NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Nils Hoglander(LW)|VAN
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Line Change
Nils Hoglander will draw back into the Canucks' lineup Tuesday vs. Nashville.

Hoglander will return to the lineup for his fifth game of the season as Jack Studnicka will be a healthy scratch for the Canucks. In four games, Hoglander has three points (1G / 2A) and two shots while averaging 10:20 time-on-ice per night. He will likely play on the fourth line with Anthony Beauvillier and Sam Lafferty.

Source:
Iain MacIntyre 2023-10-24T17:57:33.921Z
Nils Hoglander
Marc-Edouard Vlasic(D)|SJS
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Marc-Edouard Vlasic will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday vs. Florida.

Vlasic will sit for the second time this season, but his first as a healthy scratch. The 18-year veteran defenseman has zero points, four blocks and a -1 plus/minus rating through four games this season. His absence will allow Thomas Bordeleau to return to the lineup.

Source:
Sheng Peng 2023-10-24T17:30:38.103Z
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Thomas Bordeleau(C)|NJD
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Line Change
Thomas Bordeleau will draw back into the Sharks' lineup on Tuesday vs. Florida.

Bordeleau was a healthy scratch for the Sharks' previous contest but will draw back into the lineup as San Jose goes back to the standard 12 forwards/6 defensemen line combos. The 21-year-old centre has a goal, five SOG, two PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus in four games with the Sharks so far in 2022-23. Bordeleau will take Marc-Edouard Vlasic's spot in the Sharks' lineup.

Source:
Sheng Peng 2023-10-24T17:31:50.145Z
Thomas Bordeleau
A.J. Greer(LW)|FLA
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A.J. Greer will be a healthy scratch Tuesday vs. the New York Rangers.

Greer has one assist, six SOG, and four PIMs in six games played so far this season but will be a healthy scratch Tuesday as Calgary takes on the New York Rangers. The 26-year-old left-winger is in his seventh NHL season after he was claimed off waivers from Boston on October 9th, 2023. Greer will be replaced by Dryden Hunt Tuesday, who is making his Calgary debut.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2023-10-24T17:13:40.534Z
A.J. Greer
Dryden Hunt(LW)|CAL
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Dryden Hunt will make his Calgary debut Tuesday vs. the New York Rangers.

Hunt signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames in the offseason and will make his Calgary debut Tuesday as he replaces A.J. Greer in the lineup vs. the New York Rangers. The 27-year-old is entering his seventh NHL season with his sixth different team and has 15 goals and 43 points in 202 career games played. He is expected to draw into the Flames' fourth line for his debut.

Source:
Pat Steinberg 2023-10-24T17:22:44.455Z
Dryden Hunt
Devin Shore(C)|FA
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Devin Shore will make his Seattle debut on Tuesday vs. Detroit.

Shore participated in one game with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (AHL) and failed to pick up a point before getting called up to Seatle on the weekend and will make his team debut Tuesday vs. Detroit. The 29-year-old is entering his ninth NHL season and has 50 career goals and 135 points in 422 games played. He had a goal, eight assists, 61 SOG, four PIMs and a +6 plus/minus in 47 games played with Edmonton in 2022-23.

Source:
Sound of Hockey 2023-10-24T16:43:58.585Z
Devin Shore
Leo Carlsson(C)|ANA
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Leo Carlsson will not play Tuesday vs. Columbus as he eases his way back into the Ducks' lineup.

Carlsson is expected to occasionally sit out as he acclimates to the NHL and will not be in the Ducks' lineup Tuesday as they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. It is a bit of a letdown as fans will have to wait to see the 2023 second-overall pick take on Adam Fentilli (2023 third-overall pick). Carlsson has a goal, six SOG, two PIMs, and a +2 plus/minus in two games thus far in 2023-24 while averaging an impressive 20:16 TOI.

Source:
Alyson Lozoff 2023-10-24T15:49:03.530Z
Leo Carlsson
Chad Ruhwedel(D)|FA
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Chad Ruhwedel will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday vs. Dallas.

