Line Change
Willman will be a healthy scratch for Saturday's game against the Sabres.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Henri Jokiharju will be a healthy scratch Saturday vs. New Jersey.
Jokiharju has two goals, five assists, 18 SOG, two PIMs and a +2 plus/minus through 18 games this season but will be a healthy scratch Saturday vs. New Jersey. Isak Rosen will make his debut in Jokiharju's place.
Bobby Brink will be a healthy scratch Saturday vs. the Islanders.
Brink has four goals, six assists, 25 SOG, four PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 16 games this season but will be the odd man out of the Flyers' lineup Saturday vs. the New York Islanders. The 22-year-old right-winger will be replaced by Morgan Frost in the Flyers' lineup.
Line Change
Brayden Pachal will draw back into Vegas' lineup Saturday vs. Arizona.
Pachal has been a healthy scratch since November 8th but will draw back into the lineup Saturday vs. Arizona after Shea Theodore (upper body) was announced out. The 24-year-old defender scored his first goal of his career this season and has 11 SOG, 10 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in a career-high 12 games played so far.
Line Change
Egor Zamula will be a healthy scratch Saturday vs. the New York Islanders.
With Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body) making his season debut Egor Zamula will be the odd man out of the Flyers' lineup Saturday vs. the Islanders. The 23-year-old defensemen has played well in his fourth career NHL season, with a goal, three assists, 16 SOG, 12 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus through 17 games.
Line Change
Morgan Frost will draw back into the Flyers' lineup Saturday vs. the Islanders.
Frost has been a healthy scratch for the Flyers' last three games but will draw back into the lineup Saturday vs. the New York Islanders. The 24-year-old centre has struggled to duplicate his success from last season (46 Pts in 81 GP) as he has two goals, two assists, 13 SOG, four PIMs and a +4 plus/minus in 10 games this season.
Line Change
Jordan Greenway (personal) will not play Saturday vs. New Jersey or Monday vs. New York.
Greenway missed the Sabres' game Friday due to personal reasons and will not play in either of Buffalo's next two games. The 26-year-old left-winger was acquired by Buffalo at the trade deadline in 2022-23 and has two goals, four assists, 24 SOG, 19 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus in 19 games this season.
van Riemsdyk will draw back into the Bruins lineup on Saturday.
van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch on Friday but will draw back into the lineup for the second half of the Bruins' back-to-back. van Riemsdyk, who has 13 points (5G / 8A) in 18 games, will replace Patrick Brown in the lineup after Brown was assigned to the AHL.
Vladislav Kolyachonok will make his season debut for the Coyotes Saturday vs. Vegas.
Kolyachonok had two goals, an assist, six PIMs and a +5 plus/minus in 11 games with Tucson (AHL) and will make his season debut Saturday as he takes the spot of the struggling Matthew Dumba. The 22-year-old appeared in two games for the Coyotes in 2022-23 and failed to pick up a point.
Line Change
Matthew Dumba is expected to be a healthy scratch Saturday vs. Vegas.
Dumba signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Arizona in the offseason but has struggled out of the gate to produce with two goals, two assists, 25 SOG, 24 PIMs and a -9 plus/minus in 19 games and will be a healthy scratch Saturday. The 29-year-old will be replaced by Vladislav Kolyachonok, who is making his season debut.
Andrei Kuzmenko is expected to be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Seattle.
Kuzmenko has seen extended time on the Canucks top powerplay unit this season while playing primarily alongside Elias Pettersson at even strength. In 19 games this season, Kuzmenko has 14 points (3G / 11A) while averaging 15:24 time-on-ice. However, in his most recent contest, Kuzmenko registered a -3 plus/minus, failing to score a point while playing only 14:33. His top-line role will likely be filled by Sam Lafferty, who is expected to slide up the lineup.
Line Change
Chris Tierney will draw back into the Devils' lineup Friday vs. Columbus.
Tierney has been a scratch for the Devils' previous three games but will draw back into the lineup Friday as he takes the place of Max Willman on New Jersey's fourth line. The 29-year-old has yet to pick up a point or a shot on goal in eight games so far in 2023-24.
Line Change
Maxwell Willman will be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Columbus.
Willman has appeared in two of the Devils' last three games but will head to the press box Friday as a healthy scratch for Chris Tierney vs. Columbus. The 28-year-old has a goal, and five SOG while averaging 11:23 TOI through four games so far this season.
Line Change
Nico Sturm (personal) will return to the Sharks' lineup Friday vs. Montreal.
Line Change
Kevin Shattenkirk will be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Detroit.
James van Riemsdyk will sit Friday vs. Detroit due to maintenance with the back-to-back schedule.
Moran Geekie will draw back into the Bruins lineup on Friday, allowing the 34-year-old Van Riemsdyk to rest on the front end of a back-to-back. Van Riemsdyk has been terrific this season, tallying 13 points (5G / 8A) in 18 games while seeing top powerplay deployment. He is on pace for his highest point total in a season since scoring 54 with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017-18.
Line Change
Morgan Geekie will draw back into the Bruins' lineup Friday vs. Detroit.
Line Change
Ian Mitchell will draw back into the Bruins' lineup vs. Detroit Friday.
Line Change
Corey Perry will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game Friday vs. Toronto.
Perry was pacing for his best offensive totals in a half-decade with nine points (4G / 5A) in 16 games this season but will serve as a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Perry's continued absence from the lineup is puzzling, given his strong start to the season and the news that Taylor Hall will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
Line Change
Uvis Balinskis will draw back into the Panthers' lineup Friday vs. Winnipeg.
Dmitry Kulikov will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season, allowing Balinskis to return to the Panthers lineup. Balinskis has two points (1G / 1A) and 15 shots on goal while averaging 13:59 time-on-ice, playing predominantly on the Panthers' third defensive pair.
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.