Line Change
Erik Cernak is out of the Lightning lineup Thursday (rest).
NHL Hockey Player News
Victor Hedman is out of the Lightning lineup Thursday (rest).
Line Change
Tyler Pitlick will return to the Blues' lineup Thursday.
Pitlick was a healthy scratch for the Blues' previous game but will draw into the lineup Thursday as a replacement for Hugh Mcging.
Line Change
Vitek Vanecek (rest) will be out Thursday vs. Washington.
Line Change
Geekie (rest) is expected to be back in the Kraken lineup on Thursday.
Geekie missed the Krakens' previous game for rest-related reasons but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Vegas. The 24-year-old has nine goals, 18 assists, 77 SOG, 24 PIMs and a +14 plus/minus through 68 games this season.
Line Change
Soucy (rest) is expected to be back in the Kraken lineup on Thursday.
Line Change
Schultz (rest) is expected to be back in the Kraken lineup on Thursday.
Schultz missed the Krakens' previous game for rest-related reasons and is expected to draw back into Seattle's lineup Thursday vs. Vegas. The 32-year-old has seven goals, 27 assists, 97 SOG, 40 PIMs and a +5 plus/minus through 72 games this season.
Line Change
Meyers will be a healthy scratch on Thursday.
Meyers has four goals, 33 SOG, six PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 38 games played this season but will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Winnipeg. The 24-year-old will be replaced by Arturri Lehkonen, who is returning from a finger injury.
Line Change
Goligoski is expected to be back in the Wild lineup on Thursday.
Goligoski was a healthy scratch for the Wilds' previous game but will draw back into the lineup for game 82 of the Wilds' regular season vs. New Jersey. The 37-year-old veteran has two goals, four assists, 63 SOG, 16 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 45 games this season.
Line Change
Addison is expected to be back in the Wild lineup on Thursday.
Addison was a healthy scratch for the Wilds' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Thursday as the team takes on the New Jersey Devils. The 23-year-old has three goals, 26 assists, 76 SOG, 22 PIMs and a -17 plus/minus through 61 games with Minnesota this season.
Line Change
Faber is expected to be back in the Wild lineup on Thursday.
Faber was a healthy scratch for the Wilds' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Nashville for his second career NHL game. The 20-year-old defenseman joined the Wild after a successful season with the University of Minnesota (NCAA), where he had four goals, 23 assists, 12 PIMs and +29 plus/minus in 38 games played.
Line Change
Giroux will make his NHL debut on Thursday.
Giroux had three goals, 18 assists, 28 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 65 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL) and will make his NHL debut Thursday vs. Nashville. The 23-year-old was the Wilds' 2018 fifth-round pick (155th overall).
Line Change
Swaney will make his NHL debut on Thursday.
Swaney had 16 goals, 12 assists, 14 PIMs and a +13 plus/minus through 46 games with Iowa (AHL) and has been recalled to Minnesota for the first time Wednesday. The 25-year-old was the Wilds' 2017 seventh-round pick (209th overall) and is expected to make his NHL debut Thursday.
Line Change
Walker is expected to draw into the Wild lineup on Thursday.
Walker had 26 goals, 20 assists, 23 PIMs and a +18 plus/minus through 54 games with Iowa (AHL) and will play his first game with the Wild Thursday since being recalled to Minnesota on Wednesday. The 23-year-old had a goal in eight games previous with Minnesota in his previous call-up this season.
Line Change
Petan is expected to be back in the Wild lineup on Thursday.
Petan was a healthy scratch for the Wilds' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Thursday as they take on the Nashville Predators. The 28-year-old has two assists, six SOG, two PIMs and a +2 plus/mins through nine games this season.
Line Change
Nyquist (rest) is expected to draw back into the lineup on Thursday.
Nyquist missed the Wilds' previous game due to rest-related reasons but will draw back into the lineup Thursday for the final game of the season. The 33-year-old has 11 goals, 14 assists, 99 SOG, 16 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus through 50 games between Columbus and Minnesota this season.
Line Change
Johansson (upper-body) will not play on Thursday.
Johansson was the subject of a slashing play involving Winnipeg's Neal Pionk which resulted in a $5,000 fine and will now be forced to miss Thursday's game as he deals with an upper-body injury. The 32-year-old closes out another productive season, as it ends with 19 goals, 27 assists, 137 SOG, eight PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 80 games played between Minnesota and Washington.
Line Change
Zuccarello (rest) will not play on Thursday.
Zuccarello has 22 goals, 45 assists, 198 SOG, 26 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 78 games this season but will not play in game 82 due to rest-related reasons. The 35-year-old reached the 20-goal, 65-point mark for a second straight season as he has solidified himself as a key part of Minnesota's top-six.
Line Change
Spurgeon (rest) will not play on Thursday.
Spurgeon has 11 goals, 23 assists, 149 SOG, 14 PIMs and a +32 plus/minus through 79 games this season but will not play Thursday as he rests ahead of the playoffs. The 33-year-old impressively reached double-digit goal totals for the sixth time in his career in 2022-23.
Line Change
Boldy (rest) will not play on Thursday.
Boldy has 31 goals, 32 assists, 255 SOG, 39 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus in 81 games in his sophomore campaign but will not play in game 82 for the Wild as he rests ahead of the playoffs. The 22-year-old old broke out in a big way in his second career-season and will hope to carry his strong late-season momentum into the playoffs.
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.