Line Change
K'Andre Miller (personal) will remain out of the Rangers' lineup Friday vs. Anaheim.
NHL Hockey Player News
Line Change
Brett Murray will rejoin the Sabres' lineup Friday in Vegas.
Murray was a healthy scratch for the Sabres' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Friday in Vegas as he takes the spot of the injured Jeff Skinner (upper body). The 25-year-old left-winger has only appeared in one game this for the Sabres after making his way back to the NHL for the first time since 2021-22.
Line Change
Ryan Johnson will draw back into the Sabres' lineup Friday in Vegas.
Ryan Johnson will re-enter the Sabres' lineup on Friday as Erik Johnson will be a healthy scratch. Ryan Johnson last played on December 11th and has one point (0G / 1A) and 11 blocks while averaging 14:22 time-on-ice through 15 games.
Line Change
Erik Johnson will be a healthy scratch Friday in Vegas.
Erik Johnson is averaging a career-low 14:19 time-on-ice in his first season with the Sabres and will be a healthy scratch on Friday as Ryan Johnson will enter the lineup. Erik Johnson has two points (2G / 0A), 33 hits, and 42 blocks in 29 games this season.
Luke Evangelista is expected to be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Carolina.
Evangelista is expected to watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch, allowing Philip Tomasino to draw back into the lineup. Evangelista has only one point (0G / 1A) in his last seven games while playing mainly with Kiefer Sherwood and Tommy Novak.
Line Change
Philip Tomasino will rejoin the Predators' lineup Friday vs. Carolina.
Tomasino will re-enter the Predators lineup on Friday as Luke Evangelista is expected to be a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Tomasino has nine points (1G / 8A) in 21 games this season, averaging 12:39 time-on-ice while playing predominantly with Cole Smith and Michael McCarron
Line Change
Jesper Boqvist will draw back into the Bruins lineup Friday vs. the New York Islanders.
Boqvist is expected to draw into the Bruins lineup for the first time since October 26th as Matthew Poitras (load management) will not play on Friday. In 24 games with the Providence Bruins of the AHL, Boqvist has 14 points (5G / 9A) this season.
Line Change
Zack MacEwen will draw back into the Senators' lineup Friday at Dallas.
MacEwen will play for the first time since December 7th as he will draw into the Senators' lineup as a fresh body on the back end of a back-to-back, replacing Rourke Chartier. The 27-year-old MacEwen has played 10 games this season, recording one point (0G / 1A), 25 penalty minutes, and 15 hits.
Givani Smith will draw back into the Sharks' lineup Friday vs. Arizona.
Smith has not played the last two games but will be allowed to return to the lineup on Friday as Nico Sturm is battling a mid-body injury. Smith has been held off the scoresheet in nine straight games while averaging 6:39 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Matthew Poitras is expected to be out Friday as part of a scheduled day off.
The Bruins coaching staff is implementing some load management tactics for 19-year-old rookie Poitras as he is expected to sit for the second time in the last four games. After posting seven points (4G / 3A) in his first 11 games, Poitras' game has fallen off slightly, posting only five (1G / 4A) in his last 15 games.
Line Change
Johnson will draw into Chicago's lineup on Thursday.
Johnson will take the place of MacKenzie Entwistle (illness) on Thursday. Johnson has two goals and zero assists in 17 games this season.
Line Change
Watson is listed as a scratch for Thursday's game in Edmonton.
Watson will sit on Thursday as Conor Sheary (upper-body) makes his return to the lineup. Watson has one goal and zero assists in 15 games this season.
Line Change
Phillips will draw back into the Capitals' lineup for Thursday's game in Philadelphia.
With Evgeny Kuznetsov set to miss Thursday's game with an illness, Phillips will retake his spot in the lineup after sitting out each of the last two games. Phillips has just one goal to go along with four assists in 18 games with the Capitals this season. He'll start the game alongside Joe Snively and T.J. Oshie on Washington's third line.
Line Change
Staal will draw back into the Flyers' lineup on Thursday.
Staal will retake his place in the lineup on Thursday after sittoung out Tuesday's overtime loss to the Predators. The veteran blue-liner is yet to register a point across 11 appearances this season.
Line Change
Zamula is listed as a scratch for Thursday's game against the Flyers.
Zamula will take a seat in favour of Marc Staal on Thursday. The young defenseman has one goal and three assists in 21 games with the Flyers this season.
Line Change
Marc Staal will draw back into the Flyers' lineup Thursday vs. Washington.
Staal was a healthy scratch for the Flyers previous game but will continue his carousel of playing by stepping back into Phildaelphia's lineup Thursday vs. Washington instead of Egor Zamula. The 36-year-old Staal is in his 17th NHL season and has yet to pick up a point in 11 games played while amassing six PIMs and three SOG.
Line Change
Egor Zamula will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Washington.
Zamula has dressed in the Flyers last three games but will head to the press box Thursday vs. Washington as Marc Staal steps back into Philadelphia's lineup. The 23-year-old defender will get the night off but has been having an impressive season as he's set career highs in games played (21), goals (1), PIMs (12) and SOG (19) already while having a +9 plus/minus.
Jonah Gadjovich will draw back into the Panthers' lineup Thursday in Vancouver.
Gadjovich had been a healthy scratch for the Panthers' previous two games but will draw back into the lineup for Anton Lundell (illness) Thursday vs. Vancouver. The 25-year-old bruising left-winger has yet to score in 2023-24, but has an assist, 10 SOG, 43 PIMs and a -2 plus/minus in nine games played so far.
Line Change
Uvis Balinskis will be a healthy scratch Thursday at Vancouver.
Balinskis had been in the Panthers' lineup for the last two games after recalled from the minors earlier in the week but will be a healthy scratch Thursday at Vancouver as Dmitry Kulikov takes his place. The 27-year-old defensemen is in his first NHL season and first North American season after spending his early career in the Czechia league and the KHL. He has a goal and an assists to go along with six PIMs in 17 games played with Florida in 2023-24.
Line Change
Dmitry Kulikov will draw back into the Panthers' lineup Thursday vs. Vancouver.
Kulikov will re-enter the Panthers' lineup for the first time since December 8th as Uvis Balinskis will be a healthy scratch. Kulikov has eight points (0G / 8A) in 25 games this season and will likely skate on the third defensive pair next to Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
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.