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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Nathan Bastian(RW)|DAL
Line Change
Line Change
Bastian will draw back into the Devils' lineup for Wednesday's game in Vancouver.

Bastian will re-enter the lineup after sitting out each of the last two games as a healthy scratch. He skated alongside Justin Dowling and Tomas Tatar at practice on Tuesday. Bastian has two goals and two assists in ten games this season.

Source:
Amanda Stein 2024-10-29T23:13:04.826Z
Nathan Bastian
Akil Thomas(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Thomas will make his season debut on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Thomas has yet to play this season but had four points (3G / 1A) in seven games with the Kings last season. The 24-year-old Thomas was a second-round selection of the Kings in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

Source:
Zach Dooley 2024-10-29T18:24:08.780Z
Akil Thomas
Matthew Kessel(D)|STL
Line Change
Line Change
Kessel is expected to draw into the Blues' lineup on Tuesday in Ottawa.

Scott Perunovich will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Kessel to re-enter the lineup for the Blues. The 24-year-old Kessel has seven points (1G / 6A) in 47 career games while averaging 16:07 time-on-ice but has yet to record a point through six games this season and is only averaging 11:58.

Source:
Matthew DeFranks 2024-10-29T16:42:02.507Z
Matthew Kessel
Matt Rempe(C)|NYR
Line Change
Line Change
Rempe will draw back into the Rangers' lineup on Tuesday in Washington.

Rempe had predominantly been a healthy scratch for the Rangers this season before being sent down to the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) last week. In two outings with the Rangers, the hard-hitting Rempe has yet to record a penalty minute and has five hits in 11:17 total time-on-ice.

Source:
Stephen Whyno 2024-10-29T15:44:03.059Z
Matt Rempe
Jon Merrill(D)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Merrill will draw back into the Wild lineup on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Declan Chisholm will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Merrill to re-enter the lineup. The 32-year-old Merrill has been a steadying force on Minnesota's blue line this season, tallying one assist, 10 blocks, and five hits in eight games.

Source:
Michael Russo 2024-10-29T15:29:49.233Z
Jon Merrill
Michael Sgarbossa(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Sgarbossa is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday vs. New York.

Hendrix Lapierre will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Sgarbossa to make his season debut. The 32-year-old Sgarbossa, with 90 games of NHL experience, played 25 games with the Capitals last season, scoring seven points (4G / 3A).

Source:
Bailey Johnson 2024-10-29T15:28:31.115Z
Michael Sgarbossa
Klim Kostin(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Kostin is expected to draw back into San Jose's lineup on Monday in Utah.

With Will Smith missing another game as part of a development strategy to ease him into NHL action, Kostin will re-enter the Sharks lineup on Monday against the Utah Hockey Club. The 25-year-old Kostin is averaging 8:45 time-on-ice through six games this season and has zero points.

Source:
Sheng Peng 2024-10-28T20:45:02.406Z
Klim Kostin
Kevin Rooney(C)|UTA
Line Change
Line Change
Rooney will draw back into Calgary's lineup on Monday in Vegas.

Adam Klapka will be a healthy scratch on Monday, allowing Rooney to re-enter the lineup for the Flames. The 31-year-old Rooney has been limited to only two games so far this season, scoring zero points while averaging 4:36 time-on-ice.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2024-10-28T19:51:31.215Z
Kevin Rooney

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.