NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Simon Gagne(LW)|
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Gagne will make his Bruins debut on Wednesday vs. the Red Wings.

Gagne did not play last season and only scored five goals and 11 assists (16 points) in 38 games between the Kings and Flyers in 2012-13. Gagne skated on the fourth line with Ryan Spooner and Daniel Paille in Tuesday's practice.

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Louis Jean 2014-10-14T11:56:50.000Z
Simon Gagne
Ryan Malone(LW)|
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Malone will make his Rangers debut on Tuesday.

Malone will start his Rangers career on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Tanner Glass, but he will also play on the Rangers' top power-play unit. Malone had his trouble with the law last season due to cocaine possession but he is a six-time 20-goal scorer and could help the Rangers power-play. He had just 15 points (5G / 10A) in 57 games with the Lightning last year.

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Mike Morreale 2014-10-14T11:22:29.000Z
Ryan Malone
Gustav Nyquist(C)|WPG
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Nyquist is skating on the Red Wings top-line with Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen.

Nyquist finished Saturday's game on the top-line and it looks like he will start Wednesday's game with Hank and 'The Mule'. Nyquist has picked up right where he left off last season, scoring a goal in each of his first two games.

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Chuck Pleiness 2014-10-13T16:08:35.000Z
Gustav Nyquist
Cody Eakin(C)|FA
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Line Change
Eakin practiced on the Stars top line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn on Monday.

Head coach Lindy Ruff said he is considering shaking up the lines for Tuesday's game, including putting Eakin on that top line. Seguin and Benn have no points and are a combined minus-6 so far. If Eakin gets moved up that should certainly help him produce and makes him a nice one-day fantasy league option.

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Mark Stepneski 2014-10-13T13:32:28.000Z
Cody Eakin
Blair Jones(C)|
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Jones will make his Flyers debut on Tuesday.

With Vincent Lecavalier out with a lower-body injury, Jones will slide into the lineup for his first game as a Flyer. He is expected to play on the fourth line with Jason Akeson and Zac Rinaldo.

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Sam Carchidi 2014-10-13T10:54:40.000Z
Blair Jones
Michael Raffl(LW)|FA
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Line Change
Raffl will replace Brayden Schenn on the flyers top line Saturday.

The Flyers are off to a slow start at 0-2 so they have shaken up all three of their top lines in search of more offense. Whoever is playing with Giroux and Voracek is bound to produce at a higher level but Raffl is not a great fantasy option because his job on the top line may be short lived.

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Sam Carchidi 2014-10-11T12:07:44.000Z
Michael Raffl
William Karlsson(C)|VGK
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Line Change
There is a good chance William Karlsson will make his NHL debut on Saturday in Detroit.

Karlsson was the Ducks second round pick (53rd overall) in 2011.The 21-year-old skated on the Ducks third line between Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano today and could replace Rickard Rakell in the lineup on Saturday. Karlsson had 15 goals and 22 assists (37 points) in 55 games in Sweden last season and nine points (2G / 7A) in nine games in the AHL after coming to North America.

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Eric Stephens 2014-10-10T15:31:45.000Z
William Karlsson
Justin Williams(RW)|FA
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Line Change
Williams skating with Kopitar and Gaborik for the second straight day.

After the Kings 4-0 loss to the Sharks on opening night, head coach Darryl Sutter elected to switch the lines up already and the switch has Williams playing with Kopitar and Gabo. This was the line that Williams played with in his tremendous playoff run and should lead to more goal scoring opportunities for him in the regular season. He was a minus-2 with five shots in 15:31 on Wednesday.

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Jim Fox 2014-10-10T13:39:56.000Z
Justin Williams
Griffin Reinhart(D)|
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Griffin Reinhart will make his NHL debut tonight vs. Carolina.

Reinhart, 20, was the Islanders first round pick (4th overall) in 2012. Reinhart is coming off of a season where he had four goals and 17 assists (21 points) in 45 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) last season. Reinhart will play with Brian Strait on the Isles third pair.

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@NYIslanders 2014-10-10T12:31:07.000Z
Griffin Reinhart
Richard Panik(RW)|NYI
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Line Change
Panik replacing Matt Frattin on the Maple Leafs third line.

Panik was claimed off of waivers from the Lightning on Wednesday and it looks like he will play on the Maple Leafs third line with Peter Holland and Daniel Winnik on Saturday. Panik has a lot of offensive skill, but still needs to work on the defensive part of his game.

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David Alter 2014-10-10T10:38:58.000Z
Richard Panik
Dennis Wideman(D)|FA
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Line Change
Wideman will be a healthy scratch tonight vs. Edmonton.

