Samoskevich is listed as a scratch for Game 3 against the Maple Leafs.
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Sturm is listed as a scratch for Game 3 against the Maple Leafs.
Line Change
Boqvist is listed as a scratch for Game 3 against the Maple Leafs.
Line Change
Schenn is expected to be a healthy scratch in Game 2 vs. Dallas.
Schenn has appeared in all eight playoff games for the Jets so far, but it looks like he'll be the one that sits if Josh Morrissey plays in Game 2. Schenn has just one assist and a minus-9 rating in the postseason.
Line Change
Roslovic will draw into the Hurricanes lineup for Game 2 in Washington.
Roslovic will draw back into Carolina's lineup after serving as a healthy scratch in their last three games. He'll fill in for Mark Jankowski (undisclosed).
Line Change
Gibson will dress and serve as the Capitals backup for Game 2 against the Hurricanes.
Gibson was a late addition to the Capitals lineup in place of Charlie Lindgren, who is unavailable due to personal family reasons. Gibson is yet to appear in an NHL game and split time between South Carolina (ECHL) and Hershey (AHL) this season.
Leonard is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 2 in Carolina on Thursday.
Leonard only has one assist through six playoff games this offseason and is expected to be a healthy scratch for Taylor Raddysh ahead of Game 2 on Thursday. The 20-year-old right-winger has 15 total NHL games under his belt and has a goal and an assist during that span.
Raddysh is expected to draw back into Washington's lineup for Game 2 in Carolina on Thursday.
Raddysh was a healthy scratch for Washington's previous three games but is expected to draw back into the Capitals' lineup for Game 2 on Thursday. The 27-year-old winger has only produced one assist in four playoff games this year after collecting 27 points in 80 games played during the regular season.
Line Change
Murray will back up for Game 2 vs. Florida on Wednesday.
With Anthony Stolarz (concussion) being ruled out for Game 2 on Wednesday, Matt Murray will serve as Toronto's backup vs. Florida. The 30-year-old spent the majority of his 2024-25 season with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) but did appear in two games with the Maple Leafs during the regular season, struggling with his 1-1-0 record, 3.54 GAA and .879 SV%.
Line Change
Balinskis will be a healthy scratch for Game 2 in Toronto on Wednesday.
With Aaron Ekblad returning from a two-game suspension, Uvis Balinskis will be the odd man out for Game 2 in Toronto on Wednesday. The 28-year-old has appeared in four games so far in the playoffs and had a goal, two SOG and a +4 plus/minus.
Line Change
Greer will be a healthy scratch for Game 2 in Toronto on Wednesday.
Greer has appeared in Florida's previous three playoff games but will head to the press box after being replaced by Mackie Samoskevich for Game 2 on Wednesday. Greer enjoyed his best offensive season in 2024-25, with six goals and 17 points in 81 games played, but will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday.
Samoskevich is expected to draw back into Florida's lineup for Game 2 in Toronto on Wednesday.
Samoskevich has not appeared in Florida's lineup since Game 3 of their opening-round series vs. Tampa Bay but will draw back into the Panthers' lineup for Game 2 in Toronto on Wednesday. The 22-year-old will replace A.J. Greer on Florida's fourth line. In 72 regular-season games this season, Samoskevich had 15 goals and 31 points in his rookie campaign.
Line Change
Ekblad (suspension) will return to the Panthers' lineup for Game 2.
Ekblad was suspended for two games for elblowing Brandon Hagel in Game 4 vs. the Lightning, but will be back in the lineup for Game 2 in Toronto. Ekblad has missed 22 of the last 24 games due to multiple suspensions, but made an impact in his only two games, scoring one goal with three SOG (eight attempts), six hits and four blocked shots.
Korczak will draw into the Golden Knights lineup for Game 1 against the Oilers.
Korczak will fill in for Alex Pietrangelo, who was a surprise scratch for Game 1 due to an illness. Korczak is yet to play in the post-season, though he did appear in 40 regular season games for the Golden Knights this season, logging ten assists, 40 blocked shots, and 59 hits.
Line Change
Fleury is expected to draw back into Winnipeg's lineup for Game 7 vs. St. Louis.
Line Change
Toninato is expected to return to Winnipeg's lineup for Game 6 in St. Louis on Friday.
With Mark Scheifele (undisclosed) sidelined for Game 6, Toninato will draw into the Jets' lineup. The 31-year-old Toninato only played five games this season. He has one point (1G / 0A) in six career playoff outings.
Line Change
Texier is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 6 on Friday vs. Winnipeg.
Mathieu Joseph will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Friday for Game 6, sending Texier to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Texier has on point (0G / 1A) in three games this postseason. He had a -2 plus/minus in Game 5.
Line Change
Joseph is expected to draw back into St. Louis’ lineup for Game 6 vs. Winnipeg on Friday.
Alexandre Texier will be a healthy scratch for the Blues in Game 6, allowing Joseph to re-enter the lineup. The 28-year-old Joseph has not played since the first game of the series when he recorded four hits and 10 penalty minutes in 11:17 time-on-ice.
Olofsson will draw back into Vegas' lineup for Game 6 in Minnesota.
With Pavel Dorofeyev battling an undisclosed injury, Olofsson will re-enter the Vegas lineup on Thursday for Game 6. The 29-year-old Olofsson has been sidelined the previous two games. He has zero points and -1 plus/minus through three games this postseason.
Raddysh is a healthy scratch for Game 5 against the Canadiens.
Raddysh will take a seat on Wednesday to make way for Aliaksei Protas' return from a foot laceration. Raddysh logged zero goals and one assist in the first four games of the series, averaging 11:40 in ice time.
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.