Line Change
Fleury will draw into Seattle's lineup on Tuesday.
Fleury will make just his second appearance of the season when the Kraken travel to Denver on Tuesday. Josh Mahura will sit in his place.
NHL Hockey Player News
Line Change
Kartye will be a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game in Colorado.
Kartye will take a seat for the first time this season when the Kraken travel to Denver on Tuesday. He has just one goal and no assists in 13 games this season.
Line Change
Lee will draw into the Kings' lineup on Tuesday.
Lee re-enters the lineup in place of Alex Turcotte, who was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury. Lee has zero goals and one assist in ten games this season.
Line Change
Geekie is listed as a scratch for Tuesday's game against the Maple Leafs.
Geekie makes way for the recently signed Tyler Johnson, who is set to make his Bruins debut. Geekie is off to a slow start this season, with zero goals and just two assists to his name through 11 games.
Line Change
Clifton will draw into the Sabres' lineup on Tuesday.
Clifton and Dennis Gilbert were surprise additions to Buffalo's lineup on Tuesday, with their additions not being announced prior to warmups. Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju will both be healthy scratches in their place.
Line Change
Gilbert will draw into the Sabres' lineup on Tuesday.
Gilbert and Connor Clifton were surprise additions to Buffalo's lineup on Tuesday, with their additions not being announced prior to warmups. Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju will both be healthy scratches in their place.
Samuelsson will be a healthy scratch against the Senators on Tuesday.
Samuelsson was a surprise scratch on Tuesday along with Henri Jokiharju, with neither absence being announced prior to warmups. Connor Clifton and Dennis Gilbert will draw into the lineup in their place.
Line Change
Jokiharju will be a healthy scratch against the Senators on Tuesday.
Jokiharju was a surprise scratch on Tuesday along with Mattias Samuelsson, with neither absence being announced prior to warmups. Connor Clifton and Dennis Gilbert will draw into the lineup in their place.
Line Change
Winterton will make his season debut on Tuesday in Colorado.
Winterton was the third-round pick, 67th overall, of the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old had a nine-game stint with Seattle last season, scoring zero points. He has five points (3G / 2A) in seven games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) this season.
Line Change
Hayden will make his season debut on Tuesday in Colorado.
Hayden has 249 games of NHL experience since being drafted in the third round by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft but has been limited to only nine games since the end of the 2021-22 season. The 29-year-old had 26 points (15G / 11A) in 65 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) last season. Hayden will replace Oliver Bjorkstrand in Seattle's lineup on Tuesady.
Bjorkstrand is expected to be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in Colorado.
John Hayden will draw into Seattle's lineup on Tuesday, replacing Bjorkstrand, who will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Bjorkstrand was a Western Conference All-Star last season, scoring 59 points (20G / 39A) in 82 games. This season, Bjorkstrand has only five points (3G / 2A) in 13 games and has been held off the scoresheet in seven of the last eight.
Line Change
Benson (lower-body) is expected to return on Tuesday vs. Ottawa.
Benson has not played the last five games due to a lower-body injury but will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. Benson had played six of seven games to start the season for the Sabres before his injury, scoring zero points and recording a -4 plus/minus. In a corresponding move, the Sabres have reassigned Jiri Kulich to the Rochester Americans (AHL).
Line Change
Rooney is expected to be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in Montreal.
Justin Kirkland will draw back into the lineup on Tuesday after a two-game absence, sending Rooney to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old Rooney is without a point in five games while averaging 8:13 time-on-ice this season.
Line Change
Kirkland is expected to draw back into Calgary's lineup on Tuesday in Montreal.
Kevin Rooney will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Kirkland to return to the Flames' lineup after sitting out for two games. The 28-year-old Kirkland has five points (1G / 4A) in nine games this season while averaging 11:22 time-on-ice.
Aston-Reese will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in San Jose.
James van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch for the first time this season in the Blue Jacket's previous contest but will return to the lineup on Tuesday, swapping places with Aston-Reese. The 30-year-old Aston-Reese has four points (2G / 2A) in 11 games and will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
van Riemsdyk will draw back into the Blue Jackets' lineup on Tuesday in San Jose.
Zach Aston-Reese will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing van Riemsdyk to return to the lineup after being sidelined for one game. The 35-year-old van Riemsdyk has four points (2G / 2A) in 10 games with the Blue Jackets.
Line Change
Walman will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday vs. Columbus.
Walman will be a surprise healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets as per a coaching decision. The 28-year-old Walman has been productive from the blueline in his first season with the Sharks, scoring nine points (1G / 8A) in 13 games, highlighted by seven points (1G / 6A) in his last four contests.
Line Change
Lacombe will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday vs. Winnipeg.
Urho Vaakanainen will draw into the Ducks' lineup for his second game of the season, replacing Lacombe. The 23-year-old Lacombe, Anaheim's 39th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, is averaging 17:01 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) through six games this season.
Vaakanainen will draw back into the Ducks' lineup on Tuesday vs. Vancouver.
Jackson Lacombe will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Vaakanainen to re-enter the lineup for the first time since October 13th. The 25-year-old Vaakanainen played 68 games with the Ducks last season but has been limited to only one through 11 games for the Ducks in 2024-25.
Kolyachonok will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in Winnipeg.
Robert Bortuzzo will draw into Utah's lineup on Tuesday, sending Kolyachonok to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Kolyachonok had played all 12 games for Utah thus far, tallying four points (1G / 3A) and a -7 plus/minus while averaging 13:09 time-on-ice.
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.