Wideman, who is the highest paid player on the Flames roster will be a healthy scratch tonight on the second night of a back-to-back. Wideman had no points and was a minus-1 in 16:30 against Vancouver last night. Raphael Diaz will enter the lineup fo Wideman.

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Scott Cruickshank 2014-10-09T13:50:36.000Z
Dennis Wideman
Ryan Johansen(C)|PHI
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Johansen will be in the Blue Jackets lineup tonight.

Just three days after signing a three-year, $12 million dollar deal, Johansen will throw that Blue Jackets jersey on and lace em up tonight vs. the Sabres. He only has one practice and a gameday skate under him, so you can expect a little rust. With all the injuries in Columbus right now, the Jackets will lean heavily on Johansen and his linemates Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson.

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Rob Mixer 2014-10-09T13:22:37.000Z
Ryan Johansen
Stephen Weiss(C)|FA
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Line Change
Weiss will be a healthy scratch in the Red Wings season opener.

Weiss, 31, had a disastrous debut season with the Red Wings and 2014-15 will start with him sitting in the press box. He has played just 43 games and recorded only three goals and five assists over the last two season and with the emergence of Riley Sheahan and a healthy Darren Helm, Weiss may find it difficult to get into the lineup at times this season.

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@DetroitRedWings 2014-10-09T13:11:07.000Z
Stephen Weiss
Sam Reinhart(C)|FLA
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Sam Reinhart will make his NHL debut on Thursday.

Reinhart, 18, was the second overall pick in this summer's draft. He will start his NHL career on the Sabres' second line with Cody Hodgson and Brian Gionta. "They're obviously very smart players and good players," Reinhart said of his linemates. "I feel if I move the puck to them and get myself open, we're going to create a lot of chances. I feel comfortable on that line."

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Joe Yerdon 2014-10-09T09:15:58.000Z
Sam Reinhart
Evgeny Kuznetsov(C)|FA
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Kuznetsov will centre the Capitals fourth line to start the season.

There was a ton of preseason hype about Kuznetsov, but he will start his career under Barry Trotz as the fourth line centre. "[Kuz] thinks it's the right spot for him at this moment," said Trotz after practice on Wednesday. He will centre a line with Chris Brown and Liam O'Brien on his wings, so the offence doesn't sound like it will be there in the early going. Fellow rookie Andre Burakovsky will centre the second line; Kuznetsov's projected spot.

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Adam Vingan 2014-10-08T17:04:01.000Z
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Brayden McNabb(D)|VGK
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McNabb will likely make his Kings' debut on Thursday.

All signs are pointing towards Jake Muzzin being unavailable tonight, which leaves the 23-year-old McNabb to make his Kings' debut on the Stanley Cup banner raising night and on the top D-pair with Drew Doughty to boot. McNabb was acquired from the Sabres at last year's deadline and totaled 10 goals and 26 assists (36 points) in 52 AHL games between Manchester and Rochester. He failed to record any points in 12 games with the Sabres.

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Lisa Dillman 2014-10-08T16:57:44.000Z
Brayden McNabb
Cory Conacher(LW)|FA
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Conacher will start the season on the Islanders top-line with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo.

Heading into training camp everyone wondered who would be the third man on this line. A lot of people picked Brock Nelson as the man who would fill the role. Some thought maybe Ryan Strome would get the nod, or even Josh Bailey. But, it will be Conacher who will start there on opening night. “It’s pretty special,” Conacher said about the opportunity to play on the top line. “I’ve gotten this opportunity before, in Tampa when I first started my career, and I just have to try to take advantage of this opportunity." Conacher is a speedy winger who is a definite fantasy sleeper heading into the season, but like he said he needs to take advantage of the opportunity he has been given.

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Christian Arnold 2014-10-08T16:53:50.000Z
Cory Conacher
Alex Stalock(G)|ANA
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Stalock will play a lot this season according to head coach Todd McLellan.

The Sharks are starting Antti Niemi in the season opener tonight, but coach McLellan stressed that Stalock is going to play a lot this season. "Nemo has a proven track record. We'd like to show him we have the confidence in him this year. It's a fresh year," McLellan said. "Everybody gets a fresh start and Nemo starts tonight. Now Alex will play. He'll play a lot. And so will Nemo." Each goalie played in three exhibition games. Stalock was 2-1 with a 1.68 GAA and a .915 SV%; Niemi was 0-1-2 with a 2.23 GAA and a .909 SV%.

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David Pollak 2014-10-08T16:49:53.000Z
Alex Stalock

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.