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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Shakir Mukhamadullin(D)|SJS
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Line Change
Mukhamadullin will draw back into San Jose's lineup vs. Vegas on Tuesday.

Mukhamadullin will replace Marc-Edouard Vlasic on San Jose's third defensive pair on Tuesday in Vegas. Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky admitted on Tuesday he wanted to keep Mukhamadullin in the lineup every few games to keep him fresh. The 22-year-old has a goal and nine SOG in eight games played so far this season.

Source:
Curtis Pashelka 2025-01-07T19:41:32.681Z
Shakir Mukhamadullin
Marc-Edouard Vlasic(D)|FA
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Vlasic will be a healthy scratch vs. Vegas on Tuesday.

Vlasic returned for two games after an upper-body injury kept him out for the majority of the early season and will return to the pressbox on Tuesday as he is replaced by Shakir Mukhamadullin. The 37-year-old is only expected to be out of the lineup for a short time after he picked up an assist and a +1 plus/minus in his first two games this season.

Source:
Curtis Pashelka 2025-01-07T19:41:10.667Z
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Pavel Mintyukov(D)|ANA
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Mintyukov will draw back into Anaheim's lineup on Tuesday vs. Calgary.

Olen Zellweger will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, allowing Mintukov to play for the first time sine January 2nd. The 21-year-old Mintyukov is averaging 19:27 time-on-ice, recording eight points (3G / 5A), 47 blocks, and 33 hits in 31 games this season.

Source:
Derek Lee 2025-01-07T19:18:12.526Z
Pavel Mintyukov
Olen Zellweger(D)|ANA
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Zellweger will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday vs. Calgary.

Pavel Mintyukov will draw back into Anaheim's lineup on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, resulting in Zellweger being a healthy scratch. The 21-year-old Zellweger has been impressive on Anaheim's blue line this season, averaging 19:27 time-on-ice and scoring 12 points (4G / 8A) in 34 games.

Source:
Derek Lee 2025-01-07T19:17:12.504Z
Olen Zellweger
Troy Terry(RW)|ANA
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Line Change
Terry (personal) will be a game-time decision vs. Calgary on Tuesday.

Terry has been on fire lately and will be solely missed from an Anaheim team that is 4-1-0 in their last five. The 27-year-old Terry has 33 points (14G / 19A) in 39 games this season, including eight points (5G / 3A) in his last six.

Source:
Alexis Downie 2025-01-07T19:09:45.708Z
Troy Terry
Mathieu Joseph(RW)|LAK
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Joseph will be a healthy scratch in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Zack Bolduc will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, sending Joseph to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old Joseph played the last two games for the Blues and is averaging 12:07 time-on-ice, scoring four points (2G / 2A) through 26 games this season.

Source:
Jeremy Rutherford 2025-01-07T18:25:30.917Z
Mathieu Joseph
Zack Bolduc(RW)|MTL
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Line Change
Bolduc will draw back into St. Louis' lineup in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Mathieu Joseph will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, allowing Bolduc to return to the lineup. The 21-year-old Bolduc did not play the previous game for the Blues. He is averaging 12:14 time-on-ice and has 12 points (5G / 7A) in 34 games this season.

Source:
Jeremy Rutherford 2025-01-07T18:24:25.841Z
Zack Bolduc
Jordan Harris(D)|BOS
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Line Change
Harris will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

The Blue Jackets will return to the traditional 12-forward, six-defenseman formation on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Harris going to the sidelines as a healthy scratch, being replacing by Kevin Labanc. The 24-year-old Harris recorded an assist in his most recent outing despite being limited to a season-low 4:32 time-on-ice. He has three points (1G / 2A) and is averaging 11:39 time-on-ice through 24 games this season.

Source:
Mark Scheig 2025-01-07T17:13:05.698Z
Jordan Harris
Kevin Labanc(RW)|FA
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Line Change
Labanc will draw back into Columbus' lineup in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Blue Jackets will return to the traditional 12-forward, six-defenseman formation on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Labanc subbing in for Jordan Harris. The 29-year-old Labanc has not played since December 17th. He is averaging 10:38 time-on-ice and has 12 points (2G / 10A) in 27 games this season.

Source:
Mark Scheig 2025-01-07T17:11:44.261Z
Kevin Labanc
Matt Dumba(D)|PIT
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Dumba is expected to be a healthy scratch on Tuesday in New York.

Brendan Smith will draw back into the Stars' lineup on Tuesday against the New York Rangers, sending Dumba to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. Dumba is averaging 15:37 time-on-ice, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2014-15, recording one point (0G / 1A), 20 blocks, and 33 hits in 22 games this season.

Source:
Sam Nestler 2025-01-07T17:10:15.183Z
Matt Dumba
Brendan Smith(D)|CBJ
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Line Change
Smith is expected to draw back into Dallas' lineup in New York on Tuesday.

Matt Dumba will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the New York Rangers, allowing Smith to re-enter the lineup for the first time since December 18th. The 35-year-old Smith is averaging 13:21 time-on-ice, recording three points (0G / 3A) and 19 hits in 15 games this season.

Source:
Sam Nestler 2025-01-07T17:08:19.595Z
Brendan Smith
Conor Timmins(D)|BUF
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Timmins is expected to draw back into Toronto's lineup in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

With Jake McCabe (upper body) sidelined, Timmins will re-enter the lineup for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old Timmins has not played since December 31st. He is averaging 16:53 time-on-ice and has seven points (1G / 6A) in 34 games this season.

Source:
David Alter 2025-01-07T16:49:36.561Z
Conor Timmins
Ryan Reaves(RW)|SJS
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Line Change
Reaves is expected to draw back into Toronto's lineup on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Nicholas Robertson will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers, allowing Reaves to re-enter the lineup. The 37-year-old Reaves is averaging 8:02 time-on-ice, recording two points (0G / 2A) and 82 hits in 26 games this season.

Source:
David Alter 2025-01-07T16:48:20.672Z
Ryan Reaves
Jesse Puljujarvi(RW)|FA
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Line Change
Puljujarvi is expected to draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup on Tuesday vs. Columbus.

Puljujarvi had been limited only 21 games with Pittsburgh this season, scoring eight points (3G / 5A) while being in and out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. After spending the first five seasons of his career with the Edmonton Oilers, Puljuarvi has played on three different teams over the course of the last three seasons. He has 126 points (57G / 69A) in 377 career games. Anthony Beauvillier will exit the lineup to accommodate Puljujarvi's return.

Source:
Matt Vensel 2025-01-07T15:57:26.558Z
Jesse Puljujarvi
Dennis Gilbert(D)|OTT
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Line Change
Gilbert is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Washington on Monday.

Henri Jokiharju will draw back into Buffalo's lineup on Monday against the Washington Capitals, resulting in Gilbert being a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old Gilbert is averaging 10:35 time-on-ice, scoring one point (0G / 1A) while being limited to 13 games this season.

Source:
Paul Hamilton 2025-01-06T16:51:16.508Z
Dennis Gilbert

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.