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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Jansen Harkins(C)|ANA
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Harkins will draw back into Anaheim's lineup in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

Frank Vatrano will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Harkins to re-enter the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 28-year-old Harkins is averaging 10:12 time-on-ice and has six points (3G / 3A) in 36 games this season.

Source:
Eric Stephens 2026-03-10T20:20:15.813Z
Jansen Harkins
Theo Lindstein(D)|STL
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Lindstein is expected to make his NHL debut vs. New York on Tuesday.

Lindstein was a first-round pick of St. Louis in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old Swedish defenseman has yet to play an NHL game and is currently playing his first professional season in North America, tallying 14 points (6G / 8A) in 56 games with Springfield (AHL).

Source:
Matthew DeFranks 2026-03-10T17:52:58.487Z
Theo Lindstein
Ryan Reaves(RW)|SJS
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Reaves will be a healthy scratch in Buffalo on Tuesday.

Philipp Kurashev will draw back into San Jose's lineup on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres, sending Reaves to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 39-year-old Reaves is averaging 7:56 time-on-ice, recording three goals and 152 hits in 48 games this season.

Source:
Sheng Peng 2026-03-10T17:44:25.735Z
Ryan Reaves
Nathan Bastian(RW)|DAL
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Bastian will be a healthy scratch vs. Vegas on Tuesday.

Arttu Hyry will re-enter the Stars' lineup on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, resulting in Bastian being a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old Bastian has been effective lately for Dallas in a fourth-line role, scoring three goals in his last six games.

Source:
Brien Rea 2026-03-10T16:40:43.439Z
Nathan Bastian
Arttu Hyry(RW)|DAL
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Hyry will draw back into Dallas' lineup vs. Vegas on Tuesday.

Nathan Bastian will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, allowing Hyry to re-enter the lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 24-year-old Hyry has zero points and is averaging 11:46 time-on-ice in four games with Dallas this season.

Source:
Brien Rea 2026-03-10T16:38:42.736Z
Arttu Hyry
Bo Groulx(C)|TOR
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Groulx is expected to make his Maple Leafs' debut on Tuesday in Montreal.

Groulx was a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 26-year-old forward has five points (1G / 4A) in 65 career NHL games, all with the Ducks. He has spent the entire 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he has 50 points (27G / 23A) in 54 games with the Toronto Marlies.

Source:
David Alter 2026-03-10T16:29:56.843Z
Bo Groulx
Nico Sturm(C)|MIN
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Sturm will be a healthy scratch vs. Utah on Tuesday.

Marcus Johansson (upper body) will return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Utah Mammoth, resulting in Sturm being a healthy scratch. The 30-year-old Sturm scored a goal in Minnesota's previous game, giving him 10 points (4G / 6A) in 41 outings this season.

Source:
Jessi Pierce 2026-03-10T16:21:17.189Z
Nico Sturm
Luke Kunin(C)|FLA
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Kunin will draw back into Florida's lineup vs. Detroit on Tuesday.

With Sam Reinhart (undisclosed) not play on Tuesday, Kunin will re-enter the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings. The 28-year-old Kunin has not played in nearly two weeks. He is averaging 8:36 time-on-ice, recording four points (2G / 2A) and 82 hits in 44 games this season.

Source:
Jordan McPherson 2026-03-10T15:28:20.366Z
Luke Kunin
Curtis Douglas(C)|VAN
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Douglas will make his Canucks debut on Monday.

Douglas, in his first NHL season, averaged 5:58 time-on-ice and scored two assists in 29 games with Tampa Bay this season. The towering 6'9 forward joined the Vancouver Canucks after being claimed off of waivers. He will fill in for Evander Kane on Monday, who is out with an illness.

Source:
Tyson Cole 2026-03-10T00:41:05.431Z
Curtis Douglas
Sam Lafferty(C)|CHI
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Lafferty is expected to draw back into Chicago's lineup vs. Utah on Monday.

Lafferty has not played since January 30th, but he will make his return on Monday against the Utah Mammoth. The 31-year-old Lafferty has two points (1G / 1A) and is averaging 8:54 time-on-ice through 19 games in primarily a fourth-line role.

Source:
Kalen Lumpkins 2026-03-09T17:07:01.061Z
Sam Lafferty
Vinnie Hinostroza(C)|FLA
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Hinostroza is expected to make his Panthers' debut on Tuesday vs. Detroit.

With Brad Marchand (undisclosed) sidelined, Hinostroza will re-enter the Panthers' lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings. The 31-year-old Hinostroza scored 10 points (3G / 7A) in 48 games with Minnesota before being acquired by Florida ahead of the trade deadline.

Source:
Rob Darragh 2026-03-09T17:05:57.420Z
Vinnie Hinostroza
Victor Olofsson(LW)|CGY
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Olofsson will make his Flames' debut on Monday vs. Washington.

Calgary acquired Victor Olofsson, Max Curran, a 2028 1st round pick, and a conditional 2nd round pick from Colorado for Nazem Kadri (20% retained) and a 2027 4th round pick ahead of the NHL trade deadline on Friday. The 30-year-old Olofsson will make his Flames' debut on Monday against the Washington Capitals, replacing John Beecher. Olofsson averaged 13:20 time-on-ice and had 25 points (11G / 14A) in 60 games with Colorado this season.

Source:
Eric Francis 2026-03-09T16:49:22.102Z
Victor Olofsson
John Beecher(C)|CGY
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Beecher will be a healthy scratch in Washington on Monday.

Victor Olofsson will make his Flames' debut on Monday against the Washington Capitals, resulting in Beecher being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Beecher is averaging 10:08 time-on-ice and has four points (1G / 3A) in 30 games this season.

Source:
Eric Francis 2026-03-09T16:47:57.316Z
John Beecher
Vincent Iorio(D)|NYR
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Iorio is expected to be a healthy scratch in Philadelphia on Monday.

Urho Vaakanainen will draw back into the Rangers' lineup on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers, sending Iorio to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Iorio is averaging 15:51 time-on-ice and has three assists in 26 games this season.

Source:
Mollie Walker 2026-03-09T15:37:59.772Z
Vincent Iorio
Martin Pospisil(C)|CGY
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Pospisil will be a healthy scratch in Washington on Monday.

Matvei Gridin will draw back into the Flames' lineup on Monday against the Washington Capitals, sending Pospisil to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Slovak, Pospisil, is averaging 10:34 time-on-ice, recording 34 hits and two points (1G / 1A) in 11 games this season.

Source:
Eric Francis 2026-03-09T15:42:52.940Z
Martin Pospisil

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.