwaukee (AHL).

Moser, 24, has appeared in his first three NHL contests with the Predators this season, recording an assist while averaging 11:06 of ice time. He’s also posted 25 points (8G / 17A) in 42 games with the Admirals during his first North American professional season. The Bern, Switzerland native recently returned from the 2014 Olympics, where he scored the game-winning goal in the Swiss’ 1-0 victory over Latvia, and appeared in all four of the nation’s games.

Source:
Nashville Predators 2018-07-18T17:53:32.341Z
Steve Kampfer(RD)|FA
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Call up / Send down
The Wild have recalled Steve Kampfer from Iowa (AHL).

Kampfer, 25, was recalled for the first time this season by Minnesota. Kampfer has five goals, 14 assists and 35 penalty minutes in 49 games for Iowa this season. He has seven goals and eight assists in 61 NHL games, including two goals and an assist in 13 games for the Wild in 2011-12.

Source:
Brian Hall 2014-02-24T22:49:08.000Z
Steve Kampfer
Erik Haula(LW)|NSH
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The Wild have recalled Erik Haula from Iowa (AHL).

Haula, 22, has two goals and two assists in 15 games so far in his rookie season for Minnesota. He was sent back to Iowa to continue playing during the break, falling shy of the NHL-mandated guideline of playing in 16 of the 20 games before the break which would have left him ineligible to return to Iowa.

Source:
Brian Hall 2014-02-24T22:48:14.000Z
Erik Haula
Drew Shore(C)|
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The Panthers have recalled Drew Shore from San Antonio (AHL).

Shore has four goals, one asset and a minus-1 rating in 17 games with the Panthers. He was playing some of his best hockey of the season before the NHL shutdown for the Olympics.

Source:
George Richards 2014-02-24T22:45:41.000Z
Drew Shore
Tanner Pearson(LW)|BUF
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The Kings have recalled Tanner Pearson from Manchester (AHL).

Pearson, 21, has appeared in eight games with the Kings this season, recording one point (his first career NHL goal). Pearson has also played in 41 games with Manchester this season, recording 32 points (17G /15A) and 18 penalty minutes. His 17 goals with the Monarchs are tied for the team lead.

Source:
Los Angeles Kings 2014-02-24T22:40:52.000Z
Tanner Pearson
Linden Vey(RW)|
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The Kings have recalled Linden Vey from Manchester (AHL).

Vey, 22, has appeared in 15 games with the Kings this season, recording five points (all assists) and zero penalty minutes. Vey has also played in 31 games with Manchester this season, recording 35 points (11G / 24A) and 18 penalty minutes.

Source:
Los Angeles Kings 2014-02-24T22:39:58.000Z
Linden Vey
Tyler Toffoli(C)|SJS
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The Kings have recalled Tyler Toffoli from Manchester (AHL).

Toffoli, 21, has appeared in 39 games with the Kings this season, recording 19 points (10G / 9A), eight penalty minutes, and a plus-15 rating. Toffoli has also played in 18 games with Manchester this season, recording 24 points (15G / 9A) and four penalty minutes.

Source:
Los Angeles Kings 2014-02-24T22:39:06.000Z
Tyler Toffoli
Riley Sheahan(C)|FA
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The Red Wings have recalled Riley Sheahan from Grand Rapids (AHL).

Sheahan has scored three goals while adding eight assists (11 points) in 18 games wit the Red Wings this season. He has displayed an impressive ability to be a productive playmaker at the NHL level in a short period of time with Detroit. The Red Wings will need their 2010 first round pick to continue to play well while Stephen Weiss and Henrik Zetterberg remain out of the lineup.

Source:
George Sipple 2014-02-24T22:36:29.000Z
Riley Sheahan
Tomas Jurco(RW)|FA
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The Red Wings have recalled Tomas Jurco from Grand Rapids (AHL).

Jurco suited up four all four of Slovakia's games in Sochi. He has seven points (3G / 4A) in 19 games with the Red Wings this season. The Red Wings will continue to lean on their young players with veterans battling injury.

Source:
George Sipple 2014-02-24T22:33:54.000Z
Tomas Jurco
Dalton Prout(D)|FA
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The Blue Jackets have recalled Dalton Prout from Springfield (AHL).

Prout, 23, has recorded two assists, 33 penalty minutes and 43 blocked shots in 27 games with Columbus this season. He tallied one goal and six assists for seven points with 27 penalty minutes and a +15 rating in 28 games with the Blue Jackets during the 2012-13 campaign, leading the club in plus/minus while ranking second among rookie NHL defensemen in that category.

Source:
Columbus Blue Jackets 2014-02-24T22:29:13.000Z
Dalton Prout
Markus Granlund(C)|
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The Flames have recalled Markus Granlund from Abbotsford (AHL).

This is Granlund's second recall of the season. During his first recall he failed to get into a game, but he has impressed enough with Abbotsford to earn another shot. He has 23 goals and 21 assists (44 points) in 50 AHL games this season. The 2011 second round pick (45th overall) has yet to suit up for an NHL contest.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2014-02-24T22:23:49.000Z
Markus Granlund
Niklas Svedberg(G)|
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The Bruins have recalled NIklas Svedberg from Providence (AHL).

?Svedberg has played in one game for Boston this season, earning a 3-2 OT win against the Nashville Predators in his NHL debut, making 33 saves on 35 shots.? ?The netminder has appeared in 35 games for the Providence Bruins this season, racking up an 20-11-3 record with a 2.71 GAA, .910 SV% and two shutouts.?? Svedberg could serve as Chad Johnson's backup on Wednesday as the Bruins could elect to give Tuukka Rask a breather after a busy Olympics during which he was battling the flu.

Source:
Boston Bruins 2014-02-24T22:21:26.000Z
Niklas Svedberg

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.