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NHL Transactions & Roster Moves

Matvei Gridin(RW)|CGY
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Gridin has been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

Gridin has been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) in a move to help accommodate activating Jonathan Huberdeau (undisclosed) off of Injured Reserve. The 19-year-old Gridin made his NHL debut last week and has recorded one goal in four games with the Flames this season.

Source:
Calgary Flames 2025-10-17T20:52:50.043Z
Matvei Gridin
Olle Lycksell(RW)|OTT
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Ottawa has loaned Olle Lycksell to Belleville (AHL).

Lycksell was held off the scoresheet in two games with Ottawa this season but will report to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. The 26-year-old forward has been limited to 11 points (1G / 10A) in 47 career NHL games but has been electric at the AHL level, scoring 128 points (52G / 76A) in 134 games.

Source:
Ottawa Senators 2025-10-17T18:36:05.905Z
Olle Lycksell
Mackenzie Blackwood(G)|COL
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The Avalanche have terminated Blackwood's loan with the Colorado Eagles (AHL).

Scott Wedgewood has started Colorado's first five games of the 2025-26 season, but Blackwood appears to be nearing a return from a lower-body injury after being sent to the Colorado Eagles (AHL) on a conditioning loan at the beginning of the week. Wedgewood has played well to start the season, but the team will be eager to have the services of Blackwood back in their lineup after posting a 22-12-3 record last season, alongside a 2.33 GAA and .913 SV% last season after being acquired from San Jose.

Source:
@Avalanche 2025-10-17T17:07:52.942Z
Mackenzie Blackwood
John Hayden(C)|SEA
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The Kraken have recalled John Hayden from Coachella Valley (AHL).

Hayden has had short stints with the Kraken in each of the previous three seasons and could get another opportunity to draw into the lineup after being recalled from Coachella Valley (AHL). The 30-year-old veteran forward spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, tallying 27 points (11G / 16A) in 44 games with Coachella Valley.

Source:
@SeattleKrakenPR 2025-10-17T16:34:43.389Z
John Hayden
Steven Santini(D)|TBL
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Tampa Bay has recalled Steven Santini from Syracuse (AHL).

Santini has had short stints in the NHL in nine of the last 10 seasons, but he has never been able to establish himself as a permanent fixture, limited to only 124 career games. The 30-year-old defenseman spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, where he scored 17 points (6G / 11A).

Source:
Benjamin Pierce 2025-10-17T15:49:09.028Z
Steven Santini
Connor Mackey(D)|NYR
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The Rangers have assigned Connor Mackey to Hartford (AHL).

With some injury uncertainty on their blueline, the Rangers recalled Mackey from Hartford (AHL) last week, but he did not draw into the lineup and has been reassigned back to the AHL. The 29-year-old defenseman has primarily spent his career in the AHL, but has 11 points (4G / 7A) in 42 career NHL games.

Source:
@NYR_PR 2025-10-17T15:11:59.386Z
Connor Mackey
Ethen Frank(C)|WSH
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The Capitals have recalled forward Ethen Frank from the Hershey (AHL).

With Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body) still banged up, the Capitals have recalled Ethen Frank for the Hershey Bears (AHL) for precautionary reasons. The 27-year-old Frank made his NHL debut in 2024-25, playing 24 games with the Capitals and recording 7 points (4G/3A).

Source:
@Capitals 2025-10-17T14:38:30.961Z
Ethen Frank
David Jiricek(D)|PHI
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Jiricek has been reassigned to Iowa (AHL).

Jiricek was traded from Columbus last season due to growing frustration with a lack of NHL play, a commonality early in his tenure with the Minnesota Wild. The talented 21-year-old defenseman has been limited to only six games with Minnesota since being acquired in January last season, tallying two points (1G / 1A) in the process.

Source:
Minnesota Wild PR 2025-10-16T20:12:51.018Z
David Jiricek
Arthur Kaliyev(RW)|OTT
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Kaliyev has been recalled from Belleville (AHL).

Kaliyev signed with Ottawa in the offseason and started the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL, tallying two points (0G / 2A) in two games with the Belleville Sentors. The 24-year-old is no stranger to the NHL, with 202 games of experience, mostly with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 75 career points (38G / 37A).

Source:
Sens Communications 2025-10-16T14:48:36.752Z
Arthur Kaliyev
Erik Portillo(G)|LAK
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Portillo has been loaned back to Ontario (AHL).

Portillo played one game with the Kings last season, his NHL debut, saving 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) to record a victory. The 25-year-old goalie was the 67th-overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He was recalled by Los Angeles earlier on Wednesday after Darcy Kuemper (undisclosed) was announced day-to-day, but has been reassigned back to the Ontario Reign (AHL) after the Kings acquired goalie Phoenix Copley from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Source:
LA Kings 2025-10-15T20:44:40.264Z
Erik Portillo
Egor Afanasyev(LW)|SJS
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Afanasyev has cleared waivers and been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).

Afanasyev signed a one-year extension worth $800K in the offseason after being acquired in a trade from the Nashville Predators. The 24-year-old Afanasyev spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the KHL, where he scored 21 points (7G / 14A) in 53 games with CSKA Moscow. He will report to the San Jose Barracuda after clearing waivers.

Source:
San Jose Sharks PR 2025-10-15T19:24:25.871Z
Egor Afanasyev
Emil Andrae(D)|PHI
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Andrae has been reassigned to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

Andrae made his season debut in Philadelphia's most recent game, but he has now been reassigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL). The 23-year-old Andrae is in his sophomore season after playing 42 games with the Flyers in 2024-25, scoring seven points (1G / 6A) in the process.

Source:
Jackie Spiegel 2025-10-15T18:12:49.303Z
Emil Andrae
Erik Portillo(G)|LAK
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Portillo has been recalled from Ontario (AHL) on an emergency basis.

Portillo played one game with the Kings last season, his NHL debut, saving 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) to record a victory. The 25-year-old goalie was the 67th-overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. It's unclear if he was recalled for precautionary reasons or if there is an injury concern with one of Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg.

Source:
LA Kings PR 2025-10-15T17:50:43.534Z
Erik Portillo
Scott Morrow(D)|NYR
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Morrow has been recalled from Hartford (AHL).

With Will Borgen battling a lower-body injury, the Rangers recalled Morrow from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). The 22-year-old Morrow has six points (1G / 5A) in 16 games of NHL experience over the previous two seasons, all with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Source:
NYR PR 2025-10-15T16:04:26.716Z
Scott Morrow
Nico Daws(G)|NJD
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Daws has been recalled from Utica (AHL).

Jake Allen (cramping) could not finish Monday's game and was replaced by Jacob Markstrom (undisclosed), who appeared to be in discomfort at the end of the contest. It has since been revealed that Markstrom will be out of the lineup for a few weeks, leaving the Devils' crease to Allen and Daws. The 24-year-old Daws was excellent in a limited stint with the Devils last season, posting a 1.60 GAA and .939 SV% in six appearances (3-1-0).

Source:
New Jersey Devils 2025-10-15T17:48:29.951Z
Nico Daws

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.