NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Emil Andrae(D)|PHI
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Call Up
Andrae has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL).

With Nick Seeler being placed on IR with a lower-body injury, Emil Andrae has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AHL) ahead of Philadelphia's season opener. The 22-year-old defenseman appeared in four games with the Flyers in 2023-24 but spent the majority of the year with Lehigh Valley (AHL) and had five goals and 32 points in 61 games played.

Source:
Philadelphia Flyers 2024-10-11T21:11:36.271Z
Emil Andrae
Patrick Giles(C)|SJS
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Call Up
Giles has been recalled from Charlotte (AHL).

With Aleksander Barkov's injury status up in the air for Saturday's contest, Florida has recalled Patrick Giles from Charlotte (AHL) for some offensive depth. The 24-year-old undrafted right-winger has yet to make an NHL appearance but had 13 goals, 23 points and 31 PIMs in 66 games with Charlotte (AHL) in 2023-24.

Source:
Colby Guy 2024-10-11T20:32:18.127Z
Patrick Giles
Jesper Wallstedt(G)|MIN
Call Up
Call Up
Wallstedt has been recalled from Iowa (AHL).

Wallstedt was sent down to the Iowa Wild (AHL) on Thursday for salary cap implications but is expected to fight for playing time in Minnesota this season. Wallstedt was the 20th overall pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in Iowa (AHL), posting a solid 2.70 GAA and .910 SV% in 45 games (22-19-4).

Source:
Minnesota Wild 2024-10-11T16:44:20.249Z
Jesper Wallstedt
Isaak Phillips(D)|WPG
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Phillips has been assigned to Rockford (AHL).

With Wyatt Kaiser returning from illness, Phillips has been sent down to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Last season, Phillips split time between Rockford and Chicago. The 23-year-old defenseman set a career-high in games played last season, scoring six points (0G / 6A) in 33 games with the Blackhawks.

Source:
Ben Pope 2024-10-10T20:06:25.749Z
Isaak Phillips
Tyson Jost(C)|FA
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Send Down
Jost has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Chicago Wolves (AHL).

Jost has 456 games of NHL experience since debuting in the 2016-17 season with the Colorado Avalanche, but he spent a sizeable portion of last season in the AHL, registering 14 points (4G / 10A) in 25 games with the Rochester Americans. He looks destined to spend some time in the AHL again this season after clearing waivers and reporting to the Chicago Wolves.

Source:
Walt Ruff 2024-10-10T19:23:50.632Z
Tyson Jost
Gustav Lindstrom(RD)|MON
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Send Down
Lindstrom has cleared waivers and been loaned to the Laval Rocket (AHL).

Lindstrom played for the Canadiens last season before being placed on waivers and being claimed by the Anaheim Ducks. The Canadiens signed him to a one-year, two-way contract on Wednesday and subsequently placed him on waivers. In his first stint with the Canadiens last season, Lindstrom tallied six points (0G / 6A), a +12 plus/minus rating, 40 blocks, and 54 hits in 32 games.

Source:
Montreal Canadiens 2024-10-10T18:16:02.573Z
Gustav Lindstrom
Arshdeep Bains(LW)|VAN
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Call Up
Vancouver has recalled Arshdeep Bains from Abbotsford (AHL).

Bains made his NHL debut last season, being held without a point in eight games for the Canucks. The 23-year-old Bains spent most of the 2023-24 campaign with the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL), tallying an impressive 55 points (16G / 39A) in 59 games and could be in line for a more prominent role in the NHL this season.

Source:
Vancouver Canucks 2024-10-10T16:47:08.674Z
Arshdeep Bains
Jesper Wallstedt(G)|MIN
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Send Down
Wallstedt has been reassigned to Iowa (AHL).

Wallstedt is expected to fight for playing time in Minnesota this season but has been sent down to Iowa (AHL) for salary cap reasons ahead of their season opener on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Wallstedt was the 20th overall pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in Iowa (AHL), posting a solid 2.70 GAA and .910 SV% in 45 games (22-19-4).

Source:
Minnesota Wild 2024-10-10T16:23:03.584Z
Jesper Wallstedt
MacKenzie Entwistle(RW)|FLA
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The Panthers assigned MacKenzie Entwistle to Charlotte (AHL) on Wednesday.

Entwistle was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for the first four seasons of his NHL career and will likely begin his 2024-25 campaign with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) after being sent down on Wednesday. In 193 career games, all with the Blackhawks, Entwistle has 35 points (15G / 20A).

Source:
David Dwork 2024-10-10T15:33:30.165Z
MacKenzie Entwistle
Chris Driedger(G)|FA
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The Panthers assigned Chris Driedger to Charlotte (AHL) on Wednesday.

Driedger served as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky in the Panther's 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday but will return to the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) with Spencer Knight being recalled to back up Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old Driedger spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, where he posted an excellent 2.26 GAA and .917 SV% in 39 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (24-7-7).

Source:
David Dwork 2024-10-10T15:29:56.744Z
Chris Driedger
Spencer Knight(G)|CHI
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Call Up
The Panthers recalled Spencer Knight from Charlotte (AHL) on Wednesday.

Knight played 53 games for the Panthers between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons (28-17-6), posting a 2.95 GAA and .905 SV% but spent the entirety of last in the AHL. The 23-year-old Knight posted a 2.41 GAA and .905 SV% in 45 games with the Charlotte Checkers (25-14-5). He will likely see a more prominent NHL role this season, serving as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.

Source:
David Dwork 2024-10-10T15:27:06.106Z
Spencer Knight
Mark Friedman(D)|FA
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Send Down
Friedman cleared waivers and has been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL).

Friedman was apart of Vancouver's final roster cuts on Tuesday and has cleared waivers and been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL) on Wednesday. The 28-year-old defenseman joined Vancouver in 2023-24 and had a disappointing first season which saw him collect only one assist, 21 PIMs and 16 SOG in 23 games played.

Source:
Vancouver Canucks 2024-10-09T21:01:17.692Z
Mark Friedman
Matthew Murray(G)|NSH
Call Up
Call Up
Nashville has recalled Matthew Murray from Milwaukee (AHL).

Juuse Saros had a maintenance day, resulting in Murray being recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL). Murray's call-up was most likely precautionary as Saros isn't expected to miss any time. The 26-year-old Murray spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, posting a 3.02 GAA and .896 SV% in 31 games (14-15-2) with the Texas Stars.

Source:
Nashville Predators 2024-10-09T15:45:05.920Z
Matthew Murray
Austin Watson(LW)|DET
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Send Down
Watson cleared waivers and has been reassigned to Grand Rapids (AHL).

Watson signed a two-way, one-year contract with the Red Wings earlier this week but will likely start the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL). Since his first full NHL season in 2015-16 as a member of the Nashville Predators, Watson has established himself as one of the premier enforcers in the league and will add some grit and toughness to an up-and-coming Red Wings squad whenever he is called up. The 6'4 Watson spent last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, tallying four points (2G / 2A), 85 hits, and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games.

Source:
Detroit Red Wings 2024-10-08T18:42:21.721Z
Austin Watson
Easton Cowan(C)|TOR
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Send Down
Cowan has been loaned to the London Knights (OHL) for the 2024-25 season.

Cowan was never really expected to make Toronto out of training camp and has been loaned back to the London Knights (OHL) for the upcoming 2024-25 season. The 19-year-old who was Toronto's 2023 1st-round pick (28th overall) will rejoin an already stacked team in London that currently ranks third in the CHL's top ten rankings after week 1.

Source:
Leafs PR 2024-10-07T19:15:29.601Z
Easton Cowan

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.