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2026-10-02T17:13:03.740Z
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Jiricek will make his NHL debut on Friday.
With Tyler Tucker (lower body) and Logan Mailloux (right hand) sidelined indefinity, the Blues will expedite their timeline for prospect Adam Jiricek. The 20-year-old Czech defenseman, Jiricek, was drafted 16th overall by the Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He spent last season in the OHL, where he tallied 59 points (19G / 40A) in 55 games for the Brantford Bulldogs.
Line Change
Dickinson will be a healthy scratch for San Jose's season opener vs. Florida on Thursday.
Dickinson played a prominent role on San Jose's blue line in 2025-26 as a rookie, but he will start the 2026-27 season as a healthy scratch. He averaged 16:45 time-on-ice and scored 14 points (1G / 13A) last season in 72 games.
Line Change
Samanski will make his season debut on Thursday in Vancouver.
Samanski did not play in Edmonton's season opener, but with Zach Hyman (undisclosed) set to miss two weeks, he will draw in on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 24-year-old Samanski made his NHL debut last season, scoring four points (2G / 2A) in 24 games with the Oilers.
Line Change
Teravainen is expected to draw back into Chicago's lineup and make his season debut in Utah on Thursday.
Teravainen was a healthy scratch in Chicago's season opener, a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, but he will draw into the lineup for his season debut on Thursday against the Utah Mammoth. The 32-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season and has not appeared in fewer than 68 games in any of his last five NHL seasons. He is coming off a 14-goal, 35-point campaign across 75 games played in 2025-26.
MacEwen will be a healthy scratch Wednesday vs. the Islanders.
Line Change
Groulx will make his season debut on Wednesday vs. the Islanders.
Groulx was a healthy scratch for Toronto's season opener vs. Montreal on Tuesday but finds himself back in the lineup for his season debut Wednesday vs. the Islanders. Toronto has yet to announce who the 26-year-old will replace in the lineup. Groulx appeared in 13 for the Maple Leafs last season, picking up three goals, and five points alongside his +4 plus/minus.
Marchenko (visa) will make his Maple Leafs' debut on Tuesday vs. Montreal.
Marchenko's status for Toronto's season opener vs. Montreal was up in the air as the 26-year-old dealt with Visa issues after his trade on Monday, but it has been confirmed the star forward will dress and make his Maple Leafs' debut. Marchenko signed a six-year, $12.5 million AAV extension after being acquired from Columbus on Monday and is hopeful to build off his 27-goal, 67-point season across 76 games played last season.
Line Change
Teravainen is expected to be a healthy scratch for Chicago's season opener in Vegas on Tuesday.
Despite being completely healthy, Teuvo Teravainen finds himself the odd man out of Chicago's roster for opening night in Vegas and is expected to be a healthy scratch. The 32-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season and has not appeared in fewer than 68 games in any of his last five NHL seasons. He is coming off a 14-goal, 35-point campaign across 75 games played in 2025-26 and will hope to find himself back in Chicago's lineup soon.
Kolesar will be a healthy scratch for Game 6.
Korczak will be a healthy scratch for Game 6.
Bowman will make his playoffs debut in Game 6.
Korczak will enter the Golden Knights' lineup for Game 6.
Line Change
Smith will draw into the Golden Knights' lineup for Game 6.
Line Change
Kochetkov will serve as Brandon Bussi's back-up for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Kochetkov will dress for the first time in these Stanley Cup Playoffs as Frederik Andersen is listed as a scratch. Kochetkov himself missed most of the regular season due to injury, appearing in just nine games.
Line Change
Andersen (undisclosed) will not dress for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Andersen was relieved in Game 3 at the start of the third period in favour of Brandon Bussi. It appeared to be due to the 4-0 deficit the Canes faced at the time, though it now appears it could have been related to an undisclosed injury. Bussi will start Game 4 and Pyotr Kochetkov will serve as his backup.
Korczak will be a healthy scratch for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Jeremy Lauzon (undisclosed) will return from a month-long absence on Tuesday for Game One against the Carolina Hurricanes, resulting in Korczak being a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Korczak is averaging 11:55 time-on-ice, recording nine blocks, 23 hits, and three assists in 12 games this postseason.
Line Change
Kapanen is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 vs. Carolina.
Joe Veleno will likely draw back into Montreal's lineup on Monday for Game Three, resulting in Kapanen being a healthy scratch. Kapanen has suited up in three consecutive games for Montreal, but has been used sparingly. He had a -2 plus/minus and two penalty minutes in the team's 3-2 overtime loss in Game Two.
Line Change
Veleno is expected to draw back into Montreal’s lineup for Game 3 vs. Carolina.
Oliver Kapanen is expected to be a healthy scratch on Monday in Game Three, allowing Veleno to re-enter the lineup. The 26-year-old Veleno is averaging 9:40 time-on-ice, recording 15 hits and one assist in six games this postseason.
Line Change
Saad will be a healthy scratch for Game 3 vs. Colorado.
Saad will unfortunately be the odd man out of Vegas' lineup for Game 3 vs. Colorado with team captain Mark Stone returning to the lineup from injury. Saad has appeared in five games this post season, picking up two assists and five SOG while averaging 8:41 TOI.
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.