Wilson will draw into the Flyers lineup on Thursday.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Juulsen will draw into the Flyers lineup on Thursday.
Line Change
Tanev is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game in Vegas.
Tanev will immediately exit the lineup after drawing in for Monday's game in Dallas. Kevin Stenlund will dress in his place.
Line Change
Nyman will draw into the Kraken lineup on Thursday.
Grzelcyk will draw back into the Blackhawks lineup on Thursday.
Grzelcyk will slot right back into the Hawks lineup after serving as a healthy scrtach for the first time this season on Tuesday. Sam Lafferty will sit in his place.
Line Change
Lafferty is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game in Minnesota.
Lafferty will take a seat on Thursday as the Blackhawks opt to dress an extra defenceman. Matt Grzelcyk will dress in his place.
Line Change
Leonard is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game against the Canadiens.
Leonard will be take a seat on Thursday in order to make way for Andrew Copp's return from a lower-body injury. Leonard has two goals and two assists in 11 games this season.
Sebrango will be a healthy scratch in Edmonton on Thursday.
Niko Mikkola will draw back into Florida's lineup on Thursday, sending Sebrango to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Sebrango is averaging 13:21 time-on-ice and has two assists in 28 games this season.
Line Change
Hinostroza will be a healthy scratch in Edmonton on Thursday.
Hinostroza has played the last several games for the Panthers, but after a disappointing 5-2 loss to the league-worst Vancouver Canucks, they will switch things up on Thursday, sending Hinostroza to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old forward is averaging 10:17 time-on-ice and has 13 points (5G / 8A) in 52 games this season.
Line Change
Mikkola will draw back into Florida's lineup in Edmonton on Thursday.
Mikkola missed his first game of the season in Florida's previous game, a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, but he will re-enter the lineup on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 29-year-old Mikkola is averaging 20:22 time-on-ice and has 11 points (3G / 8A) in 55 games this season.
Line Change
Foote will be a healthy scratch in Edmonton on Thursday.
Foote was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, but he has spent most of is career in the AHL so far. The 25-year-old forward has 32 points (14G / 18A) in 54 games this season with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL). He made his season debut with Florida earlier this week, scoring zero points in 8:23 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Fabbri will be a healthy scratch vs. Chicago on Thursday.
With Bobby Brink (upper body) returning from a multi-game absence, Fabbri will head to the sidelines to accommodate his return. The 30-year-old Fabbri is averaging 9:08 time-on-ice and has zero points through four games with Minnesota.
Line Change
Reichel will make his Bruins' debut vs. Winnipeg on Thursday.
Reichel has had trouble making an impact at the NHL level and has exclusively played in the AHL since being acquired in a trade in early March by Boston, his third team this season. The 23-year-old German forward scored five points (2G / 3A) in 19 NHL games this season split between Chicago and Vancouver.
Grundstrom will draw out of the Flyers lineup on Tuesday.
Grundstrom will take a seat on Tuesday in favour of Garnet Hathaway. Grundstrom has appeared in 37 games for the Flyers this season, logging eight goals and four assists.
Hathaway will draw into the Flyers lineup on Tuesday.
Hathaway will slot in for Tuesday's game in Anaheim, as Carl Grundstrom will draw out of the Flyers lineup. Hathaway has one goal and one assist in 54 games this season.
Robinson will draw back into Carolina's lineup vs. Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Nicolas Deslauriers will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Robinson to re-enter the lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 30-year-old Robinson has 16 points (11G / 5A) in 53 games this season.
Deslauriers will be a healthy scratch vs. Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Eric Robinson will draw back into Carolina's lineup on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, resulting in Deslauriers being a healthy scratch. The 35-year-old Deslauriers made his Hurricanes debut in yesterday's 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had zero points and a fight in 12:31 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Bastian will draw back into Dallas' linuep in Colorado on Wednesday.
Arttu Hyry will head to the press box as a healthy scratch on Wednesday, allowing Bastian to re-enter the lineup against the Colorado Avalanche. The 28-year-old Bastian has been productive lately in a fourth-line role, scoring three goals in his last six games.
Line Change
Hyry will be a healthy scratch vs. Colorado on Wednesday.
Nathan Bastian will re-enter the Stars' lineup on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche, sending Hyry back to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Hyry is averaging 11:33 time-on-ice and has one assist in eight games this season.
Line Change
Sundqvist will be a healthy scratch in Calgary on Wednesday.
Otto Stenberg will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames, sending Sundqvist to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old Sundqvist is averaging 13:03 time-on-ice, recording 15 points (4G / 11A) in 49 games. He has a -17 plus/minus rating, worst amongst all active forwards on the Blues this season.
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.