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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Zac Jones(D)|BUF
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Jones will draw back into New York's lineup in Florida on Monday.

Urho Vaakanainen will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Florida Panthers, allowing Jones to re-enter the lineup. The 24-year-old Jones has not played since April 9th and has 11 points (1G / 10A) in 44 games this season.

Source:
Peter Baugh 2025-04-14T21:14:01.270Z
Zac Jones
Ryan Ufko(D)|NSH
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Ufko will make his NHL debut on Monday vs. Utah.

Ufko was a fourth-round pick, 115th overall, of the Nashville Predators in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old defenseman made his professional debut in the AHL last season but has yet to play an NHL game. He has 29 points (8G / 21A) in 71 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).

Source:
Nick Kieser 2025-04-14T20:12:49.893Z
Ryan Ufko
Philip Broberg(D)|STL
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Broberg (personal) will return to St. Louis's lineup on Tuesday vs. Utah.

Broberg did not play the previous game for the Blues, but will re-enter the lineup on Tuesday against the Utah Hockey Club. The 23-year-old Broberg is averaging 20:30 time-on-ice and has 29 points (8G / 21A) in 67 games this season.

Source:
Lou Korac 2025-04-14T18:29:41.747Z
Philip Broberg
Connor McDavid(C)|EDM
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McDavid (rest) will be out on Monday vs. Los Angeles.

McDavid has played the previous three games for Edmonton, but will not play on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings to get some extra rest before the playoffs. The 28-year-old McDavid has 99 points (26G / 73A) in 66 games this season. He has an absurd 13 points (1G / 12A) in his last five games.

Source:
Bob Stauffer 2025-04-14T17:32:19.460Z
Connor McDavid
Josh Brown(D)|EDM
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Brown will draw back into Edmonton's lineup on Monday vs. Los Angeles.

With Troy Stecher (undisclosed) sidelined on Monday, Brown will draw back into the lineup. Brown has not played for the Oilers since January 18th. The 31-year-old Brown has one point (0G / 1A) and is averaging 11:29 time-on-ice in eight games with Edmonton.

Source:
Bob Stauffer 2025-04-14T17:18:51.560Z
Josh Brown
Quinn Hutson(RW)|EDM
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Hutson will make his NHL debut vs. Los Angeles on Monday.

Hutson just finished a three-year stint with Boston University (H-East) and has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The 23-year-old Hutson, brother of Montreal Canadiens rookie standout Lane Hutson, scored 50 points (23G / 27A) in 38 games with Boston University in 2024-25.

Source:
Jack Michaels 2025-04-14T17:04:53.919Z
Quinn Hutson
Lukas Reichel(LW)|CHI
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Reichel is expected to draw back into Chicago's lineup on Monday in Montreal.

Reichel has not played since April 8th, but will re-enter the lineup on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 22-year-old Reichel is averaging 11:57 time-on-ice and has 21 points (7G / 14A) in 68 games this season. He has two points (1G / 1A) in his last 16 contests.

Source:
Ben Pope 2025-04-14T16:52:52.348Z
Lukas Reichel
Ryan Greene(C)|CHI
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Greene is expected to make his NHL debut on Monday in Montreal.

Greene was a second-round pick, 57th overall, of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old Greene scored 38 points (13G / 25A) in 2024-25 with Boston University (H-East), his third year with the club.

Source:
Ben Pope 2025-04-14T16:51:52.113Z
Ryan Greene
Alec Martinez(D)|FA
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Martinez is expected to be a healthy scratch in Montreal on Monday.

Martinez has likely played the final game of his career and will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 37-year-old Martinez has 12 points (5G / 7A) and 81 blocks in 44 games this season.

Source:
Ben Pope 2025-04-14T16:49:50.009Z
Alec Martinez
Pat Maroon(LW)|FA
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Maroon is expected to be a healthy scratch in Montreal on Monday.

Maroon has likely played the final game of his career and will be a healthy scratch for Chicago on Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 36-year-old Maroon scored 19 points (5G / 14A) in 68 games this season.

Source:
Ben Pope 2025-04-14T16:49:00.171Z
Pat Maroon
Michael Pezzetta(LW)|TOR
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Pezzetta will be a healthy scratch vs. Chicago on Monday.

With mega prospect Ivan Demidov making his NHL debut vs. Chicago on Monday, Michael Pezzetta finds himself the odd-man out of Montreal's lineup. The 27-year-old bruising winger has failed to put up a point in 25 games played this season, but has 24 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus while averaging just 5:56 TOI/GP.

Source:
Stu Cowan 2025-04-14T14:59:35.294Z
Michael Pezzetta
Niko Mikkola(D)|FLA
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Mikkola (rest) will be out on Monday vs. the Rangers.

The Panthers have regularly rested players over the last two weeks leading up to the playoffs. As such, Mikkola will have the night off on Monday against the New York Rangers. The 28-year-old Mikkola is averaging 20:16 time-on-ice and has a career-high 22 points (6G / 16A) in 75 games this season.

Source:
George Richards 2025-04-14T15:17:09.758Z
Niko Mikkola
Tomas Nosek(LW)|FLA
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Nosek will draw back into Florida's lineup on Monday vs. New York.

With Florida locked into a playoff spot, Tomas Nosek sat out the Panthers' previous game due to rest but will draw back into the lineup on Monday vs. New York. The 32-year-old left-winger has struggled to produce offensively in his first season in Florida, with just a goal and nine points in 58 games played.

Source:
Colby Guy 2025-04-14T14:36:41.457Z
Tomas Nosek
Sam Reinhart(C)|FLA
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Reinhart will draw back into Florida's lineup on Monday vs. New York.

With Florida locked into the playoffs, Sam Reinhart took the afternoon off Saturday but will return to the Panthers' lineup as they take on New York on Monday. The 29-year-old has enjoyed another strong offensive season in 204-25, with 37 goals, 79 points and 209 SOG in 78 games played.

Source:
Colby Guy 2025-04-14T14:40:09.359Z
Sam Reinhart

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.