Ruhwedel failed to pick up a point or shot in any of his first five games played while averaging just 11:48 TOI and will be the odd man out of the Penguins' lineup Tuesday vs. Dallas. The 33-year-old defenseman is being replaced by John Ludvig, who will be making his NHL debut. When Ruhwedel does return to the Pittsburgh lineup he will be looking to improve on his -3 plus/minus.

Source:
Seth Rorabaugh 2023-10-24T15:23:06.635Z
Chad Ruhwedel
John Ludvig(D)|COL
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John Ludvig is expected to make his NHL debut vs. Dallas.

It appears John Ludvig will make his NHL debut for the Penguins on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. Ludvig was the 69th overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, Ludvig had 17 points (3G / 14A) in 54 games. He will likely play next to Ryan Shea on the Penguins' third defensive pairing.

Source:
Josh Getzoff 2023-10-24T15:23:49.892Z
John Ludvig
Vinni Lettieri(C)|TOR
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Vinni Lettieri is expected to make his season debut Tuesday vs. Edmonton.

Lettieri was recalled late Sunday from Iowa (AHL) and is expected to make his Minnesota Wild debut Tuesday vs. Edmonton. The 28-year-old had a goal, two assists, four PIMs and a -8 plus/minus in four game with Iowa (AHL) in 2023-24 prior to his promotion. He had previously played 83 career NHL games played for three different organizations and has seven goals and 18 points in that span.

Source:
Michael Russo 2023-10-23T17:01:09.960Z
Vinni Lettieri
Leo Carlsson(C)|ANA
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Carlsson will be a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Bruins.

The Ducks said the move is not performance based as they are aiming to ease the 18-year-old's workload early in the season. The second overall pick in last summer's NHL Entry Draft has impressed in his two games so far this season. He's scored one goal on six shots on goal and is playing over 20 minutes a night, so it perhaps shouldn't be a surprise that Anaheim is expressing caution by sitting their budding superstar on the tail-end of a back-to-back. Fantasy managers can expect Carlsson to return the lineup for Tuesday's game in Columbus.

Source:
Eric Stephens 2023-10-22T23:58:22.089Z
Leo Carlsson
Jake DeBrusk(LW)|VAN
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DeBrusk will draw back into the lineup for Sunday's game in Anaheim.

DeBrusk was a healthy scratch for Saturday's game against the Kings after it was revealed he was late to a team meeting. The 27-year-old winger will be hoping to get his season back on track after registering zero points in his first three games of the campaign. He is expected to skate alongside Matthew Poitras and Morgan Geekie on Boston's second line.

Source:
Fluto Shinzawa 2023-10-22T23:42:00.262Z
Jake DeBrusk
Jonatan Berggren(RW)|DET
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Berggren will make his season debut against the Flames on Sunday.

Berrgren was recalled from Grand Rapids (AHL) on Friday and will draw into the Red Wings lineup on Sunday. After an impressive first year in North America, scoring 64 points (21G / 43A) in 70 games with Grand Rapids, Berggren became a regular in the lineup for the Red Wings last season where he recorded 28 points (15G / 13A) in 67 games. Berggren has impressed in the AHL again to begin the 2023-24 season, registering three assists through the opening two games of the season.

Source:
Helene St. James 2023-10-22T20:52:25.206Z
Jonatan Berggren
Jeff Petry(D)|FLA
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Petry will be a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Flames.

The Red Wings are going with a more conventional lineup today after opting to dress seven defensemen in Saturday's game against the Senators, and Petry is the odd man out. Petry has registered two assists, four shots on goal, and seven hits in four game this season. Subbing in for Petry is Jonatan Berggren, who is set to make his season debut alongside Austin Czarnik and Christian Fischer on Detroit's fourth line.

Source:
Ansar Khan 2023-10-22T20:59:05.447Z
Jeff Petry

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.