Line Change
Kylington is listed as a scratch for Friday's game against the Ducks.
Kylington will draw out as John Ludvig re-enters the lineup. Kylington is yet to register a point or a shot on goal in two games this season.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Smith will make his season debut on Friday in Winnipeg.
With William Eklund nursing an upper-body injury, Smith will draw into the lawn for his first game of the season. The 26-year-old Smith has 22 points (9G / 13A) in 155 career games and is in his first season with the Sharks organization.
Line Change
Gushchin will draw back into San Jose's lineup in Winnipeg.
Gushchin has not played since the opening night of the season but will re-enter the Sharks lineup on Friday as Will Smith will be a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Gushchin has four points (2G / 2A) in seven career NHL games..
Line Change
Smith will be a healthy scratch on Friday in Winnipeg.
As part of pre-planned play-management for the 19-year-old rookie, Smith will have the night off on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. Smith is averaging 14:01 time-on-ice through his first four NHL games this season, with zero points and a -2 plus/minus rating.
Line Change
Jiricek will make his season debut on Saturday vs. Minnesota.
Jiricek had 10 points (1G / 9A) in 43 games with the Blue Jackets last season. The talented 20-year-old offensive Czech defenseman had an impressive playoff run with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) last season, scoring 11 points (3G / 8A) in 14 games, and is trying to become a full-time NHLer this season.
Line Change
Spence will draw back into the Kings' lineup on Thursday.
Spence will immediately re-enter the lineup after sitting out Wednesday's game in Toronto. Kyle Burroughs will sit in his place.
Burroughs will be a healthy scratch in Montreal on Thursday.
Burroughs will sit for the first time this season as the Kings opt to get some fresh legs into the lineup on the tail-end of their back-to-back. Jordan Spence will draw back into the lineup in his place.
Line Change
Quinn is listed as a scratch for Thursday's game in Columbus.
Quinn played 12:27 time-on-ice in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins, his lowest ice time of the season thus far. Through five games this season, Quinn only has one points (0G / 1A), five shots on goal, four hits, and -4 plus/minus rating.
Line Change
Aman will draw back into Vancouver's lineup on Thursday in Florida.
Desharnais is expected to draw back into the Canucks' lineup on Thursday in Florida.
Line Change
Quinn is likely to be out on Thursday in Columbus.
Quinn played 12:27 time-on-ice in Wednesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Penguins, his lowest ice time of the season thus far. Through five games this season, Quinn only has one points (0G / 1A), five shots on goal, four hits, and -4 plus/minus rating.
Line Change
Allan is expected to draw back into Chicago's lineup on Thursday vs. San Jose.
Veteran defenseman Alec Martinez will not play on Thursday due to a lower-body injury, allowing Allan to enter the Blackhawks' lineup. The 21-year-old Allan was the 32nd overall pick of the Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He played 60 games with the Rockford IceHogs last season, tallying 17 points (5G / 12A).
Line Change
Walker is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday vs. the Islanders.
Kapanen will draw back into St. Louis' lineup on Thursday vs. the Islanders.
Nathan Walker will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Kapanen to re-enter the lineup for the Blues. The 28-year-old Kapanen has zero points in three games this season, recording a -3 plus/minus while averaging 15:14 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Brisson is expected to draw back into Vegas' lineup on Thursday in Tampa Bay.
With Victor Olofsson expected to miss Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to a lower-body injury, Brisson will draw back into the lineup. The 22-year-old Brisson was held off the scoresheet in his only game this season. He had eight points (2G / 6A) in 15 games last season.
Joseph will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Thursday vs. the Islanders.
Nick Leddy is battling a lower-body injury and will not play on Thursday, allowing Joseph to re-enter the lineup. In his only game this season, Joseph recorded a -1 plus/minus in 12:39 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Parssinen is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday vs. Edmonton.
Philip Tomasino will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Tuesday. Parssinen made his season debut on Tuesday and recorded an assist but had an ugly -3 plus/minus in only 5:54 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Tomasino is expected to draw back into Nashville's lineup on Thursday vs. Edmonton.
Juuso Parssinen will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Tomasino to re-enter the Predators' lineup after a one-game absence. The 23-year-old Tomasino has been held of the scoresheet in two games this season, registering five shots on goal and averaging 11:24 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Athanasiou is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday vs. San Jose.
Lukas Reichel will make his season debut on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, sending Athanasiou to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 30-year-old Athanasiou has been held off the scoresheet in three games this season, averaging 9:47 time-on-ice and recording a -1 plus/minus rating.
Reichel is expected to make his season debut on Thursday vs. San Jose.
Andreas Athanasiou will be a heatlhy scratch for the Blackhawks on Thursday, allowing Reichel to make his season debut. The talented 22-year-old Reichel played his first full NHL season in 2023-24, tallying 16 points (5G / 11A) and a -29 plus/minus rating in 65 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.