NHL holiday roster freeze 2017: Everything you need to know

The holiday season is upon us, which means the NHL’s annual holiday roster freeze is here. On Dec. 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET, the NHL will officially “freeze” rosters until 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 28, marking an eight-day span.

This week-long roster freeze is a system built into the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement. During this time, no NHL team can trade or move a player in an agreement that requires waivers. Via NHL.com, the roster freeze can be summed up as follows:

Simply stated, it prevents any players on NHL active rosters or injured reserve from being traded, waived or loaned...

The NHL’s roster freeze is put into place so that no player may be moved during the holiday season. It’s a nice gesture that ensures a player’s job security during the holidays, and keeps NHL teams from gaining a competitive edge via trades in the lull of the week surrounding Christmas.

There are exceptions to the rule. Players in a team’s AHL system can be recalled to fill a hole in their team, allowing teams to keep a healthy roster during the freeze. Free agents can be signed during the freeze and any player placed on waivers before the freeze and is claimed after must report to their new team.

NHL teams also must stay cap compliant during this time, so any moves can be made to keep teams within the boundaries of the salary cap and the roster limit.

The NHL will take a scheduled Christmas break from Sunday, Dec. 24 to Tuesday, Dec. 26.

With all that out of the way, here’s every roster move completed before the 2017-18 NHL holiday roster freeze.

Tuesday, Dec. 19

• Arizona Coyotes send C Dylan Strome to the AHL.
• Dallas Stars trade D Jamie Oleksiak to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2019 fourth-round pick.
• Pittsburgh Penguins trade RW Josh Archibald, G Sean Maguire, and a 2019 sixth-round pick to the Arizona Coyotes for G Michael Leighton and a 2019 fourth-round pick.
• Columbus Blue Jackets send RW Tyler Motte to the AHL.
• San Jose Sharks send LW Marcus Sorensen to the AHL.
• Edmonton Oilers call up RW Anton Slepyshev from the AHL, place D Oscar Klefbom on IR, and waive LW Nathan Walker.
• Edmonton Oilers trade C Greg Chase to the Florida Panthers for future considerations.

Monday, Dec. 18

• Chicago Blackhawks send D Ville Pokka to the AHL.
• Vegas Golden Knights call up RW Tomas Hyka from the AHL.
• Washington Capitals call up RW Jakub Vrana from the AHL.
• Washington Capitals call up D Madison Bowey from the AHL.
• St. Louis Blues call up RW Tage Thompson from the AHL.
• Vancouver Canucks send D Ashton Sautner to the AHL.
• Vancouver Canucks call up C Reid Boucher from the AHL.
• Buffalo Sabres send RW Hudson Fasching to the AHL.
• Ottawa Senators call up D Ben Harpur from the AHL.

Sunday, Dec. 17

• Washington Capitals send RW Jakub Vrana to the AHL.
• Washington Capitals send D Madison Bowey to the AHL.
• Toronto Maple Leafs put D Nikita Zaitsev on Injured Reserve.
• Toronto Maple Leafs call up D Martin Marincin from the AHL.
• Florida Panthers send LW Dryden Hunt to the AHL.
• Columbus Blue Jackets send D Gabriel Carlsson to the AHL.
• Columbus Blue Jackets send C Jordan Schroeder to the AHL.
• Columbus Blue Jackets call up D Cameron Gaunce from the AHL.
• Columbus Blue Jackets call up LW Sonny Milano from the AHL.