Line Change
Olofsson will draw back into the Sabres' lineup on Thursday.
Olofsson is expected to skate alongside Peyton Krebs and Zemgus Girgensons on the Sabres' fourth line. He has four goals and eight assists in 30 games this season.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Deslauriers will draw back into the Flyers' lineup Thursday vs. Columbus.
Deslauriers was a healthy scratch for the Flyers' previous contest but will draw back into the lineup Thursday on the fourth line. The 32-year-old grinding left-winger has yet to score in 2023-24, but has three assists, 34 SOG, 39 PIMs and a -6 plus/minus in 36 games played.
Line Change
Gardner will make his Flyers' debut Thursday vs. Columbus.
Gardner last appeared in the NHL in 2021-22 with the Dallas Stars and has two points (1G/1A) in 40 career NHL games but will make his Flyers' debut Thursday vs. Columbus. The 27-year-old draws into the lineup as Morgan Frost and Cam Atkinson are surprisingly scratched Thursday.
Line Change
Frost will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Columbus.
Frost has only one assist in his last four games and finds himself the odd man out of the Flyers' lineup Thursday as Rhett Gardner makes his Philadelphia debut. The 24-year-old Frost is no stranger to being healthy scratched this season, as he has not dressed for 10 games so far already this season but still has five goals and 11 points in the 27 games he has played.
Line Change
Atkinson will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Columbus.
It has been 22 games since Atkinson found the back of the net and he will take a breather Thursday as a healthy scratch vs. Columbus. The 34-year-old right-winger will be replaced by Rhett Gardner, who is making his Flyers debut. When Atkinson does return he will look to build off the eight goals, 10 assists, 113 SOG, 14 PIMs and a -9 plus/minus he has amassed across 37 games prior to the scratch.
Line Change
Walker is expected to make his season debut Thursday vs. Vancouver.
Walker earned his call up from Springfield after producing 29 points (13G/16A) in 30 games played and is expected to make his season debut Thursday vs. Vancouver. The 29-year-old left-winger appeared in 58 games for the Blues in 2022-23, where he had two goals, eight assists, 43 SOG, 25 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus.
Line Change
Lauko will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Pittsburgh.
John Beecher will draw back into the lineup for the Bruins on Thursday, prompting the team to have Lauko serve as a health scratch. The 23-year-old Lauko has been held without a point in 14 straight games.
Line Change
Beecher will draw back into the Bruins' lineup Thursday vs. Pittsburgh.
Jakub Lauko will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Beecher to re-enter the lineup for the Bruins. Beecher last played on December 31st, ending a run of 12 straight games in which he recorded only a single point (0G / 1A).
Line Change
Smejkal is expected to draw back into the Senators' lineup Thursday vs. Seattle.
Zack MacEwen (illness) and Jacob Bernard-Docker (healthy scratch) are both expected to be out of the lineup on Thursday, allowing Angus Crookshank and Smejkal to draw back into the lineup. Smejkal has spent most of the season with the Belleville Senators of the AHL, scoring nine points (3G / 6A) in nine games.
Crookshank is expected to draw back into the Senators' lineup Thursday vs. Seattle.
Zack MacEwen (illness) and Jacob Bernard-Docker (healthy scratch) are both expected to be out of the lineup on Thursday, allowing Crookshank and Jiri Smejkal to draw back into the lineup. Crookshank has spent most of the season with the Belleville Senators of the AHL, scoring 21 points (10G / 11A) in 24 games.
Bernard-Docker is expected to be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Seattle.
Bernard-Docker will be a healthy scratch for the Senators after playing 15 consecutive games, scoring five points (3G / 2A) in that stretch. Angus Crookshank and Jiri Smejkal are both expected to draw back into the Senators lineup.
Line Change
Karlsson is expected to draw back into the Canucks' lineup Thursday vs. St. Louis.
Karlsson is expected to skate on a line with Andrei Kuzmenko and Nils Aman in his first game since December 5th. Through three games this season, Karlsson has yet to record a point while averaging 10:26 time-on-ice.
Nils Hoglander is expected to be a scratch Thursday vs. St. Louis.
Linus Karlsson is expected to re-enter the Canucks lineup on Thursday as Hoglander will be a healthy scratch for the first time in nearly two months. Hoglander has zero points in his last four games, firing only three shots on goal in the process.
Line Change
Fasching is expected to be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Arizona.
Fasching will get the short end of the straw on Thursday, being healthy scratched to allow Matt Martin to draw back into the lineup for the Islanders. Fasching has played 15 straight games for the Islanders, finding ways to add sporadic offensive contribution through limited minutes (12:01 ATOI), scoring four points (1G / 3A).
Line Change
Martin is expected to draw back into the Islanders' lineup Thursday vs. Arizona.
Hudson Fasching will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Martin to play for only the third time since November 16th. In his last two games, Martin averaged over 10 minutes per night, recorded a five-minute fighting major, fired four shots on goal, and four hits.
Line Change
Aman will return to the Canucks' lineup Thursday vs. St. Louis.
Aman will return to the lineup after sitting out the last contest for the Canucks and will join a line with Andrei Kuzmenko and Linus Karlsson. Through 14 games this season, Aman has four points (2G / 2A), nine blocks, and is averaging 10:38 time-on-ice.
Megna is expected to make his Blackhawks' debut Thursday vs. the Rangers.
Louis Crevier will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Megna to make his Blackhawks debut after being claimed off of waivers from the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. Megna has spent most of the season in the press box for the Kraken, being limited to only two games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, scoring one point (1G / 0A). He has 141 NHL games under his belt, tallying 25 points (4G / 21A) in time split between the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Seattle.
Line Change
Reese Johnson will draw back into the Blackhawks' lineup Thursday vs. the New York Rangers.
Crevier will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. the Rangers.
Olivier will draw back into the Blue Jackets' lineup Thursday vs. Philadelphia.
Olivier will re-enter the Blue Jacket's lineup on Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers in favour of Brendan Gaunce, who will serve the game as a healthy scratch. Olivier last played on December 27th, registering two shots and two hits in 9:51 time-on-ice.
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.
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