Line Change
Klingberg (undisclosed) will be back in the Maple Leafs lineup on Saturday.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Bean is expected to be a healthy scratch on Saturday.
Line Change
Boqvist will draw into the Blue Jackets' lineup on Saturday.
Line Change
McAvoy has served his four-game suspension and is expected to play on Saturday.
McAvoy was suspended for four games following a hit to the head on October 30th but he's eligible to return to the lineup vs. Montreal. McAvoy was back on the top power-play unit in Friday's practice and enters play with eight points (2G / 6A) in nine games this season.
Line Change
Lindblom will make his season debut against the Golden Knights on Friday.
Lindblom will finally get the chance to make his season debut in place of Anthony Duclair, who will miss Friday's game with an undisclosed injury. Lindblom was limited to six goals and nine assists across 73 games with the Sharks last season. He'll begin Friday's game skating alongside Nico Sturm and Kevin Labanc on the Sharks' third line.
Shayne Gostisbehere will draw back into the Red Wings' lineup Saturday vs. Columbus.
After recording nine points (3G / 6A) in his first seven games as a Red Wing, Gostisbehere went invisible, recording zero points and a -8 plus/minute rating in his last six contests, leading to his eventual healthy scratch on Thursday. He will return to the lineup on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Tony DeAngelo is expected to be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Florida.
DeAngelo has played all 13 games for the Hurricanes this season, including playing 15:17 and scoring his first goal in his most recent outing, but will be a healthy scratch on Friday against the Florida Panthers. DeAngelo's scratch likely indicates that Brett Pesce (lower-body) will be returning to the Hurricanes lineup.
Line Change
Mike Reilly will be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Carolina.
Reilly played his first two games of the season with Uvis Balinskis being a healthy scratch, recording seven shots on goal and a -2 plus/minus rating in the two contests. Reilly will return to the pressbox with Balinskis drawing back into the Panthers' lineup.
Line Change
Uvis Balinskis will draw back into the Panthers' lineup Friday vs. Carolina.
Balinskis has played 10 games for the Panthers but has been scratched in their two most recent contests in favour of Mike Reilly. Balinskis, who has zero points while averaging 14:07 time-on-ice, will return to the third defensive pair with Josh Mahura.
Line Change
Travis Boyd will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. St. Louis.
Boyd has yet to score this season but has three assists, nine SOG, two PIMs and a -1 plus/minus in seven games played but will be a healthy scratch Thursday as Jason Zucker (lower body) makes his Coyotes' debut. Boyd is in this seventh NHL season and will hope to be back in the Coyotes' lineup sooner rather than later.
Line Change
Zack MacEwen will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Vancouver.
MacEwen has an assist, two SOG and five PIMs through four games in 2023-24 but will be the odd man out of the Senators' roster as he is a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Vancouver. The 27-year-old bruising right-winger will be replaced by Matthew Highmore, who was brought in from Belleville (AHL) to help kill penalties.
Line Change
Matthew Savoie is likely to make his NHL debut Friday vs. Minnesota.
Savoie is one of the Sabres' most intriguing prospects after being draft as a first-round pick of the 2022 NHL Draft (9th overall) and is set to make his debut Friday vs. Minnesota. The 19-year-old centre appeared for five games for Rochester (AHL) earlier this season and had two goals, three assists, and six PIMs in six games played.
Line Change
Ryan Poehling is expected to be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Anaheim.
Peohling has an assist, 10 SOG, two PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 11 games so far in 2023-24 but will be the odd man out of the Flyers' lineup Friday vs. Anaheim. The 24-year-old centre will give way to Morgan Frost, who has been a healthy scratch for the Flyers previous two games.
Line Change
Morgan Frost is expected to draw back into the Flyers' lineup Friday vs. Anaheim.
Frost was a healthy scratch for the Flyers' loss to San Jose Tuesday but is expected to draw back into the lineup Friday vs. Anaheim after taking line rushes with Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny Thursday. The 24-year-old centre led the Flyers in even-strength points in 2022-23 but has yet to get a point through six games in 2023-24 and has only eight SOG and a +1 plus/minus.
Line Change
Jeff Carter is expected to draw back into the Penguins' lineup Thursday vs. Los Angeles.
Carter has been a healthy scratch for the Penguins' last two games but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Los Angeles. The 19-year-old veteran has been held pointless so far through nine games in 2023-24, but has seven SOG, two PIMs and a -1 plus/minus. Vinnie Hinostroza has been sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) in a corresponding move.
Line Change
Ryan Winterton will make his NHL debut Thursday vs. Colorado.
Winterton was recalled from Coachella Valley (AHL) for the first time in his career and will make his NHL debut Thursday vs. Colorado. The 20-year-old forward was Seattle's 2021 third-round pick (67th overall) and had three goals, five points, and a +4 plus/minus in seven games with Coachella Valley prior to his promotion.
Line Change
Shane Wright will make his season debut Thursday vs. Colorado.
With Jordan Eberle (cut by skate) day-to-day, Wright finds his way into the Kraken's lineup for the first time this season Thursday vs. Colorado after being recalled from Coachella Valley (AHL) earlier in the day. The 19-year-old made his NHL debut last season and had a goal, an assist, four SOG, two PIMs and a +4 plus/minus in eight games prior to being sent back to junior. In seven games prior to his promotion, he had four goals and six points with Coachella Valley.
Line Change
Calen Addison is expected to make his Sharks' debut Thursday vs. Edmonton.
Addison was acquired by Sharks for a 2026 fifth-round pick and Adam Raska and will make his San Jose debut Thursday vs. Edmonton. The 23-year-old defensemen was spotted on the Sharks' top power play at morning skate and will hope to add to the five assists, 18 SOG, six PIMs and -3 plus/minus he had through 12 games with Minnesota already in 2023-24.
Line Change
Ryan Reaves is expected to be a healthy scratch Friday vs. Calgary.
Reaves has played all 13 games for the Maple Leafs, going without a point, and racking up a -9 plus/minus rating while averaging 7:46 time-on-ice. Reaves joins John Klingberg as high-profile offseason signings that are expected to be healthy scratches on Friday. The Maple Leafs recalled Pontus Holmberg from the Marlies (AHL), who will be a possibility to slot into the lineup.
Line Change
Riley Tufte is expected to draw into the Avalanche's lineup Thursday vs. Seattle.
Tufte is expected to play his second game of the season for the Avalanche on Thursday when they take on the Seattle Kraken. In his only game this season, Tufte was held without a point but took four shots on goal in 11:28 time-on-ice.
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.