Line Change
Jones will be a healthy scratch for Friday's game on Long Island.
Jones will take a seat on Friday as the Wild opt to get some fresh legs into their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Danila Yurov will dress in his place.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Yurov will draw into the Wild lineup on Friday.
Yurov will slot back into the Wild lineup as they opt to get some fresh legs into their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Ben Jones will sit in his place.
Line Change
Miller is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. San Jose on Friday.
Luke Schenn will draw back into Winnipeg's lineup on Friday against the San Jose Sharks, sending Miller to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Miller has been used sparsely this season, averaging only 11:32 time-on-ice through four games this season.
Line Change
Schenn is expected to draw back into Winnipeg's lineup in San Jose.
Colin Miller will be a healthy scratch on Friday against the San Jose Sharks, allowing Schenn to re-enter the lineup. The 36-year-old Schenn is averaging 13:10 time-on-ice, recording 12 blocks, and 24 hits in 10 games this season.
Line Change
Lambert will be a healthy scratch in San Jose on Friday.
Lambert, the 30th-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, has yet to make his mark at the NHL level, scoring three points (1G / 2A) in 10 games combined over the last three seasons. Nikita Chibrikov will draw into the lineup as Lamert's replacement.
Line Change
Chibrikov will draw back into Winnipeg's lineup in San Jose on Friday.
Chibrikov has only played five games this season, scoring zero points, and has been sidelined since October 26th. The 22-year-old Chibrikov was drafted 50th overall by the Jets in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Line Change
Dickinson is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Winnipeg on Friday.
Sam Dickinson has been used sparingly in his first NHL season, and will be a healthy scratch on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 19-year-old Dickinson is averaging 14:30 time-on-ice and has one point (1G / 0A) in 11 games this season.
Line Change
Parekh is expected to draw back into Calgary's lineup vs. Chicago on Friday.
Parekh has played 10 games this season for the Flames, burning the first year of his entry-level contract, ensuring he will spend the season in the NHL, but remains in a position where he is being used sparingly. The 19-year-old Parekh has not had the opportunity to fully showcase his talents in his first NHL season, scoring only one point (0G / 1A) through 10 games in a sheltered role.
Line Change
Edstrom will be a healthy scratch vs. Detroit on Friday.
Jaroslav Chmelar will make his NHL debut on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings, sending Edstrom to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Edstrom had played all 14 games for the Rangers this season, scoring two points (0G / 2A) while averaging 9:59 time-on-ice in a bottom-six role.
Chmelar will make his NHL debut in Detroit on Friday.
Chmelar was a fifth-round pick of the Rangers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and will make his NHL debut on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. The towering 6'5 Czech forward scored 29 points (12G / 17A) in 71 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) last season. Adam Edstrom will exit the lineup to accommodate Chmelar's debut.
Crozier is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game in Vegas.
Crozier will slot out of the Lightning lineup on Thursday in favour of Darren Raddysh. Crozier has appeared in five games this season, registering zero goals and three assists.
Raddysh will draw back into the Lightning lineup on Thursday.
Raddysh has appeared in seven games so far this season, logging one goal and two assists. Maxwell Crozier will sit in his place.
Line Change
Abols will draw into the Flyers lineup on Thursday.
Abols will take the place of Jacob Gaucher, who was reassigned to Lehigh Valley (AHL) on Thursday. Abols is yet to register a point through eight games this season.
Line Change
Capobianco is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game against the Ducks.
Capobianco will take a seat on Thursday as the Stars return to dressing just six defencemen. Roope Hintz (upper-body) will return to the lineup in his place.
Line Change
Kessel will draw into the Blues lineup on Thursday.
Kessel will play in place of Logan Mailloux, who is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game in Buffalo. Kessel is yet to register a point through five games this season.
Line Change
Mailloux is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game in Buffalo.
Mailloux will take a seat on Thursday in favour of Matthew Kessel, who draws back into the Blues lineup. Mailloux is yet to register a point through nine games this season.
Legault is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Minnesota on Thursday.
With K'Andre Miller returning from an injury on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild, Legault will likely be the odd man out as a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old, in his first NHL season, is averaging 13:26 time-on-ice and has zero points through six games.
Line Change
Kessel is expected to draw back into St. Louis' lineup in Buffalo on Thursday.
Logan Mailloux will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, allowing Kessel to re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old Kessel has appeared in five games this season, averaging 10:30 time-on-ice and scoring zero points.
Line Change
Mailloux will be a healthy scratch vs. Buffalo on Thursday.
The Blues have had a terrible start to the season, and Logan Mailloux has been a byproduct of their poor team defense. The 22-year-old Mailloux has played sheltered minutes, averaging only 12:33 time-on-ice, but has still managed a woeful -12 plus/minus and zero point through nine games this season. Matthew Kessel will draw into the lineup as Mailloux's replacement.
Line Change
Texier is expected to draw back into St. Louis' lineup on Thursday in Buffalo.
Jordan Kyrou is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, allowing Texier to enter the lineup for the first time since October 28th. The 26-year-old Texier is averaging 9:57 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in seven games this season.
NHL Line Changes
NHL line changes are essential in keeping a team’s players fresh on the ice over the course of a hard-fought 60-minute matchup. With shift changes occurring rapidly throughout any given game, we are here to provide you with everything you need to know regarding line changes.
