NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Keegan Kolesar(RW)|VGK
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Line Change
Kolesar is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Wednesday in Dallas.

Kolesar will head to the press box as a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Wednesday as he is replaced by Pavel Dorofeyev. The 27-year-old had failed to pick up a point in his four appearances this post season, with his four SOG, and a -1 plus/minus while averaging just 11:03 TOI/GP.

Source:
Danny Webster 2024-05-01T16:51:56.291Z
Keegan Kolesar
Ben Hutton(D)|VGK
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Line Change
Hutton is expected to draw back into Vegas' lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Hutton will draw into the Golden Knights lineup for the first time in this year's playoffs as he replaces Zach Whitecloud in Vegas' lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday. The 31-year-old appeared in two games during last year's Stanley Cup playoff run. He had two goals, eight assists, 67 SOG, 17 PIMs and a +12 plus/minus through 41 games during the regular season.

Source:
Danny Webster 2024-05-01T16:50:10.135Z
Ben Hutton
Pavel Dorofeyev(LW)|VGK
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Line Change
Dorofeyev is expected to draw back into Vegas' lineup on Wednesday for Game 5.

Dorofeyev has yet to appear in this year's post-season but will make his playoff debut on Wednesday as he draws into the lineup for Game 5. The 23-year-old is expected to draw into Vegas' second line and had 13 goals, 24 points, 97 SOG, 12 PIMs and a +8 plus/minus in 47 games played.

Source:
Danny Webster 2024-05-01T16:40:08.401Z
Pavel Dorofeyev
Tyson Barrie(D)|FA
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Line Change
Barrie will draw into the Predators' lineup for Game 5 on Tuesday.

With Nashville's season on the line, Barrie will make his playoff debut and his first appearance since March 28th. The British Columbia native had one goal and 14 assists in 41 games this season. Luke Schenn will draw out of the lineup in his place.

Source:
Alex Daugherty 2024-05-01T01:52:45.371Z
Tyson Barrie
T.J. Brodie(D)|FA
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Brodie will be a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Tuesday.

After sitting out each of the first three games of the series, Brodie got the chance to play in Game 4 on Saturday as Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe opted to scratch Timothy Liljegren. Brodie played 17:10 in the 3-1 loss, registering two hits, two blocked shots, and a -2 rating.

Source:
Mark Masters 2024-04-30T22:44:02.682Z
T.J. Brodie
Ethan Bear(D)|NYI
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Bear has been released from the NHLPA player assistance program on Tuesday.

Bear was a late-season signing for the Capitals making his debut at the end of December, but did not finish the campaign after entering the NHLPA player assistance program in late March. The 26-year-old defenseman scored four points (1G / 3A) while averaging 14:54 time-on-ice in 24 games this season.

Source:
Bailey Johnson 2024-04-30T18:44:21.963Z
Ethan Bear
Colin Miller(D)|WPG
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Miller is expected to draw back into Winnipeg's lineup for Game 5 on Tuesday vs. Colorado.

Logan Stanley will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche, allowing Miller to draw into the Jets' lineup. Miller had nine points (4G / 5A) in 46 games this season and will make his series debut in game five.

Source:
John Lu 2024-04-30T16:40:59.743Z
Colin Miller
David Gustafsson(C)|WPG
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Line Change
Gustafsson is expected to draw back into Winnipeg's lineup for Game 5 on Tuesday vs. Colorado.

Gustafsson played the first three games of the playoffs before being a healthy scratch on Sunday. He will draw back into the lineup in a must-win game-five against the Colorado Avalanche, looking to build on his one goal in the postseason thus far.

Source:
John Lu 2024-04-30T16:39:16.868Z
David Gustafsson
Logan Stanley(D)|WPG
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Stanley is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Tuesday vs. Colorado.

Stanley has played three of four games in the playoffs but will draw out of the lineup as a healthy scratch for game five against the Colorado Avalanche. In three games, Stanley has one assist, a -1 plus/minus and six penalty minutes while averaging 9:59 of ice time.

Source:
John Lu 2024-04-30T16:37:30.092Z
Logan Stanley
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby(LW)|FA
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Jonsson-Fjallby is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Tuesday vs. Colorado.

Cole Perfetti will draw into the lineup for game five on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche, making Jonsson-Fjallby a healthy scratch. Jonsson-Fjallby made his series debut in game four, recording a -1 plus/minus in 6:52 of ice time.

Source:
John Lu 2024-04-30T16:35:58.639Z
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
Kevin Shattenkirk(RD)|FA
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Line Change
Shattenkirk is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Matt Grzelcyk will replace Shattenkirk in the lineup in game five on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shattenkirk was semi-regularly a healthy scratch during the regular season but had played all four playoff games to this point, recording a -3 plus/minus while averaging 13:11 time-on-ice.

Source:
Fluto Shinzawa 2024-04-30T16:07:10.206Z
Kevin Shattenkirk
Matt Grzelcyk(D)|FA
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Line Change
Grzelcyk is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Kevin Shattenkirk will be a healthy scratch in game five on Tuesday, allowing Grzelcyk to re-enter the lineup. Grzelcyk has not played the last two games and averaged 17:47 time-on-ice through the first two games of the series, recording two shots and five hits.

Source:
Fluto Shinzawa 2024-04-30T16:05:28.500Z
Matt Grzelcyk

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.