Line Change
Boyd will draw into the Wild lineup on Wednesday.
Boyd will fill in for Jakub Lauko, who is listed as a healthy scratch. Boyd went pointless in less than nine minutes of ice time in his Wild debut on Saturday.
NHL Hockey Player News
Line Change
Merrill will draw into the Wild lineup on Wednesday.
Merrill will fill in for Jonas Brodin, who was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury. Merrill has zero goals and one assist in 14 games this season.
Line Change
McLaughlin will be a healthy scratch for Wednesday's game on Long Island.
McLaughlin will take a seat on Wednesday as the Bruins opt to get some fresh bodies into their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Tyler Johnson will draw into the lineup in McLaughlin's place.
Line Change
Johnson will draw into the Bruins' lineup on Wednesday.
Johnson will slide back into Boston's lineup on Wednesday as they opt to get some fresh bodies in for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Marc McLaughlin will sit in his place.
Line Change
Allan will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday.
Allan will take a seat when Chicago hosts the Stars on Wednesday. Wyatt Kaiser will draw into the lineup in his place.
Line Change
Thomas is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Samuel Helenius will draw back into the Kings lineup on Wednesday, resulting in Thomas being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Thomas has already played a career-high 10 games this season, averaging 11:07 time-on-ice and scoring two points (1G / 1A).
Line Change
Helenius is expected to draw back into the Kings' lineup vs. Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Helenius made his NHL debut earlier this year and has played six games with the Kings, averaging 9:19 time-on-ice and scoring two points (0G / 2A). The 21-year-old Helenius was the second-round pick, 59th overall, of the Kings in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Akil Thomas will serve as a healthy scratch to accommodate Helenius' return to the lineup.
Karlsson (personal) is expected to rejoin Vegas' lineup in Colorado on Wednesday.
Karlsson did not play on Monday, being a late scratch due to personal reasons, but will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche. The 32-year-old Karlsson missed the beginning portion of the season due to an injury but has been productive since joining the club, scoring 10 points (4G / 6A) in 13 games.
Anderson is expected to be a healthy scratch on Wednesday vs. Dallas.
Philipp Kurashev will draw back into the lineup for the Blackhawks on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, resulting in Anderson being a healthy scratch for the first time in eight games. The 26-year-old Anderson is averaging 14:36 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in 12 games this season.
Line Change
Kurashev is expected to draw back into Chicago's lineup vs. Dallas on Wednesday.
Despite placing second on the Blackhawks with 54 points (18G / 36A) last season, Kurashev was a healthy scratch in their most recent game. The 25-year-old Kurashev only has four points (3G / 1A) in 18 games this season. Joey Anderson will exit the lineup on Wednesday to make way for Kurashev.
Crevier will be a healthy scratch vs. Dallas on Wednesday.
Wyatt Kaiser will draw back into the lineup for the Blackhawks on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, sending Crevier to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Crevier made his season debut on Saturday, playing 17:27 time-on-ice, recording two blocks, and three hits.
Kaiser will draw back into Chicago's lineup on Wednesday vs. Dallas.
Louis Crevier will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, allowing Kaiser to re-enter the lineup. The 22-year-old Kaiser is averaging 17:03 time-on-ice, recording one point (0G / 1A), 38 blocks, and 29 hits in 19 games.
Smith is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Ottawa on Wednesday.
Klim Kostin will draw back into the lineup for the Sharks on Wednesday, resulting in Smith being a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Smith has been limited to only six games this season, averaging 6:17 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Kostin is expected to draw back into the Sharks' lineup vs. Ottawa on Wednesday.
Givani Smith will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Kostin to re-enter the lineup after a one-game absence. The 25-year-old Kostin is averaging 8:47 time-on-ice and has zero points in 12 games this season.
Line Change
Kylington is expected to rejoin Colorado's linuep vs. Vegas on Wednesday.
Kylington played three straight games for Colorado before being a healthy scratch on Monday, including scoring his first two points of the season (1G / 1A) in their most recent game, a 7-4 win over the Florida Panthers. He will likely replace Calvin de Haan in the lineup.
Line Change
Blackwell will draw back into Dallas' lineup in Chicago on Wednesday.
Roope Hintz is battling an undisclosed ailment and will not play on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, allowing Blackwell to re-enter the lineup for the first time since November 14th. The 31-year-old Blackwell played the first 15 games of the season, scoring four points (1G / 3A) from the fourth line, but has been a healthy scratch for five games since.
Line Change
Graves will be a healthy scratch vs. Vancouver on Wednesday.
Ryan Shea and Jack St. Ivany will draw back into the Penguins lineup on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks, sending Matt Grzelcyk and Ryan Graves to the press box as healthy scratches. The 29-year-old Graves, his second second with the Penguins, is averaging 15:19 time-on-ice, down over three minutes from last season, and has zero points, 28 blocks, and 27 hits in 20 games.
Grzelcyk will be a healthy scratch vs. Vancouver on Wednesday.
Ryan Shea and Jack St. Ivany will draw back into the Penguins lineup on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks, sending Matt Grzelcyk and Ryan Graves to the press box as healthy scratches. The 30-year-old Grzelcyk has played all 23 games for the Penguins this season, averaging a career-high 19:58 time-on-ice, recording eight points (0G / 8A), 36 blocks, and 16 hits.
St. Ivany will draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup vs. Vancouver on Wednesday.
Matt Grzelcyk and Ryan Graves will be healthy scratches on the Penguins blueline on Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks, allowing Ryan Shea and Jack St. Ivany to re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old St. Ivany has already played a career-high 17 games this season, averaging 16:35 time-on-ice, recording one point (0G / 1A), 24 blocks, and 34 hits.
Line Change
Shea will draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup vs. Vancouver on Wednesday.
Matt Grzelcyk and Ryan Graves will be healthy scratches on the Penguins blueline on Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks, allowing Ryan Shea and Jack St. Ivany to re-enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Shea is averaging 15:59 time-on-ice, recording zero points, nine blocks, and three hits through eight games.
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.