NHL Hockey Player News

Simon Benoit(D)|TOR
Line Change
Line Change
Benoit will be a healthy scratch in Washington on Wednesday.

Jani Hakanpaa will make his maple Leafs debut on Wednesday, resulting in Benoit being a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Benoit has been a regular on the blueline for the Maple Leafs this season, averaging 15:51 time-on-ice, tallying two points (0G / 2A), 29 blocks, and 31 hits in 17 games.

Source:
David Alter 2024-11-13T22:34:45.512Z
Simon Benoit
Alexander Steeves(C)|TOR
Line Change
Line Change
Steeves will make his season debut in Washington on Wednesday.

Steeves is an undrafted 24-year-old from St. Paul, Minnesota with seven games of NHL experience in his career. He has become an offensive standout at the AHL level, with 12 points (9G / 3A) in 10 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) this season. Nicholas Robertson will serve as a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Steeves to draw into the lineup.

Source:
David Alter 2024-11-13T22:35:24.961Z
Alexander Steeves
Jani Hakanpaa(D)|TOR
Line Change
Line Change
Hakanpaa will make his Maple Leafs debut on Wednesday in Washington.

Hakanpaa has returned from a two-game conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and will make his Maple Leafs debut on Wednesday night. The 32-year-old Hakanpaa, in his first season as a Maple Leaf, missed an extended portion of last season with the Dallas Stars due to injuries that continued into the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign. Simon Benoit will be a healthy scratch, allowing Hakanpaa to draw into the lineup.

Source:
David Alter 2024-11-13T22:33:37.663Z
Jani Hakanpaa
Tyler Motte(C)|DET
Line Change
Line Change
Motte will be a healthy scratch in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Motte made his return from an upper-body injury on Saturday, playing 11:25 time-on-ice, but will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Joe Veleno to draw back into the lineup. The 29-year-old Motte has been limited to only five games this season, averaging 11:18 time-on-ice, tallying six hits and 11 shots.

Source:
Helene St. James 2024-11-13T16:36:14.788Z
Tyler Motte
Ryan Shea(D)|PIT
Line Change
Line Change
Shea is expected to draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup on Wednesday vs. Detroit.

The Penguins will shake up their defense on Wednesday after a debilitating 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in their previous contest, welcoming Shea back into the lineup in favor of Jack St. Ivany. The 27-year-old Shea is averaging 15:06 time-on-ice and has zero points in three games this season.

Source:
Matt Vensel 2024-11-13T16:15:05.866Z
Ryan Shea
Jack St. Ivany(D)|PIT
Line Change
Line Change
St. Ivany is expected to be a healthy scratch on Wednesday vs. Detroit.

Despite recording an assist and an even plus/minus rating in a disastrous 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars in their last outing, the Penguins will scratch St. Ivany on Wednesday in favor on Ryan Shea. The 25-year-old St. Ivany is averaging 16:02 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) through 14 games this season.

Source:
Matt Vensel 2024-11-13T16:13:45.673Z
Jack St. Ivany
Hendrix Lapierre(C)|WAS
Line Change
Line Change
Lapierre is expected to draw into the lineup against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

With Michael Sgarbossa being reassigned to Hershey (AHL) and Lars Eller not expected to be ready to make his debut, Lapierre will likely re-enter the lineup on Wednesday. Lapierre is yet to score a goal but does have two assists in 11 games this season.

Source:
Bailey Johnson 2024-11-13T02:03:08.955Z
Hendrix Lapierre
Lars Eller(C)|WAS
Line Change
Line Change
Eller is not expected to play against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

After being acquired from the Penguins on Tuesday night, Eller is not expected to be ready in time to make his debut on Wednesday. With Michael Sgarbossa being reassigned to Hershey (AHL), Hendrix Lapierre will likely draw back into the lineup.

Source:
Bailey Johnson 2024-11-13T02:01:34.164Z
Lars Eller
Kevin Labanc(RW)|CBJ
Line Change
Line Change
Labanc will draw back into Columbus' lineup on Tuesday in Seattle.

James van Riemsdyk will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Labanc to re-enter the lineup for the Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old has provided some offensive depth this season, scoring six points (1G / 5A) while averaging 11:27 time-on-ice in 10 games. Labanc had only nine points (2G / 7A) in 46 games with the San Jose Sharks last season.

Source:
Jeff Svoboda 2024-11-12T19:55:54.131Z
Kevin Labanc
Dante Fabbro(D)|CBJ
Line Change
Line Change
Fabbro will make his Blue Jackets' debut on Tuesday in Seattle.

Jordan Harris will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Fabbro to make his debut with the Blue Jackets after being claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators earlier this week. Fabbro spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him 17th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Source:
Jeff Svoboda 2024-11-12T19:51:51.248Z
Dante Fabbro
Logan Stanley(D)|WPG
Line Change
Line Change
Stanley is expected to be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in New York.

Stanley will serve as a healthy scratch on Tuesday, ending a streak of 11 straight games. The 26-year-old Stanley is averaging 15:13 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 11 games this season. Haydn Fleury will draw into the lineup as Stanley's replacement.

Source:
Mitchell Clinton 2024-11-12T16:08:12.609Z
Logan Stanley

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.