The Senators have recalled Mads Sogaard from Belleville (AHL).
NHL Hockey Player News
The Stars have recalled Logan Stankoven from Texas (AHL).
As expected, Stankoven's "move" was purely financial, and he never actually left the team. The rookie has been excellent in his first four games with the Stars, scoring goals in three straight games, to give him four points (3G/ 1A) to begin his NHL career.
Bains has been reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL).
Bains first taste of NHL action is over after a decent five-game showing as he was reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL) on Friday. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie is one of the NHL's most interesting and impressive stories this season but unfortunately, he failed to produce in his short showing with zero points, three SOG, six PIMs and a -3 plus/minus while averaging a decent 12:57 TOI per game.
Zellweger has been recalled from San Deigo (AHL) on Friday.
Zellweger is the likely replacement on the Ducks' blueline for Cam Fowler, who left Thursday's contest in the first period after taking a puck to the face. The 20-year-old Zellweger has 37 points (12G / 25A) in 44 games with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Gruden has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL).
Gruden was recalled earlier in the week but did not crack Pittsburgh's lineup. Gruden played five games with Pittsburgh earlier this season but has spent the majority of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring 23 points (13G / 10A) in 41 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Demek has been reassigned to Henderon (AHL) on Friday.
Demek was the 128th overall pick of the Golden Knights in the 2021 NHL Entry Entry Draft. He was recalled by the Golden Knights last week but was unable to crack the lineup. The 20-year-old Slovak-born forward is playing his first professional season and has 13 points (5G / 8A) in 44 games with the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL.
Denisenko has been recalled from Henderson (AHL) on Friday.
Denisenko has been held without a point in four games with the Golden Knights this season but his strong play in the AHL has earned him another call-up. In 47 games with the Silver Knights (AHL), Denisenko has 40 points (14G / 26A).
McLaughlin has been recalled on an Emergency Basis from Providence (AHL).
McLaughlin is an undrafted 24-year-old out of Boston College with 13 NHL games under his belt. He has 11 points (6G / 5A) in 53 games with the Providence Bruins this season.
Stankoven has been reassigned to Texas (AHL).
In presumably a paper transaction, Stankoven was reassigned to the Texas Stars (AHL). The 21-year-old has transitioned seamlessly to the NHL, scoring four points (3G / 1A) in four games while playing on a line with Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn.
Tokarski has been reassigned to Rochester (AHL).
Tokarski has been recalled several times this season but has not played a game with the Sabres yet. The 34-year-old has struggled in the AHL this season, with his 7-7-2 record, 3.47 GAA and .888 SV%. He last appeared in the NHL with Pittsburgh in 2022-23 and had a 1-2-0 record with a .897 SV%.
Jost has been reassigned to Rochester (AHL) on Friday.
Jost began the season with the Sabres, scoring four points (2G / 2A) in 29 games, but was placed on waivers in December and has been with the Rochester Americans (AHL) since. In 23 games with Rochester, the 25-year-old Jost has 13 points (3G / 10A).
MacEwen has been recalled from Belleville (AHL).
MacEwen spent an early portion of the season with Ottawa, registering three points (2G / 1A) and 46 penalty minutes in 22 games, but has exclusively played in Belleville (AHL) over the last month. MacEwen will likely serve as a roster replacement for Josh Norris, who will be out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
The Penguins re-assigned Gruden to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) on Thursday.
Gruden returns to the AHL after just being recalled earlier today. Gruden played five games with Pittsburgh earlier this season but has spent the majority of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring 23 points (13G / 10A) in 41 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Lajoie has been reassigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
With Joseph Woll (ankle) being activated from Injured Reserve on Thursday, Maxime Lajoie was the odd man out on Toronto's roster and has been reassigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). The 26-year-old has played scarcely for the Maple Leafs this season, appearing in seven games and picking up one assist, with one SOG and a +1 plus/minus before his demotion.
Grushnikov has been reassigned to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).
Grushnikov was a second-round pick (No.48 overall) of the Stars in 2021. The 20-year-old Russian defenseman turned pro at the end of his 2023 season with the Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) and has five points (1G / 4A) in 45 AHL games since. He was acquired via trade on Wednesday in a move that saw Chris Tanev dealt to the Dallas Stars.
Richard has been reassigned to the Providence Bruins (AHL).
Jakub Lauko will draw back into the Bruins lineup on Thursday, resulting in Richard being scratched and ultimately sent down to the Providence Bruins (AHL). Richard scored three points (1G / 2A) while playing the last nine games for the Bruins.
Halonen has been reassigned to Utica (AHL).
Halonen made his NHL debut over the weekend, playing 9:47 time-on-ice and registering one shot on goal in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 25-year-old left-winger has enjoyed a solid season in Utica, with 13 goals, 17 points, 10 PIMs and a +7 plus/minus in 21 games played before his call-up.
Gruden has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) on Thursday.
Bryan Rust was placed on Injured Reserve on Thursday, allowing the Penguins to recall Gruden. Gruden played five games with Pittsburgh earlier this season but has spent the majority of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, scoring 23 points (13G / 10A) in 41 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Tokarski has been recalled from Rochester (AHL) on Thursday.
Tokarski has been recalled several times this season but has not played a game with the Sabres yet. The 34-year-old has struggled in the AHL this season, with his 7-7-2 record, 3.47 GAA and .888 SV%. He last appeared in the NHL with Pittsburgh in 2022-23 and had a 1-2-0 record with a .897 SV%.
Sandstrom has been recalled from Lehigh-Valley (AHL) on Thursday.
Cal Petersen was placed on waivers by the Flyers earlier on Wednesday, prompting the team to recall Sandstrom from the Lehigh-Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 27-year-old Sandstrom had a 20-game stint with the Flyers last season but has played exclusively in the AHL this season, posting a 3.23 GAA and .882 SV% in 20 games (11-6-2).
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.