The Golden Knights reassigned Rondbjerg to Henderson (AHL) on Wednesday.
Rondbjerg returns to the AHL after just two games with the Golden Knights where he registered 0 points and a -1 rating. Grigori Denisenko was recalled in a corresponding move.
NHL Transactions & Roster Moves
Vegas called up Denisenko from Henderson (AHL) on Wednesday.
While he's yet to make an impact at the NHL level, Denisenko has impressed in the AHL over the last two seasons, tallying 21 goals and 42 assists across 75 games. He could be in line to make his season debut Wednesday night in Anaheim. Jonas Rondbjerg was reassigned to Henderson in a corresponding move.
Mancini has been assigned to Hartford (AHL).
Mancini was a fifth-round pick of the Rangers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut with them this season. In nine games with the Rangers, Mancini averaged 15:21 time-on-ice, recording four points (1G / 3A). Chad Ruhwedel was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) in a corresponding move.
Ruhwedel has been recalled from Hartford (AHL).
Ruhwedel, a 13-year NHL veteran, started the 2024-25 season with the Rangers before being sent down to the Hartword Wolf Pack (AHL) for his first AHL stint since the 2018-19 season. The 34-year-old Ruhwedel had two points in seven games with Hartford. In a corresponding move, the Rangers assigned Victor Mancini to Hartford.
Stillman cleared waivers and has been reassigned to Chicago (AHL).
Stillman was signed by the Hurricanes in the offseason but has yet to play a game in the 2024-25 season. His last NHL game was in the 2022-23 season as a member of the Buffalo Sabres when he had three points (1G / 2A) in 18 games.
Oesterle has been recalled from Providence (AHL).
Oesterle has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign in Providence (AHL) but could make his Boston Bruins debut after being recalled on Wednesday, possibly an indication that Hampus Lindholm (lower body) will not be ready to play. The 32-year-old Oesterle has 371 games of NHL experience, recording 86 points (19G / 67A).
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Raty has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).
Raty played four straight for Vancouver but has been reassigned to the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL). The 21-year-old Raty was the 52nd overall pick of the New York Islanders in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has seven points (3G / 4A) in eight AHL games with Abbotsford this season.
Lekkerimaki has been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL).
Lekkerimaki made his NHL debut on Tuesday, playing 14:07 time-on-ice, recording two shots and one hit, while seeing top-line and top-powerplay deployment. The 20-year-old Lekkerimaki was the 15th overall pick of the Canucks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Bains has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).
Bains has spent most of the 2024-25 season with Vancouver but has continually been a part of paper transactions, sending him down to Abbotsford (AHL), due to salary cap implications. The 23-year-old Bains is averaging 11:30 time-on-ice and has one point (1G / 0A) in eight games this season.
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Stezka has been reassigned to Coachella Valley (AHL).
Stezka has served as the backup to Joey Daccord the past couple games since Philipp Grubauer (undisclosed) has been sidelined with an injury. Stezka's reassignment to the AHL could be a sign that Grubauer is nearing a return, but could also just be a paper transaction ahead of Seattle's next game on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old Stezka has a 3.61 GAA and .881 SV% in six games with Coachella Valley (AHL) this season.
Hakanpaa has been recalled from his LTIR conditioning loan and been activated from the LTIR.
Hakanpaa has returned from a two-game conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and his Maple Leafs debut appears to be approaching. The 32-year-old Hakanpaa, in his first season as a Maple Leaf, missed an extended portion of last season with the Dallas Stars due to injuries that continued into the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign.
Helleson has been recalled from the San Diego Gulls (AHL).
Helleson was the second-round pick, 47th overall, of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old made his NHL debut with the Ducks in the 2022-23 season, playing three games, but has played exclusively in the AHL since.
Harkins has been recalled from the San Diego Gulls (AHL).
Harkins played one game with the Ducks earlier this season but has spent most of the 2024-25 campaign as an offensive powerhouse in the AHL. The 27-year-old Harkins has 17 points (5G ./ 12A) in 11 games with the San Diego Gulls (AHL) this season.
Milne has been recalled from Iowa (AHL).
Milne was the third-round pick, 89th overall, of the Minnesota Wild in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old Milne has yet to play an NHL game and has spent most of the season with the Iowa Wild (AHL), where he has eight points (4G / 4A) in 10 games.
Loof has been recalled from Spirngfield (AHL).
Loof was the third-round pick, 88th overall, of the St. Louis Blues in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 22-year-old Loof has one point (0G / 1A) in 11 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) this season.
Wilsby has been recalled from Milwaukee (AHL).
Wilsby was the fourth-round pick, 101st overall, of the Nashville Predators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 24-year-old has spent the past three seasons exclusively in the AHL, including scoring three points (1G / 2A) through 11 games with the Milwaukee Admirals this season.
Goncalves has been recalled from Syracuse (AHL).
Goncalves made his season debut with Tampa Bay last week, scoring zero points in two games. The 23-year-old Goncalves has played four NHL games in his career but spent most of his young career in the AHL, including scoring 58 points (13G / 45A) in 69 games with Syracuse last season.
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The Capitals reassigned Sgarbossa to Hershey (AHL) on Tuesday.
Sgarbossa's reassignment makes room on the Capitals roster for the newly acquired Lars Eller. Sgarbossa has impressed in his limited time with the Caps this season, registering one goal and one assist in three games.
The Wild recalled Hunt from Iowa (AHL) on Tuesday.
A former third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Hunt has spent the majority of his professional career in the AHL, having just 13 NHL appearances to his name. He has no goals and two assists in six games with Iowa this season. He's appeared in just one NHL game this year, registering two shots on goal and two blocked shots in just over eight minutes of ice time.
Smith has been reassigned to the Chicago Wolves (AHL).
Smith was the 17th overall pick of the New Jersey Devils in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft but has had trouble establishing himself at the NHL level. The 24-year-old puck-moving defenseman has not played an NHL game since a nine-game stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022-23 season.
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.