NHL Hockey Player News

Steve Downie(RW)|FA
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Line Change
Steve Downie (concussion) is practicing on a line with Sean Couturier and Matt Read, a good indicator he could be back tomorrow vs. Ottawa.

Downie has missed the last four games after being concussed in a fight on his first game back with the Flyers. He had a goal and an assist in 11 games with the Avalanche before being traded to Philly. Monitor his status during Tuesday's morning skate.

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Sarah Baicker 2013-11-11T11:26:50.000Z
Steve Downie
Mason Raymond(LW)|FA
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Line Change
Raymond has been moved to the Maple Leafs top line with James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel.

Raymond was shifted to the first line in the third period of Saturday's loss to the Bruins. The speedy winger remained on the top-line in Monday's practice so it appears he will play there on Wednesday vs. Minnesota. Raymond has five goals and six assists in 17 games.

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David Alter 2013-11-11T10:56:08.000Z
Mason Raymond
Matt Dumba(D)|DAL
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Dumba in for the injured Clayton Stoner (leg).

Dumba was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He has one goal and an assist in nine games this season. Dumba is one of the WIld's top prospects and has a good NHL career ahead of him, but until he lands a permanent spot on Minny's blueline, he has no fantasy value except for in deep keeper leagues.

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@mnwild 2013-11-09T12:24:59.000Z
Matt Dumba
Darren Helm(C)|COL
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Line Change
Red Wings head coach Babcock said Helm will center the second line tonight with Daniel Alfredsson and Tomas Tatar.

Babcock had said yesterday that Helm wasn't ready to play on the second line tonight, but he will get his shot with Johan Franzen and Stephen Weiss out. Helm has one goal in three games after missing over a year and a half of NHL action.

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Ansar Khan 2013-11-09T11:29:45.000Z
Darren Helm
Nail Yakupov(RW)|FA
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Line Change
Yakupov rotating in on the fourth line with Ryan Jones in Edmonton practice.

The Oilers line rushes this morning suggest Yakupov will either play on the fourth line with Luke Gazdic and Ryan Smyth or will be a healthy scratch on Saturday. He has struggled to one goal and two assists with a minus-14 rating in 15 games. The 2012 first overall pick had a solid rookie season (31 pts in 48 games) but has yet to follow that up with anything fantasy relevant this year.

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Tom Gazzola 2013-11-08T13:21:50.000Z
Nail Yakupov
Linus Omark(LW)|INA
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Line Change
Omark will be in the lineup tonight.

Omark was recalled by the Oilers yesterday and will replace Ben Eager in the lineup tonight. Omark has eight goals and four assists in 12 games with Oklahoma City (AHL). He spent the lockout shortened season in Switzerland, where he scored 17 goals and added 52 assists (69 points) in 48 games.

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Jack Michaels 2018-07-18T17:53:24.396Z
Jerred Smithson(C)|INA
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Line Change
Smithson is centering the Maple Leafs fourth line at this morning's practice.

The Maple Leafs signed Smithson to a one-year contract on Wednesday promoting him from the Toronto Marlies. With Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland out with injuries, the door has opened for Smithson to play an important role for Toronto. The 34-year-old has 588 games of NHL experience.

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Jonas Siegel 2018-07-18T17:53:21.136Z
Chris Terry(LW)|FA
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Line Change
Terry who was recalled by the Hurricanes on Wednesday, is skating on Carolina's third line and on their top power-play unit.

Terry has one goal in his three career NHL games. He has six goals and four assists in 10 games with Charlotte (AHL) this season. Terry has been given a solid chance to produce on the 'Canes top power-play.

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Chip Alexander 2013-11-07T10:42:46.000Z
Chris Terry
Sven Baertschi(LW)|FA
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Line Change
Baertschi will be a healthy scratch once again.

Baertschi was also a healthy scratch on October 24 vs. Dallas. He barely saw the ice in the third period of Sunday's win over the Blackhawks. He will come out of the lineup and Lance Bouma enters. Baertschi has one goal and four assists in 13 games.

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Pat Steinberg 2013-11-05T13:21:26.000Z
Sven Baertschi
Chad Billins(D)|
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D Chad Billins will make his NHL debut tonight.

Billins leads the Abbotsford Heat with five goals in 10 games. He spent last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he posted 10 goals and 27 assists (37 points) in 76 games. He is a smaller defenseman at 5-foot-10 and 175 lbs. but he brings some more offence to the Flames blueline.

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Pat Steinberg 2013-11-05T13:18:40.000Z
Chad Billins
Valeri Nichushkin(RW)|COL
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Line Change
Nichushkin has been moved to the Stars top line.

Nichushkin scored his first NHL goal last night and was rewarded with a move to the top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin today. This has happened before but he did not end up playing with them in-game. Dallas takes on the Bruins tomorrow, if he sticks on the first line, you should expect and increase in production from the talented Russian.

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Mike Heika 2013-11-04T13:33:41.000Z
Valeri Nichushkin
James van Riemsdyk(LW)|CBJ
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Line Change
James van Riemsdyk has been moved to centre.

With the injuries to key centres Dave Bollland and Tyler Bozak the Maple Leafs have shifted van Riemsdyk from the left-wing to the first line centre between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. He has shown great chemistry with Kessel posting six goals and seven assists in 13 games. van Riemsdyk has never played centre in the NHL and only played it sparingly at the University of New Hampshire.

Source:
Jonas Siegel 2013-11-04T12:05:01.000Z
James van Riemsdyk

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.