Line Change
Lundkvist will draw into the Stars lineup on Friday.
Lundkvist will return to the lineup on Friday as the Stars are opting to dress seven defensemen. Craig Smith will sit in his place.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Smith will be a scratch for Friday's game in Anaheim.
Smith will be the odd-man out on Friday as the Stars are opting to dress seven defensemen. Nils Lundkvist will draw into the lineup in Smith's place.
Line Change
Terry (undisclosed) is on the ice for warmups and is expected to play against the Stars on Friday.
Terry played two games after returning from an injury, tallying one point (0G / 1A), but returned to the sidelines on Wednesday due to an upper-body injury. The Ducks, now without Adam Henrique (trade) will be happy to have Terry back in the lineup.
Line Change
Meyers will make his Ducks debut against the Stars on Friday after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche.
Meyers is an undrafted 25-year-old who has played 53 career NHL games, all with the Colorado Avalanche, including nine this season. Most of his 2023-24 campaign has been spent with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), where he has 25 points (11G / 14A) in 32 games.
Line Change
Kupari will draw into the Jets' lineup on Friday.
Kupari will get the chance to play in Seattle on Friday after being scratched in each of Winnipeg's last two games. David Gustafsson will sit in his place.
Line Change
Gustafsson is listed as a scratch for Friday's game in Seattle.
Gustafsson will be the odd-man out on Friday as Rasmus Kupari draw back into the lineup. Gustafsson has two goals and two assists in 30 games this season.
Line Change
Soderstrom will draw into the Coyotes' lineup on Friday.
Soderstrom will draw right into the Coyotes lineup after being recalled from Tucson (AHL) earlier in the day. He'll replace Travis Dermott (illness).
Line Change
Bjugstad (personal) will draw back into the Coyotes' lineup on Friday.
Bjugstad will play on Friday after missing Thursday's game due to the impending birth of his child. He will center Matias Maccelli and Alex Kerfoot on the team's second line.
Line Change
Wagner will be a healthy scratch for Friday's game against the Wild.
Wagner will be the odd-man out on Friday as Yakov Trenin and Brandon Duhaime will make their Avalanche debut. He has no goals and one assist in nine games this season.
Line Change
Kostin is available to make his Sharks’ debut on Saturday.
Kostin was dealt to San Jose as part of a trade deadline deal on Friday and is expected to make his Sharks' debut on Saturday vs. Ottawa. The 24-year-old had struggled in his first season in Detroit, with only three goals, one assist, 22 SOG, 38 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 33 games before being traded.
Katchouk is expected to make his Senators’ debut on Saturday.
Katchouk was placed on waivers Thursday by Chicago and claimed on Friday by Ottawa and is expected to make his debut on Saturday vs. San Jose. The 25-year-old is in his fourth NHL season and had five goals, nine points, 52 SOG, and 12 PIMs in 38 games played with Chicago before being claimed.
Duclair is expected to make his Tampa debut on Saturday vs. Philadelphia.
Duclair was acquired on Thursday from San Jose and is expected to make his Lightning debut on Saturday vs. Philadelphia. Duclair finds himself on his sixth NHL team but has been enjoying a solid season despite the weak team around him in San Jose, with 16 goals, 27 points, 28 PIMs and a -12 plus/minus in 56 games before the trade.
Line Change
Dumba is expected to make his Lightning debut on Saturday vs. Philadelphia.
Dumba is an impending unrestricted free agent with a $3.9 million AAV but was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the deadline and is expected to make his debut on Saturday. The 29-year-old defenseman has seen his offensive production steadily decline over the years but still provides defensive depth for Tampa Bay. In 58 games this season, Dumba has 10 points (4G / 6A), 148 hits, and 84 blocks.
Line Change
Trenin will make his Avalanche debut on Friday vs. Minnesota.
The Avalanche acquired Trenin and Graham Sward from the Predators for Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 third-round pick on Thursday. In 60 games with the Predators this season, Trenin had 14 points (10G / 4A), 94 shots, and 168 hits.
Line Change
Mittelstadt is expected to make his Colorado debut on Friday vs. Minnesota.
After trading Ryan Johansen to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Avalanche filled their center-ice gap by acquiring Mittelstadt via trade from the Buffalo Sabres. The 25-year-old Mittelstadt was enjoying his best season with the Sabres, with 47 points (14G / 33A) in 62 games.
Line Change
Walker will make his Avalanche debut on Friday vs. Minnesota.
Trade rumours circulating Walker for the last few weeks finally materialized on Wednesday in a trade sending him to Colorado. The 29-year-old Walker, in his first season with the Philadelphia Flyers, tallied 22 points (6G / 16A), 109 shots, 81 hits, and 98 blocks in 68 games.
Nichuskin (personal) will return on Friday vs. Minnesota.
Nichushkin has not played since January 10th before entering the NHL's Player Assistance program. He has missed 20 games and, after returning to practice last week, is ready to rejoin the Avalanche on Friday. Before his absence, Nichushkin scored at a torrid pace with 21 points (19G / 9A) in his last 15 games.
Line Change
Labanc will draw into the Sharks' lineup on Thursday.
Labanc will replace Anthony Duclair in the Sharks' lineup after the latter was traded to the Lightning earlier on Thursday. Labanc will skate alongside Nico Sturm and Justin Bailey on the Sharks' third line.
Line Change
Koch will make his NHL debut on Thursday.
Koch will draw into the Coyotes' lineup for Matt Dumba, who is a scratch for trade-related reasons. Koch has one goal and ten assists in 47 games with Tucson (AHL) this season.
Line Change
Bjugstad (personal) will not play against the Wild on Thursday.
Bjugstad has five points in his last eight games (4G / 1A) along with 21 shots and 19 hits. Most recently, Bjugstad has played on a line with Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse.
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.