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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Anthony Bitetto(LD)|FA
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Line Change
Bitetto is expected to draw onto the Predators’ blueline on Saturday.

Bitetto has split time between the AHL and NHL over the last two seasons, but it looks like he will be a full-time NHLer this season—even if it’s as a seventh defenseman. Bitetto had seven assists in 29 games with the Predators last season and tonight he will replace Alexei Emelin in the lineup.

Source:
Adam Vingan 2017-10-07T16:44:42.000Z
Anthony Bitetto
Jordan Nolan(C)|FA
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Nolan is expected to be a healthy scratch on Saturday.

Nolan played 12:00 TOI in his Sabres debut but did not get on the scoresheet—he didn’t even record a hit. The Sabres fell to the Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout, so in an effort to get more offence in the lineup they will replace Nolan with Matt Moulson.

Source:
Paul Hamilton 2017-10-07T13:22:29.000Z
Jordan Nolan
Gustav Olofsson(D)|FA
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Olofsson is expected to dress as a seventh defenseman on Saturday.

Olofsson sat as a healthy scratch in the season opener in Detroit, but with Mikael Granlund battling an undisclosed injury he will draw in as a seventh defenseman tonight in Carolina. The 22-year-old blueliner had three assists in 13 games with Minnesota last season, but spent most of the year in Iowa (AHL) where he amassed 24 points (6G / 18A) across 59 contests.

Source:
Dane Mizutani 2017-10-07T13:22:18.000Z
Gustav Olofsson
Nathan Walker(LW)|STL
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Walker will become the first Australian player to play in the NHL on Saturday.

Walker, 23, a Sydney, Australia native will make his NHL debut vs. the Canadiens on Saturday. The 5-foot-8, 186 lbs. winger showed some good offensive talent in the AHL in 2015-16, collecting 41 points (17G / 24A) in 73 games but had a more difficult time last season, posting just 11 goals and 12 assists (23 points) in 58 games.

Source:
capitalstoday.monumentalsportsnetwork.com 2017-10-06T16:27:15.000Z
Nathan Walker
Nikita Zadorov(D)|BOS
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Zadorov will draw into the Avalanche lineup on Saturday.

Zadorov was a healthy scratch in the Avs’ opening night win in New York, but will draw into the lineup in New Jersey tomorrow. Zadorov, who stands at 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. has great shutdown ability and posted 10 assists in 56 games with Colorado last season. He is expected to replace Andrei Mironov on the back-end.

Source:
Mike Chambers 2017-10-06T16:23:52.000Z
Nikita Zadorov
Vadim Shipachyov(C)|
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Shipachyov will not play in the Golden Knight’s season opener.

When the Golden Knights submitted their regular season roster and sent Shipachyov to the AHL, everyone expected their No.1 centre to return in advance of their season opener. However, because of a number crunch—they are carrying nine defensemen right now—Shipachyov remains in the AHL and will not play tonight.

Source:
Sean Shapiro 2017-10-06T13:31:30.000Z
Vadim Shipachyov
Josh Ho-Sang(RW)|FA
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Ho-Sang will be a healthy scratch for the season opener.

Throughout the last week, Ho-Sang was skating on the third line with Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier, but will sit in Columbus. The Islanders are going with an experienced lineup for opening night, meaning Jason Chimera will replace Ho-Sang in the lineup for at least one game.

Source:
Arthur Staple 2017-10-06T08:54:24.000Z
Josh Ho-Sang
Jason Chimera(LW)|
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Line Change
Chimera will be in the Islanders opening night lineup.

Chimera has been skating as an extra forward since the end of training camp, but the Islanders will go with an experienced roster vs. the Blue Jackets, meaning Josh Ho-Sang will sit. Chimera is coming off of a shocking 20-goal, 13-assist season while shooting 16.5 percent.

Source:
Arthur Staple 2017-10-06T08:52:51.000Z
Jason Chimera
Nikita Zadorov(D)|BOS
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Line Change
Zadorov will be a healthy scratch for the Avalanche season opener.

Zadorov, who was key piece in the Ryan O’Reilly trade to Buffalo, has struggled to find his way in Colorado. The 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. defenseman has the tools to be successful but has yet to put it all together. Still just 22-years-old, Zadorov will sit because the Avalanche claimed Patrik Nemeth off of waivers on Tuesday and he will play with Tyson Barrie.

Source:
Mike Chambers 2017-10-05T12:25:49.000Z
Nikita Zadorov
Curtis Lazar(C)|EDM
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Line Change
Lazar will be a healthy scratch in the Flames season opener.

Lazar, who picked up three points in four games after being acquired by the Flames last season was beat out by Tanner Glass and Garnet Hathaway for the last few spots in the Flames’ opening night roster. With Jaromir Jagr also coming to town soon, Lazar might have a difficult time working his way into the lineup.

Source:
Derek Wills 2017-10-04T15:09:06.000Z
Curtis Lazar
Logan Brown(C)|LAK
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Logan Brown will make his NHL debut on Thursday.

Brown, 19, was the No.11 overall pick in 2016 and is coming off of a year in which he had 40 points (14G / 26A) in 35 games with Windsor (OHL). Brown cracked the opening night roster thanks to a preseason injury to fellow centre Colin White, but he won’t carry a lot of fantasy value as he’s expected to start on the fourth line, but should see some PP time.

Source:
@Senators 2017-10-04T12:32:48.000Z
Logan Brown
Nic Petan(C)|FA
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Petan is expected to be a healthy scratch for the season opener.

Despite skating as a regular throughout the last few practices, the return of Andrew Copp will push Petan to the press box on opening night. The 22-year-old had just 13 points (1G / 12A) in 54 games last year, spending most of it on the fourth line with Chris Thorburn.

Source:
Scott Billeck 2017-10-04T10:47:59.000Z
Nic Petan
Josh Anderson(RW)|MTL
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Line Change
Anderson is not expected to be in the Blue Jackets’ opening night lineup.

Anderson missed training camp due to a contract dispute, but signed a three-year deal on Tuesday. Despite inking a new contract, head coach John Tortorella said that Anderson is out on Friday. Anderson will likely need a few practice sessions to get back into the swing of things, but don’t expect the power-forward to sit out for too many contests.

Source:
Mark Scheig 2019-05-15T00:19:36.543Z
Josh Anderson
Claude Giroux(RW)|OTT
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Line Change
Giroux skated at left wing during Tuesday’s practice.

This summer the Flyers drafted Nolan Patrick at No.2 overall, creating a logjam down the middle in Philadelphia. With Nolan expected to make the roster out of training camp, the Flyers gave Giroux a look on the left side of Sean Couturier with Jakub Voracek on the wing. Couturier and Patrick would likely serve as the No.1 and No.2 centres with the likes of Valtteri Filppula and Jori Lehtera likely being the No.3 and No.4 pivots. The centre depth will allow the Flyers to get creative and putting Giroux on the wing with Couturier and Voracek could give them a dominant first line without sacrificing depth. It’s only been one day of practice, but Giroux would definitely see an uptick in fantasy value if he were to gain dual position eligibility (C/LW).

Source:
Anthony SanFilippo 2017-09-19T14:35:30.000Z
Claude Giroux

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.