Line Change
Jonas Johansson has been called up from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) and will dress and be the backup Thursday.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Nicolas Aube-Kubel will draw back into the Capitals' lineup Thursday vs. Dallas.
Line Change
Libor Hajek will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Line Change
Sammy Blais will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Line Change
Ben Harpur will make his Rangers' debut Thursday vs. Toronto.
Harpur had three goals, two assists, and 24 PIMs across 17 games with Hartford (AHL) and will make his New York Rangers debut Thursday vs. Toronto.
Vitali Kravtsov will draw back into the Rangers lineup Thursday.
Kravtsov has been a healthy scratch since Dec. 5th but will draw back into the lineup Thursday vs. Toronto. The 22-year-old, 2018 1st round pick (9th overall) has been a bit of a disappointment in his second season in the NHL, with a goal, an assist, seven SOG and six PIMs through 10 games so far.
Line Change
Rem Pitlick will draw back into the Canadiens lineup Thursday.
Pitlick was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Thursday. The 25-year-old has one goal, five shots and eight PIMs through 12 games while playing in Montreal's bottom six this season.
Line Change
Jake Evans will be a healthy scratch for the Canadiens Thursday vs. Anaheim.
Evans has five assists, 28 SOG and nine PIMs playing in all 29 of Montreal's games this season but will be a healthy scratch Thursday as Rem Pitlick draws back into the lineup.
Michael Pezzetta will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Anaheim.
Pezzetta has played in the Canadiens' previous three games but will head to the press box yet again as a healthy scratch Thursday. The 24-year-old has a goal, 12 PIMs and 16 SOG while playing limited minutes in Montreal's bottom-six through 16 games this season.
Line Change
Kevin Bahl will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. Philadelphia.
Bahl will head back to the press box as a healthy scratch after playing 15:00 TOI and picking up an assist in the Devils' previous contest vs. Dallas. The 22-year-old towering defenseman will hope to be back in the lineup soon so he can improve on his one goal, and two points in five games he has collected this season.
Andreas Johnsson will be a healthy scratch Thursday vs. the Flyers.
Johnsson played his first game of the season in the Devils' previous game vs. Dallas but will head to the press box as a healthy scratch Thursday. Johnsson had 35 points (13G/22A) in 71 games in 2021-22, but has failed to catch his footing with the Devils this season and will hope to be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.
Line Change
Brandan Smith will draw back into the lineup vs. Philadelphia.
Smith was a healthy scratch for the first time in the Devils' previous game but will draw back into the lineup Thursday as they take on Philadelphia. The veteran defenseman has one assist, 26 SOG and 27 PIMs through 28 games in New Jersey's bottom defensive pair this season.
Alexander Holtz will return to the Devils' lineup Thursday vs Philadelphia.
Holtz was a healthy scratch for the Devils' previous game but will draw back into the lineup after collecting two goals, 10 SOG and eight PIMs while averaging only 10:04 ATOI in his rookie season. He will return to the lineup Thursday vs. the Flyers.
Line Change
Matthew Phillips will be a healthy scratch Wednesday vs. the Canucks.
Phillips will head to the press box as a healthy scratch Wednesday after failing to pick up a point in a short two-game showing while also getting two PIMs and one SOG. Phillips had 15 goals and 15 assists in 20 games with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) prior to his call-up to the Flames.
Line Change
Gustav Olofsson will draw back into the Kraken lineup Tuesday.
With the late scratch to Justin Schultz, Gustav Olofsson will draw back into the Kraken lineup for the second time this season. In his one game on Nov. 13th, he had two shots, was a +1 plus/minus on 10:14 TOI.
Line Change
Smith will come out of the Devils lineup on Tuesday.
Line Change
Bahl will draw into the Devils lineup on Tuesday.
Holtz will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday.
Johnsson will draw into the Devils lineup on Tuesday.
Line Change
Grigori Denisenko will make his season debut Tuesday vs. Columbus.
Denisenko has three goals, eight assists, 12 PIMs and is a -10 plus/minus through 24 games with Charlotte (AHL) prior to being called up Tuesday. The 2018 1st round pick (15th overall) has eight career NHL games prior to this season, collecting four assists and four PIMs.
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.