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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Stephen Weiss(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Weiss will make his season debut on Saturday.

Weiss was a healthy scratch for the first five games, but he will get into the lineup tonight vs. the Maple Leafs because Johan Franzen is out with a knee injury. Weiss had a terrible debut season in Detroit in 2013-14, he had just four points (2G / 2A) in 26 games. He will look to earn himself a permanent roster spot with a good performance tonight.

Source:
Dana Wakiji 2014-10-18T19:01:17.000Z
Stephen Weiss
Matt Frattin(RW)|
Line Change
Line Change
Frattin will play for the injured Brandon Kozun (ankle).

Frattin played in the season opener, but was a healthy scratch in the last five games. He gets back in the lineup on Saturday after Brandon Kozun injured his ankle on Friday. Frattin will play on the fourth line with Peter Holland and Richard Panik.

Source:
Terry Koshan 2014-10-18T17:51:01.000Z
Matt Frattin
Devin Setoguchi(RW)|
Line Change
Line Change
Setoguchi will be a healthy scratch on Friday.

Setoguchi made his Flames debut on October 11 and has yet to record a point with a minus-2 rating in his first three games with the Flames. Josh Jooris will replace Setoguchi in the Flames top-6 with Jiri Hudler and Sean Monahan.

Source:
Randy Sportak 2014-10-17T12:13:50.000Z
Devin Setoguchi
Johnny Gaudreau(LW)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Gaudreau looks to be a healthy scratch tonight vs. Columbus.

Gaudreau has no points but a plus-2 rating with just one shot on goal in the first five games of the season. 'Johnny Hockey' has seen his minutes drop in each contest since playing 16:04 in the season opener. Don't expect Gaudreau to sit too long.

Source:
Kristen Odland 2014-10-17T11:56:12.000Z
Johnny Gaudreau
Stephane Robidas(D)|
Line Change
Line Change
Robidas will be a healthy scratch on Friday.

Jake Gardiner will be back in the Maple Leafs lineup on Friday, so Robidas will take a seat. The Leafs needed to get Gardiner back in the lineup soon and with the speedy Red Wings in town, sitting Robidas probably make sense.

Source:
Chris Johnston 2014-10-17T11:25:41.000Z
Stephane Robidas
Jake Gardiner(LD)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Gardiner will be back in the Leafs' lineup on Friday.

Gardiner has been a healthy scratch in the Maple Leafs last two games, but he will be back in the lineup tonight, paired with Morgan Rielly. Stephane Robidas is expected to take a seat with Gardiner returning. The Red Wings are a really fast team so getting Gardiner's foot speed is a huge upgrade from Robidas skating.

Source:
Jonas Siegel 2014-10-17T11:18:17.000Z
Jake Gardiner
Jeff Petry(D)|MIN
Line Change
Line Change
Petry will be back on the Oilers blueline on Wednesday.

Petry was a healthy scratch in the Oilers loss to the Kings last night, but he will be back in the lineup vs. Arizona tonight. Brad Hunt will come out of the lineup to make room for Petry. Getting scratched last night was a surprise, so this move is not shocking at all.

Source:
Chris Wescott 2014-10-15T15:23:20.000Z
Jeff Petry
Filip Forsberg(LW)|NSH
Line Change
Line Change
Forsberg skating with Mike Ribeiro and James Neal.

Forsberg scored his first goal of the season last night and has now recorded at least one point in the first three games of the season. He has one goal and three assists so far and should only continue to produce on the Predators top line with Ribeiro and Neal, who could use a jump-start (1G between the two of them). Forsberg is only owned in 19% of Yahoo! leagues and is definitely worth taking a look at in 12-team leagues.

Source:
Robby Stanley 2014-10-15T12:44:44.000Z
Filip Forsberg
Jake Gardiner(LD)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Gardiner appears to be a healthy scratch for the second straight game.

Gardiner was on the ice for warmups but did not take part in line rushes, so he will sit for the second straight game. When Randy Carlyle was asked what he wants Gardiner to do when he gets back in the lineup all he had to say was "play better." It is clear that Carlyle is not happy with Gardiner's play early in the year.

Source:
David Alter 2014-10-14T19:18:41.000Z
Jake Gardiner
Cody Hodgson(C)|FA
Line Change
Line Change
Hodgson will move back to centre on Tuesday.

Head coach Ted Nolan said that Hodgson's stay on the wing is over because the centres could not get him the puck. Hodgson will shift back to the middle between Marcus Foligno and Chris Stewart tonight vs. Carolina.

Source:
John Vogl 2014-10-14T12:34:41.000Z
Cody Hodgson
Sam Reinhart(C)|FLA
Line Change
Line Change
Reinhart will play on the Sabres fourth line and get reduced minutes on Tuesday.

Reinhart has no points, two shots and a minus-1 rating while averaging 12:47 TOI in his first three NHL games. The Sabres can keep him up for nine-games without burning a year of his entry level contract, so going to the fourth line seems like he is destined to be returned to juniors after the nine-game stint.

Source:
John Vogl 2014-10-14T12:29:17.000Z
Sam Reinhart
Tyson Strachan(D)|
Line Change
Line Change
Strachan will make his Sabres debut on Tuesday.

Strachan will replace Andrej Meszaros on the blueline after Mezaros posted a dreadful minus-6 rating through the first three games of the season. The 29-year-old D-man had just two assists in 18 games with the Capitals last year.

Source:
Paul Hamilton 2014-10-14T12:20:46.000Z
Tyson Strachan
Simon Gagne(LW)|
Line Change
Line Change
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.

Source:
Louis Jean 2014-10-14T11:56:50.000Z
Simon Gagne

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.