NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Anthony Duclair(LW)|NYI
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Line Change
Anthony Duclair will draw back into the Sharks' lineup Tuesday vs. Los Angeles.

Duclair was a healthy scratch in the Sharks' 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday but will return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. Duclair has played predominantly with Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund, scoring 11 points (6G / 5A) in 27 games this season.

Source:
Max Miller 2023-12-19T19:08:32.370Z
Anthony Duclair
Phil Di Giuseppe(LW)|WPG
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Line Change
Phil Di Giuseppe is expected to draw back into the Canucks' lineup Tuesday vs. Nashville.

Andrei Kuzmenko will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Di Giuseppe to return to the lineup. Di Giuseppe has eight points (3G / 5A), 17 penalty minutes, and 42 hits while averaging 13:35 time-on-ice through 29 games this season.

Source:
Harman Dayal 2023-12-19T18:06:47.022Z
Phil Di Giuseppe
Andrei Kuzmenko(LW)|LAK
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Line Change
Andrei Kuzmenko is expected to be a healthy scratch Tuesday vs. Nashville.

After being a healthy scratch at the end of November, Kuzmenko played 10 consecutive games but will again be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. In those 10 games, Kuzmenko has three points (3G / 0A) and is averaging only 13:53 time-on-ice, a significant drop from the 15:24 he was averaging in the 19 games leading up to then.

Source:
Harman Dayal 2023-12-19T18:03:18.136Z
Andrei Kuzmenko
MacKenzie Entwistle(RW)|FLA
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Line Change
MacKenzie Entwistle will draw back into the Blackhawks lineup Tuesday vs. Colorado.

Cole Guttman will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Entwistle to return to the lineup after missing two games due to an illness. Entwistle has five points (2G / 3A) in 21 games this season while playing predominantly on the fourth line with Reese Johnson and Ryan Donato.

Source:
Mark Lazerus 2023-12-19T17:55:57.214Z
MacKenzie Entwistle
T.J. Brodie(D)|FA
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Line Change
T.J. Brodie (illness) will return to the Maple Leafs' lineup Tuesday vs. the New York Rangers.

Brodie did not play on Saturday due to an illness but will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the New York Rangers after participating in morning skate. Brodie has six points (0G / 6A), 16 hits, 66 blocks, and is averaging 22:15 time-on-ice, his highest total since joining the Maple Leafs in the 2020-21 season.

Source:
David Alter 2023-12-19T16:17:52.065Z
T.J. Brodie
Colin Miller(D)|WPG
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Line Change
Colin Miller will be a healthy scratch Tuesday vs. Philadelphia.

Colin Miller will watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Brendan Smith to draw back into the lineup. Miller has played all 15 games for the Devils this season since making his debut on November 16th, tallying one point (0G / 1A), 10 blocks, and 18 hits while averaging 14:52 time-on-ice.

Source:
Amanada Stein 2023-12-19T16:04:58.890Z
Colin Miller
Brendan Smith(D)|FA
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Line Change
Brendan Smith will draw back into the Devils' lineup Tuesday vs. Philadelphia.

Smith will return to the lineup for the Devils as Colin Miller will be a healthy scratch. Smith has played only one of the last eight games for the Devils and has two points (0G / 2A), 36 hits, and 19 blocks while averaging 14:26 time-on-ice through 22 games.

Source:
Amanda Stein 2023-12-19T16:02:45.107Z
Brendan Smith
Leo Carlsson(C)|ANA
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Line Change
Carlsson will draw back into the Ducks' lineup on Monday.

Carlsson sat out Sunday's game in New Jersey as the Ducks continue to take a cautious approach with his workload and avoid playing him on back-to-back nights. The 2023 second-overall pick has eight goals and six assists across the first 21 games of his NHL career.

Source:
NHL.com 2023-12-18T23:47:09.822Z
Leo Carlsson
John Gibson(G)|DET
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Line Change
John Gibson (personal) has been placed on the Ducks' non-roster to attend the birth of his child.

Gibson allowed one goal on 19 shots before leaving Sunday's win in New Jersey due to dehydration. Lukas Dostal stopped all 10 shots that he faced in relief. The Ducks recalled Calle Clang from the San Diego Gulls (AHL) on Monday to serve as the backup for Lukas Dostal, as Gibson will be away from the team to attend the birth of his child.

Source:
Anaheim Ducks 2023-12-18T19:38:58.471Z
John Gibson
Vladimir Tarasenko(RW)|MIN
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Line Change
Vladimir Tarasenko (personal) was back at Ottawa's practice in full Monday.

Tarasenko was a late scratch on Friday and subsequently did not play on Sunday as he tended to family matters away from the team. He was back at practice on Monday and will likely return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes. After averaging only 1.4 shot per game during a seven-game stretch with three points (0G / 3A), Tarasenko has been more involved lately, seeing his ice-time increase by 97 seconds per game, scoring six points (3G / 3A) and averaging 3.1 shots in seven games.

Source:
TSN 1200 2023-12-18T18:26:54.432Z
Vladimir Tarasenko
Joel Hanley(D)|CAL
Line Change
Line Change
Joel Hanley will draw back into the Stars' lineup Monday vs. Seattle.

Hanley has semi-regularly been in the Stars lineup lately and will draw back in on Monday in favour of Nils Lundkvist. Through nine games this season, Hanley has one point (0G / 1A), eight hits, and seven blocks while averaging 12:44 time-on-ice.

Source:
Bruce LeVine 2023-12-18T17:10:26.349Z
Joel Hanley
Radek Faksa(C)|DAL
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Line Change
Radek Faksa will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. Seattle.

Faksa will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Seattle Kraken, allowing Craig Smith to draw back into the lineup. Faksa has six points (2G / 4A) in 25 games this season and is only averaging 12:59 time-on-ice, his lowest total since his 2015-16 rookie season.

Source:
Bruce LeVine 2023-12-18T17:08:31.885Z
Radek Faksa

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.