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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Yan Kuznetsov(D)|CGY
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Line Change
Kuznetsov will make his season debut on Wednesday vs. Columbus.

Zayne Parekh and Jake Bean will be healthy scratches on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Brayden Pachal and Yan Kuznetsov to draw into Calgary's lineup. Kuznetsov was drafted 50th-overall by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut in 2023-24, playing one game with the Flames, but has otherwise exclusively been in the AHL for the previous four seasons.

Source:
Eric Francis 2025-11-05T18:27:31.153Z
Yan Kuznetsov
Zayne Parekh(D)|CGY
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Parekh is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Columbus on Wednesday.

Parekh just played his 10th game of the season for the Flames, burning the first year of his entry-level contract, and ensuring he will spend the season in the NHL. That said, he returns to a familiar spot on Wednesday as a healthy scratch, joining Jake Bean on the sidelines, as Brayden Pachal and Yan Kutznetsov will draw into the Flames' lineup. 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.

Source:
Eric Francis 2025-11-05T18:31:24.867Z
Zayne Parekh
Jake Bean(D)|FA
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Bean will be a healthy scratch vs. Columbus on Wednesday.

Jake Bean joins Zayne Parekh as healthy scratches from Calgary's blueline for Wednesday's contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Brayden Pachal and Yan Kuznetsov to enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Bean has played 10 games this season, recording 18 blocks and on assist.

Source:
Eric Francis 2025-11-05T18:28:50.931Z
Jake Bean
Brayden Pachal(D)|CGY
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Pachal is expected to draw back into Calgary's lineup vs. Columbus on Wednesday.

Zayne Parekh and Jake Bean will be healthy scratches on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Brayden Pachal and Yan Kuznetsov to draw into Calgary's lineup. The 26-year-old Pachal is averaging 12:40 time-on-ice, recording 14 hits and one assist in seven games this season.

Source:
Eric Francis 2025-11-05T18:26:56.102Z
Brayden Pachal
Nathan Walker(LW)|STL
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Line Change
Walker will draw back into St. Louis' lineup in Washington on Wednesday.

Mathieu Joseph will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, allowing Walker to re-enter the Blues' lineup. The 31-year-old Walker has been effective in a bottom-six role for the Blues this season, scoring four points (1G / 3A) and recording a monstrous 42 hits.

Source:
Chris Pinkert 2025-11-05T17:42:10.324Z
Nathan Walker
Logan Mailloux(D)|STL
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Line Change
Mailloux will draw back into St. Louis' lineup on Wednesday in Washington.

Matthew Kessel will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, allowing Mailloux to re-enter the Blues' lineup. The 22-year-old Mailloux has struggled this season, recording zero points and a -9 plus/minus in eight games.

Source:
Chris Pinkert 2025-11-05T18:21:35.484Z
Logan Mailloux
Matthew Kessel(D)|STL
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Kessel will be a healthy scratch in Washington on Wednesday.

Logan Mailloux will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, sending Kessel to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Kessel has appeared in five games this season, averaging 10:30 time-on-ice and scoring zero points.

Source:
Chris Pinkert 2025-11-05T18:20:30.573Z
Matthew Kessel
Mathieu Joseph(RW)|LAK
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Line Change
Joseph is expected to be a healthy scratch in Washington on Wednesday.

Nathan Walker will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Wedensday against the Washington Capitals, sending Joseph to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old Joseph is averaging 12:39 time-on-ice, recording 26 hits and three points (1G / 2A) in 13 games this season.

Source:
St. Louis Blues 2025-11-05T17:41:03.024Z
Mathieu Joseph
Scott Laughton(C)|LAK
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Laughton will make his season debut vs. Utah on Wednesday.

Laughton suffered a lower-body injury towards the end of training camp and has been sidelined since. The 31-year-old Laughton was limited to only four points (2G / 2A) in 20 games with the Maple Leafs after being acquired before last season's trade deadline. The Maple Leafs will hope that an offseason helps the 31-year-old acclimate to the team's style, allowing him to return to the production he had in his previous two full seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, when he scored 82 points (31G / 51A) in 160 games. He is expected to play on a line with Steven Lorentz and Max Domi.

Source:
Luke Fox 2025-11-05T17:31:26.514Z
Scott Laughton
Haydn Fleury(D)|WPG
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Line Change
Fleury is expected to be a healthy scratch in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Luke Schenn will draw back into Winnipeg's lineup on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings, sending Fleury to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 29-year-old Fleury is averaging 15:42 time-on-ice, recording 17 blocks, 18 hits, and zero points in 11 games this season.

Source:
Ken Wiebe 2025-11-04T19:15:08.615Z
Haydn Fleury
Luke Schenn(D)|FA
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Line Change
Schenn will draw back into Winnipeg's lineup in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Haydn Fleury will exit Winnipeg's lineup as a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings, allowing Schenn to re-enter. The 36-year-old Schenn is averaging 13:10 time-on-ice, recording 12 blocks, and 24 hits in 10 games this season.

Source:
Ken Wiebe 2025-11-04T19:14:15.452Z
Luke Schenn
Tristen Nielsen(C)|COL
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Line Change
Nielsen will make his NHL debut on Tuesday vs. Tampa Bay.

Nielsen is an undrafted forward that has exclusively spent the last five seasons in the AHL. The 25-year-old will suit up for his first NHL game on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has nine points (5G / 4A) in 11 games with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) this season.

Source:
Conor McGahey 2025-11-04T18:42:31.321Z
Tristen Nielsen

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.