NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Brad Lambert(C)|WPG
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Lambert has been assigned to Manitoba (AHL) for the start of the 2024-25 season.

Lambert was the 30th overall pick of the Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and was speculated to be an option for the team on their opening-night roster but will begin the season with the Manitoba Moose (AHL). The 20-year-old Lambert scored 55 points (21G / 34A) in 64 games with Manitoba last season.

Source:
Murat Ates 2024-10-07T16:16:41.007Z
Brad Lambert
Ethan Bear(D)|FA
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Bear has cleared waivers and been loaned to the Hershey Bears (AHL).

Bear was placed on waivers Friday but cleared on Saturday and has been loaned to the Hershey Bears (AHL) for the start of the 2024-25 season. The 27-year-old is in the second year of a two-year, $4.13 million contract and had a goal, four points and 10 PIMs in 24 games played in 2023-24.

Source:
Washington Capitals PR 2024-10-05T18:36:27.248Z
Ethan Bear
Yaroslav Askarov(G)|SJS
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Askarov has been assigned to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).

Askarov has missed the majority of San Jose's training camp with a lower-body injury and has unsurprisingly been assigned to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) for the start of the 2024-25 season. The newly acquired goaltender will need to spend some time in the minors getting back to speed before he makes his inevitable Sharks' debut this season.

Source:
San Jose Sharks PR 2024-10-04T17:16:50.818Z
Yaroslav Askarov
Spencer Martin(G)|FA
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Martin cleared waivers on Thursday and has been reassigned to Chicago (AHL).

It was expected by some that Martin might be claimed when originally placed on waivers on Wednesday, but the 29-year-old netminder would not face the same fate that originally brought him to the Hurricanes last season and has been reassigned to Chicago (AHL) after clearing on Thursday. The Oakville native spent 2023-24 split between Columbus and Carolina and produced an ugly 7-9-2 record with a .889 SV% and 3.30 GAA in 19 games last season.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2024-10-03T18:12:59.001Z
Spencer Martin
Fabian Lysell(RW)|BOS
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The Bruins have recalled Fabian Lysell from Providence (AHL).

Lysell was "cut" from training camp on September 29th but GM Don Sweeney made it clear that day that Lysell could be called back up for Thursday or Saturday's preseason game. Lysell was first round pick in 2021 but has yet to appear in an NHL game. The 21-year-old had 50 points (15G / 35A) in 56 AHL games last year and should be in the mix for a middle-6 role in Boston this season.

Source:
Boston Bruins 2024-10-03T15:06:31.547Z
Fabian Lysell
Mavrik Bourque(C)|DAL
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Bourque has been recalled from Texas (AHL) on Wednesday.

With Texas (AHL) officially eliminated from the playoffs, Mavrik Bourque has been recalled as playoff depth for the Stars' as they look to proceed into the third round on Wednesday. The 22-year-old has already appeared in one playoff game in Dallas' opening round series, picking up two SOG across 10:56 TOI/GP.

Source:
Dallas Stars 2024-05-15T18:06:23.123Z
Mavrik Bourque
Mavrik Bourque(C)|DAL
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Bourque has been loaned to the Texas Stars (AHL).

With Texas (AHL) reaching the second round of the AHL playoffs, Mavrik Bourque has been loaned back to the Stars to continue their playoff push. The 22-year-old will make a much welcomed return after he led Texas in scoring during the regular season with 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games played.

Source:
Dallas Stars 2024-05-02T21:02:06.725Z
Mavrik Bourque
Spencer Knight(G)|CHI
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Knight has been recalled from Charlotte (AHL).

With Charlotte being eliminated from the AHL playoffs, Spencer Knight has been recalled as a third goalie for Florida during their postseason run. The 23-year-old did not appear for the Panthers during the regular season but had a solid campaign with Charlotte, posting a .905 SV% and 2.41 GAA.

Source:
Florida Panthers 2024-05-02T22:06:53.241Z
Spencer Knight
Kevin Gravel(D)|NSH
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Gravel has been recalled from Milwaukee (AHL).

With Nashville in need of some reinforcements with Luke Schenn still fighting an illness, Kevin Gravel has been recalled from Milwaukee (AHL) on Thursday. The 32-year-old last appeared in the NHL in 2022-23 and played in 23 games with Nashville, picking up an assist, 20 SOG and a -10 plus/minus.

Source:
Alex Daugherty 2024-05-02T17:03:59.406Z
Kevin Gravel
Vasily Podkolzin(RW)|EDM
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Podkolzin is expected to be sent down to Abbotsford (AHL) to get some game action.

Podkolzin has failed to draw into the lineup for Vancouver's first four playoff games and has been sent down to Abottsford (AHL) to receive some playing time. In 19 games with Vancouver this season, the 22-year-old Podkolzin scored two points (0G / 2A) while averaging 10:49 time-on-ice.

Source:
Jeff Paterson 2024-04-30T18:52:03.335Z
Vasily Podkolzin
Chris Wagner(RW)|FA
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Wagner has been recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

This is Wagner's second call-up since the beginning of the playoffs but he has yet to crack the Avalanche roster this postseason. The 32-year-old appeared in 13 games for the Avalanche this season, scoring a goal, two points, 16 SOG, nine PIMs and a +3 plus/minus.

Source:
Megan Angley 2024-04-29T16:51:27.721Z
Chris Wagner

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.