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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Boris Katchouk(LW)|FA
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Line Change
Boris Katchouk will draw back into the Blackhawks' lineup vs. Columbus.

Katchouk will return to the Blackhawks' lineup on Wednesday as Taylor Hall is not expected to play due to an undisclosed injury. Katchouk last played on November 16th when he scored one point (0G / 1A), one shot, and two hits in 13:06 time-on-ice.

Source:
Brian Hedger 2023-11-22T18:22:22.534Z
Boris Katchouk
Dante Fabbro(D)|CBJ
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Line Change
Dante Fabbro will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday vs. Calgary.

Fabbro has two goals, three assists, 19 SOG, six PIMs, and a +4 plus/minus in 16 games played this season but will be the odd man out of the Predators' lineup Wednesday vs. Calgary. The 25-year-old defenseman will be replaced by Ryan McDonagh (injury) in Nashville's lineup.

Source:
Robby Stanley 2023-11-22T16:54:33.123Z
Dante Fabbro
Luke Evangelista(RW)|NJD
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Line Change
Luke Evangelista will draw back into the Predators' lineup Wednesday vs. Calgary.

Evangelista was a surprising healthy scratch on Monday but will return to the lineup on Wednesday and skate alongside Kiefer Sherwood and Juuso Parssinen on the Predators' second line. Evangelista has nine points (1G / 8A) in 16 games this season, averaging 15:02 time-on-ice.

Source:
Rob Stanley 2023-11-22T17:52:52.980Z
Luke Evangelista
Patrik Laine(RW)|FA
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Line Change
Patrik Laine will draw back into the Blue Jackets' lineup vs. Chicago after being a healthy scratch.

Laine was embarrassed by being a healthy scratched on Sunday by Blue Jackets' head coach Pascal Vincent, who will hope he sparked the Finnish sniper. Before his healthy scratch, Laine was held without a point in four straight games and only three points (2G / 1A) in nine contests this season. He will likely re-enter the Blue Jackets lineup playing on the wing of the second line with Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli.

Source:
Jeff Svoboda 2023-11-22T16:59:36.596Z
Patrik Laine
Samuel Girard(D)|PIT
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Line Change
Samuel Girard (personal) will be out Wednesday vs. Vancouver as he is away from the team.

Girard did not play on Monday due to personal reasons and will be away from the team again on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks. Girard has played 15 games this season, scoring only one point (0G / 1A) in his first 13 before tripling that with three points (2G / 1A) in his last two. Josh Manson entered the lineup on Monday to replace Girard.

Source:
Evan Rawal 2023-11-22T15:58:24.926Z
Samuel Girard
Milan Lucic(LW)|FA
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Line Change
Milan Lucic (personal) will be entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program while he remains on indefinite leave.

Lucic was arrested Saturday morning in Boston and will be entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program while away from the team. Lucic signed a one-year, $1 million contract to return to the Bruins in the offseason and has two assists in four games so far in 2023-24. Lucic has missed nine games this season due to an ankle injury and has an indefinite return date from that injury alongside the recent news.

Source:
Steve Conroy 2023-11-21T23:56:56.521Z
Milan Lucic
Sam Gagner(C)|FA
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Line Change
Gagner is listed as a scratch for Monday's game in Florida.

The Oilers are opting for a seven defensemen, 11 forward setup on Monday and Gagner appears to be the odd-man out up front. The 34-year-old has two goals and one assist in eight games with the Oilers this season.

Source:
Tony Brar 2023-11-20T23:52:52.021Z
Sam Gagner
Mark Friedman(D)|FA
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Line Change
Mark Friedman will draw back into the Canucks' lineup Monday vs. San Jose.

After being a healthy scratch in favour of Noah Juulsen, Friemdan will draw back into the lineup for Juulsen to play his 14th game of the season. Friedman is averaging 12:45 time-on-ice and has one assist, 21 blocks, and 17 hits this season. He is expected to skate on the Canucks' third defensive pair with Ian Cole.

Source:
Ben Kuzma 2023-11-20T20:04:51.343Z
Mark Friedman
Jaret Anderson-Dolan(C)|FA
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Line Change
Jaret Anderson-Dolan will draw back into the Kings' lineup on Monday vs. Arizona.

Anderson-Dolan will draw back into the lineup on Monday as Blake Lizotte will miss the next 7-10 days with an undisclosed injury. Anderson-Dolan has been held pointless in two games with the Kings this season while averaging 8:21 time-on-ice. The 24-year-old is expected to replace Lizotte on the fourth line with Trevor Lewis and Carl Grundstrom.

Source:
Zach Dooley 2023-11-20T19:59:19.561Z
Jaret Anderson-Dolan
Walker Duehr(RW)|WPG
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Line Change
Walker Duehr will draw back into the Flames' lineup Monday in Seattle.

Duehr will enter the Flames' lineup on Monday as Adam Ruzicka will be a healthy scratch. He last played on November 7th and will likely skate on the Flames' fourth line alongside A.J. Greer and Dillon Dube. Duehr has four points (1G / 3A) in 12 games with the Flames this season.

Source:
Eric Francis 2023-11-20T19:48:47.953Z
Walker Duehr

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.