Line Change
Perbix will be back in the Lightning lineup on Wednesday.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Fleury will draw back into the Lightning lineup on Wednesday.
Line Change
Foote will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday.
Line Change
Jakub Vrana will be a healthy scratch Wednesday vs. Edmonton.
Vrana had six goals, five assists, four PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 17 games played with Grand Rapids (AHL) and was called up Tuesday for the second time this season but will be a healthy scratch Wednesday vs. Edmonton. Vrana had a goal and two points in two games prior to entering the NHL and NHLPA's Player Assistance Program on October 19th.
Line Change
Brett Leason will be a healthy scratch Wednesday vs. Buffalo.
Leason has four goals, three assists, 37 SOG, six PIMs and a -19 plus/minus through 43 games played this season but will be a healthy scratch Wednesday as the Ducks take on the Sabres. He will be replaced by Maxime Comtois in the lineup.
Line Change
Maxime Comtois will draw back into the Ducks' lineup Wednesday vs. Buffalo.
Comtois was a healthy scratch for the Ducks' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Wednesday as they take on Buffalo. The 24-year-old has five goals, four assists, 62 SOG, 70 PIMs and a -13 plus/minus through 42 games this season.
Line Change
Alex Goligoski will draw back into the Wilds' lineup Wednesday vs. Colorado.
Goligoski was a healthy scratch for the Wilds' previous two games but will draw back into the lineup Wednesday vs. Colorado. The 21-year-old has a goal, two assists, 33 SOG, and a -3 plus/minus through 21 games this season.
Line Change
Calen Addison will be a healthy scratch Wednesday vs. the Colorado Avalanche.
Addison has three goals, 24 assists, 66 SOG, 20 PIMs and a -18 plus/minus through 52 games this season but will now hit the press box as he is replaced by Alex Goligoski Wednesday vs. Colorado. It is Addison's second healthy scratch this season as he looks to improve his defensive zone play.
Line Change
Snively will draw into the Capitals lineup on Tuesday.
Line Change
Labanc will draw back into the Sharks lineup on Tuesday.
Labanc has surprisingly been a healthy scratch for the Sharks' previous four games but will draw back into the lineup Tuesday as they take on the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old right winger has 10 goals, 15 assists, 83 SOG, 22 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 45 games played.
Line Change
Perbix is expected to be a healthy scratch on Tuesday.
Perbix has four goals, 11 assists, 70 SOG, 14 PIMs and a +11 plus/minus through 42 games this season but will be a healthy scratch Tuesday vs. Carolina.
Line Change
Larsson will draw into the Senators' lineup on Tuesday.
Larsson last suited up for the Senators on November 21st but will find himself back in their lineup Tuesday as they take on the New York Islanders. Through his three games played this season, he has yet to pick up a point but has four PIMs and is a -1 plus/minus.
Line Change
Wideman will draw into the Canadiens lineup on Tuesday.
Wideman has been a healthy scratch for the Canadiens' previous two games but will draw back into the lineup Tuesday as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The 33-year-old has four assists, 24 SOG, 61 PIMs and a +3 plus/minus through 30 games this season.
Bayreuther will draw into the Blue Jackets lineup on Tuesday.
Bayreuther has been a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets' previous two games but will draw back into the lineup Tuesday as they take on the New Jersey Devils. The 28-year-old has two goals, four assists, 27 SOG, 15 PIMs and a -5 plus/minus through 22 games this season.
Gavrikov will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday for "trade-related reasons."
Gavrikov is one of the Blue Jackets' key trade pieces before the March 3rd Trade Deadline and will be a healthy scratch Tuesday as the team protects their asset. The 27-year-old's Columbus tenure will end with has three goals, seven assists, 61 SOG, 30 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 52 games this season.
Line Change
John Jason Peterka will be a healthy scratch Monday vs. Los Angeles.
Peterka has seven goals, 12 assists, 76 SOG and 22 PIMs through 49 games this season but will head to the press box Monday as a healthy scratch. He is replaced by Rasmus Asplund in the lineup.
Line Change
Rasmus Asplund draws back into the Sabres' lineup vs. Los Angeles.
Asplund has been a healthy scratch since January 28th but will draw back into the Sabres lineup Monday as they take on the Los Angeles Kings. The 25-year-old has two goals, six assists, 30 SOG, and a +1 plus/minus through 26 games this season with the Sabres.
Chychrun will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game for "trade-related reasons."
Chychrun has been the subject of many trade rumours in the last 48 hours and will sit for a second-straight game due to "trade-related reasons." The 24-year-old has seven goals, 21 assists, 114 SOG and is a +8 plus/minus through 36 games with the Coyotes this season prior to his recent scratches.
Line Change
Ryan Reaves will draw back into the Wilds' lineup Monday vs. Florida.
Reaves was a healthy scratch for the Wilds' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Monday as a replacement for Sam Steel (undisclosed). The 36-year-old bruiser has six assists, 20 SOG, 26 PIMs and a -4 plus/minus through 44 games with both Minnesota and the New York Rangers this season.
Line Change
Gambrell will be a healthy scratch on Monday.
Gambrell has a goal, 21 SOG, 27 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 32 games played this season but will be a healthy scratch Monday as the Senators take on Calgary. Austin Watson will fill be drawing into the lineup instead of Gambrell.
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.