Making sure a team is efficiently making line changes can be essential to their success within a matchup, as it ensures that the players needed on the ice to gain the upper hand are ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. For NHL daily fantasy hockey players, knowing how to track line changes can be important as you look to keep tabs on the players you’ve drafted to your lineup and their production.
On The Fly
Unlike other sports where play must come to a stop in order to make a player substitution, in hockey, players can switch in-and-out of play on the fly. This helps in keeping the breakneck pace of the contest going, increasing the amount of action from whistle-to-whistle and avoiding any unnecessary stoppages.
On the fly changes are generally done when a team is in possession of the puck and are looking to make a transition play from their own end to their opponent’s side of the rink. Players must be aware of the action around them when making an on the fly substitution as a poorly timed switch could leave themselves vulnerable to an odd-man rush on the other end.
In order to make successful line changes on the fly it is up to the team coaching staff to keep players informed on when their line matchups are due to hit the ice. Generally, with both forwards and defensive pairings, line changes go from the first line trickling its way down to the fourth. Depending on the situation of the game, coaches may opt to give a particular line more playing time, increasing the amount of shifts they receive.
Play Stoppages
NHL line changes can also be made during stoppage of play, with both sides being given the chance to put fresh bodies on the ice ahead of the upcoming faceoff. Examples of a play stoppage that would allow teams to make line changes are after minor or major penalties, offsides, icing, and puck out of play calls. These line changes are often much more calculated as each coach has time to survey the other team and decide what would be the most advantageous line combination that will provide them with a competitive advantage.
Bench Configuration
It may seem like a confusing and unorganized area of the game, but in hockey there is a fair amount of strategy put into the bench configuration within a matchup. With both benches positioned in the neutral zone, making sure that players can quickly hop the boards and get into the game is key to making successful line changes. Benches are generally set so that players entering into the game on the fly are in the best possible position on the ice to fulfill their role.
Generally, a bench in hockey will have the forwards positioned closest to the attacking zone, whereas the defenceman will be situated closest to their defensive zone. This separates the forward lines and defence pairings from on another on each end of the bench so that groups can easily stay together. From here the rested forwards ready to enter into the game will be placed in the centre of the bench, positioned near the coaches so they can easily receive instruction before hitting the ice. This is also advantageous as players coming off the ice for a line change will often enter from the opposite side they came onto the ice from, preventing any unnecessary traffic or confusion when making a change. While each team may have their own preferences on how to configure their bench, these are the most common ways they are run.
Line Change Rules
Understanding the rules of NHL line changes in hockey is an understated part of the game and when used correctly can swing the tide of a matchup in your favour. Without in-depth understanding of line changes in hockey, this can cause costly mistakes that can result in minor penalties, lengthy shifts, or mismatches off a faceoff.
Last Line Change
The last line change rule exists so that the home team is able to make an adjustment to whatever lineup the visiting team decides to roll out after a stoppage in play. This rule was designed to make NHL line changes efficient, as well as provide both sides with the chance to strategically place their players based on the lines sent out by their opponents.
For example, after the whistle, the home team’s coach can elect to make a line change to the personnel on the ice. After that, the visiting coach will send out any new players into the game off of a line change. Thanks to the last line change rule, the home team coach is now granted the opportunity to make one last line change before play resumes to counter whatever line changes were made by the opposing team.
For daily fantasy sports bettors this is where having ample knowledge of each NHL team can come in handy. You can envision how each team may look to gain a competitive advantage over their opponent during a possession, drafting players who are set up for success within a matchup.
Penalties & Infractions
While NHL line changes are meant to be an efficient and simple way to keep the game being played at a fast-pace with minimal interruptions, there is still room for serious error during these substitutions. It’s not uncommon to see teams assessed for a penalty due to a botched line change, resulting in a power play opportunity for the opposing team.
A common penalty called as a result of a poorly executed line change is “too many men on the ice”. This penalty results when the offending team has six or more skaters (including the goaltender) on the ice at any given time and comes in physical contact with the puck. While players entering in the game during a shift change are eligible to hop the boards and get in on the action once their teammate is within five feet of the bench, they must time this correctly or they could be hit with a premature substitution infraction. When a bench minor penalty such as too many men on the ice is assessed, it is up to the team’s head coach to decide who serves the penalty based on the players currently on the ice at the time of the penalty.
Another line change infraction to be aware of is in the case of an icing call. Icing is called when a team plays a puck from their own side of the red centre line across the red goal line in their opponents end. When icing is called, a faceoff will be taken from the end of the team that committed the infraction. During an icing call the team that was called for icing is not able to make any line changes, meaning they are forced to keep all players who were on the ice at the time of the infraction in the contest. Their opponents however are allowed to make any line change they desire, making this an incredibly beneficial call if they can strategize correctly.
How Line Changes Impact Fantasy Hockey
NHL line changes can come fast and suddenly so it can be challenging to keep track of certain players over the course of a matchup. This can make it difficult for avid fantasy hockey managers and sports bettors to know when the players they’ve wagered on are on the ice. Some broadcasts now incorporate various display mechanics that allow for you to see who is on the ice at any given time, making shift change tracking much simpler than ever before. Be sure to stay up-to-date on the jersey numbers of any players on your fantasy roster or that you bet on as a failsafe so that you can find them quickly while watching the action unfold.
Knowing how long a typical shift for a player entering into a matchup is can be an advantageous piece of knowledge for fantasy managers and bettors alike. The longer a player’s shift lasts, the higher their chances of registering a point or other statistical milestone which can help you in winning your fantasy matchups and/or bets placed on a game.