NHL Hockey Player News

Jeff Petry(D)|DET
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Jeff Petry will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. Columbus.

Petry will be a healthy scratch on defence for the Red Wings Monday night after dressing seven defencemen in their previous matchup. In two games this season, Petry has zero points, -2 plus/minus, four penalty minutes, and six hits. The move allows Austin Czarnik to make his season debut.

Source:
Sean Shapiro 2023-10-16T16:45:52.758Z
Jeff Petry
Alexander Alexeyev(D)|WAS
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Alexander Alexeyev is expected to make his season debut Monday vs. Calgary.

Alexeyev did not appear in Washington's only game of the season but is expected to make his 2023-24 debut Monday as the Capitals' take on the Flames at home. The 23-year-old defenseman had five assists, 28 SOG, four PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus through 32 games as a rookie in 2022-23. He should be replacing Lucas Johansen in the Capitals' lineup Monday.

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Tarik El-Bashir 2023-10-16T15:59:51.342Z
Alexander Alexeyev
Aliaksei Protas(C)|WAS
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Aliaksei Protas is expected to make his season debut Monday vs. Calgary.

Protas did not appear in Washington's season opening loss to Pittsburgh but is set to make his season debut Monday vs. Calgary. The 22-year-old forward had four goals, 11 assists, 83 SOG, 12 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus in 58 games in his sophomore season in 2022-23. He is expected to replace Anthony Mantha in the Capitals' lineup Monday.

Source:
Tarik El-Bashir 2023-10-16T16:02:45.856Z
Aliaksei Protas
Anthony Mantha(RW)|CAL
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Anthony Mantha is expected to a be a healthy scratch Monday vs. Calgary.

Mantha's frustrating tenure with the Capitals continues as he is expected to be a healthy scratch on Monday night. He had zero points and failed to record a shot on goal in 11:52 time-on-ice in the Capitals' season-opener. He has 58 points (24G / 34A) in 119 games as a Capital and is expected to be replaced by Aliaksei Protas on the fourth line.

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Tarik El-Bashir 2023-10-16T16:32:50.716Z
Anthony Mantha
Mackie Samoskevich(RW)|FLA
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Mackie Samoskevich will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. New Jersey.

Samoskevich was held without a point in his first two career NHL games to start the 2022-23 season and will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. New Jersey. The 20-year-old forward was Florida's 2021 first-round pick (21st overall) and surprised some by cracking the teams roster early in camp. He will be replaced by Justin Sourdif on the Panthers' third line.

Source:
Jordan McPherson 2023-10-16T16:56:00.848Z
Mackie Samoskevich
Justin Sourdif(RW)|FLA
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Justin Sourdif is expected to make his NHL debut Monday vs. New Jersey.

Sourdif was Florida's 2020 third round pick (87th overall) and will make his NHL debut Monday vs. New Jersey. The 21-year-old forward had seven goals, 17 assists, 32 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus in 48 games in his first season with Charlotte (AHL) in 2022-23. He will replace Mackie Sameskevich on Florida's third line in his debut.

Source:
Jordan McPherson 2023-10-16T16:58:22.250Z
Justin Sourdif
Mathieu Olivier(RW)|CBJ
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Mathieu Olivier will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. Detroit.

Olivier had two PIMs, a -1 plus/minus and 12 shifts across 8:27 TOI in the Blue Jackets previous game vs. the Rangers but will be a healthy scratch Monday as they take on Detroit. The 26-year-old undrafted winger had his best career season in 2022-23 as he had five goals, 10 assists, 75 SOG, 81 PIMs and a -20 plus/minus in 66 games played. He will be replaced by Emil Bemstrom on Columbus' fourth line.

Source:
Coby Maeir 2023-10-16T17:19:43.921Z
Mathieu Olivier
Liam Foudy(C)|NYI
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Liam Foudy will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. Detroit.

Foudy played only 12 shifts and 7:56 TOI in the Blue Jackets previous game and will be a healthy scratch Monday as they take on Detroit. The 23-year-old forward had seven goals, seven assists, 67 SOG, eight PIMs and a -26 plus/minus in 62 games played in 2022-23. He is being replaced by Jack Roslovic on Columbus' fourth line.

Source:
Coby Maeir 2023-10-16T17:20:08.067Z
Liam Foudy
Emil Bemstrom(RW)|PIT
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Emil Bemstrom will be aback in the Blue Jackets' lineup Monday vs. Detroit.

Bemstrom is expected to play in his second game of the season after being scratched by the Blue Jackets on Saturday. He recorded two shots on goal in 14:27 time-on-ice in his only game of the season. The 24-year-old had a career-high 22 points (7G / 15A) in 55 games last season.

Source:
Coby Maeir 2023-10-16T15:12:53.240Z
Emil Bemstrom
Jack Roslovic(C)|CAR
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Jack Roslovic will find himself back in Columbus' lineup Monday vs. Detroit.

Roslovic was a late scratch in the Blue Jackets second game of the season but is expected to return to the lineup on Monday night against the Red Wings. Roslovic will likely find himself back on the fourth line with Sean Kuraly and Emil Bemstrom. He had zero shots and a -1 plus/minus rating in 9:31 time-on-ice in his only game this season.

Source:
Coby Maeir 2023-10-16T15:07:52.900Z
Jack Roslovic
Kaedan Korczak(D)|VGK
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Korczak will make his season debut on Saturday.

Korczak was the No.41 overall pick in 2019 and has appeared in just 11 career NHL games since being drafted. He spent most of last season in Henderson (AHL), where he tallied 14 points (4G / 10A) in 50 games. Korczak will replace Alex Pietrangelo, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Source:
Jesse Granger 2023-10-14T22:06:37.413Z
Kaedan Korczak
David Jiricek(D)|MIN
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Jiricek is expected to make his season debut on Saturday.

Jiricek probably would have made the team out of training camp if he wasn't waiver exempt but because he was it was an easy decision to send him back to the AHL. With Zach Werenski out for at least one week, Jiricek was recalled and Eric Robinson was waived to make room for him. The 2022 No.6 overall pick had 38 points (6G / 32A) in 55 AHL games last season.

Source:
@BlueJacketsNHL 2023-10-14T22:01:48.905Z
David Jiricek
Jordan Spence(D)|LAK
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Spence is expected to draw into the Kings' lineup on Saturday.

Spence was a healthy scratch in the Kings' season opener, but he will suit up for Saturday's game vs. the Hurricanes. It's unclear exactly who Jordan Spence will replace in the lineup, but expect it to be Andreas Englund. Spence spent most of last year in the AHL, where he had four goals and 41 assists (45 points) in 56 games with the Ontario Reign.

Source:
Zach Dooley 2023-10-14T20:18:13.053Z
Jordan Spence

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.