Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have sent Jerry D'Amigo to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
D'Amigo recorded one goal and one assist in 18 games with the Leafs. He was replaced by Peter Holland.
NHL Hockey Player News
Call up / Send down
The Maple Leafs have recalled Peter Holland from Toronto (AHL).
When playing in the Maple Leafs top-6, Holland was producing at a pretty consistent clip, however he has been skating on the fourth line for his last four games with Toronto which handicaps his value and production. That is likely where Holland will find himself on Tuesday vs. Boston, because he isn't about to overtake Tyler Bozak or Nazem Kadri on the top two lines.
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have sent Tye McGinn back to Adirondack (AHL).
McGinn played in two games in his most recent call-up, he averaged 12:46 TOI and did not record a point in either contest.
Call up / Send down
The Red Wings have sent Alexey Marchenko back to Grand Rapids.
Marchenko did not record a point in his only game with the Red Wings, he heads back to the AHL where he has 16 points (2G / 14A) in 33 games.
Call up / Send down
The Canucks have reassigned Frank Corrado to Utica (AHL).
Corrado, 20, has appeared in six games with the Canucks this season, registering a plus-1 rating. He also recorded five points (2G / 3A) and 20 penalty minutes in 29 games with the Comets this season. He return to the AHL means that Alexander Edler is ready to return to the Canucks lineup tonight.
Call up / Send down
The Coyotes recalled Jordan Szwarz from Portland (AHL) on Monday.
Szwarz has recorded two goals in 20 games with the Coyotes this season. While in the AHL, the 22-year-old has seven points (4G / 3A) in 12 games. He has been recalled to provide depth at forward fro the Coyotes, no word on if he will be in the lineup tonight.
Call up / Send down
The Coyotes reassigned Connor Murphy to Portland (AHL) on Sunday.
Murphy skated in 21 games, recording eight points (1G / 7A), pretty good numbers for a 20-year-old rookie defenseman. The Coyotes recalled Jordan Szwarz to provide some depth at forward, David Schlemko is expected to replace Murphy in the lineup.
Call up / Send down
The Flames recalled Ben Street from the Abbotsford Heat (AHL) on Sunday.
Street leads the Abbotsford Heat in scoring with 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 31 games including the overtime game winning goal tonight in a 3-2 win over San Antonio. He was recently named to the 2014 AHL All-Star Team. Street played eight games with the Flames earlier this season picking up one assist.
Call up / Send down
Grigorenko will not report to the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL).
Grigorenko’s agent, Jay Grossman, confirmed to the Times Herald that Grigorenko won’t be reporting to the Remparts. Grossman declined further comment until he and Grigorenko speak to the team. The Sabres obviously believe going back to juniors is best for Grigorenko's future, but the 19-year-old wants to play in the NHL. Monitor this situation going forward.
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have reassigned Johan Larsson to Rochester (AHL).
Larsson has just one assist in 20 games with the Sabres this season, so he heads to the AHL where he has tallied nine points (2G / 7A) in 13 games for Rochester.
Call up / Send down
The Sabres have sent Mikhail Grigorenko back to the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL).
"We're not looking at what he can do now," said Sabres head coach Ted Nolan. "We're looking at what he can do down the road."The Sabres are not going anywhere this season, so going back to juniors is likely best for Grigorenko's development. He will likely shred the QMJHL when he returns, he posted 70 goals and 69 assists (139 points) in 92 career games during his first two seasons with Quebec.
Call up / Send down
The Capitals have reassigned Michael Latta to Hershey (AHL).
Latta (lower-body) is currently on long-term injured reserve, so he will wait to return with Hershey. He has been out since December 15 with a lower-body injury.
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have reassigned Zach Boychuk to Charlotte (AHL).
Boychuk suited up for eight games during his call-up, he registered one goal and two assists in that span, including a two-point (1G /1A) game on Thursday vs. the Maple Leafs.
Call up / Send down
The Hurricanes have reassigned Brett Sutter to Charlotte (AHL).
Sutter dressed in five of the Hurricanes last six games, he recorded one goal and one assist. he returns to Charlotte where he has tallied up 14 points (2G / 12A) in 22 games this season.
Call up / Send down
The Jets have recalled Zach Redmond from St. John's (AHL).
Redmond has appeared in three games with the Jets this season, he has been held off of the score sheet in all three contests. He has recorded 13 points (5G / 8A) in 17 games with the St. John's IceCaps. There is no word on whether or not he will draw in on the blueline on Saturday.
Call up / Send down
The Red Wings have recalled Riley Sheahan from Grand Rapids (AHL).
With the Red Wings missing Pavel Datsyuk, Darren Helm and Johan Franzen, they are in need of another centre, hence the recall of Sheahan. Sheahan recorded two assists in four games with the Red Wings, both came in a game vs. the Maple Leafs on December 21. He could find himself in the lineup in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Call up / Send down
The Ducks have reassigned Frederik Andersen to Norfolk (AHL).
Andersen allowed three goals on 26 shots in a win over the Predators last night, but as been sent down so he can get more playing time, something he his not getting behind a red-hot Jonas Hiller right now. He is expected to start tonight with Norfolk. Andersen has a bright future ahead of him, but he is only a spot-start option when with the Ducks at this point in his career.
Call up / Send down
The Ducks have recalled John Gibson from Norfolk (AHL).
Gibson, 20, is in his first full season in the AHL and is having a strong campaign to this point. He is 11-9-3 with a 2.61 GAA and .915 SV%. He has been recalled because the Ducks want Frederik Andersen to get more starts. Gibson will serve as the Ducks' number-2 behind the scorching Jonas Hiller. Anaheim has a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, there is a chance that Gibson could make his NHL debut this weekend.
Call up / Send down
The Predators have reassigned Filip Forsberg to Milwaukee (AHL).
Forsberg was named MVP, Best Forward and a media all-star at the 2014 World Junior Championships, helping the host nation to a silver medal, his third time placing at the tournament. He has posted five points (1G / 4A) in 12 games with Nashville, and eight points (3G / 5A) in seven games with Milwaukee (AHL).
Call up / Send down
The Flyers have recalled Tye McGinn from Adirondack (AHL).
In six games with the Flyers this season, McGinn has averaged 12:40 TOI and netted three goals. With Adirondack, the 23-year-old has 12 points (6G / 6A) in 28 games. He is eligible to play Saturday, but it remains to be seen if he will crack the lineup.
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.