Line Change
Asham-Vitale-Adams
Vitale draws into the fourth line. Last season the St. Louis native scored a goal and an assist over nine games. Lines updated.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
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Murray said Drew Doughty would be able to play a full complement of minutes in all situations
Great news for fantasy hockey owners as the more time he spends on the ice, the more opportunities he has to produce. Regardless, his totals of last season -- 11 goals, 40 points -- should be his absolute floor.
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With nine defensemen on the roster, Maurice said Jamie McBain, Derek Joslin and rookie Ryan Murphy would be healthy scratches for the opener.
With Justin Faulk making the team out of training camp, McBain moves to the bench temporarily. Last season he scored seven goals and 30 points, primarily quarterbacking the top PP unit. Expect his benching to end momentarily.
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Coach Joel Quenneville said it's likely the Hawks will play seven defensemen against the Stars on Friday night.
Three of the four bottom pairing defenders -- Sami Lepisto, Sean O'Donnell, John Scott or Steve Montador -- will be scratched tomorrow. Updates to follow.
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Ott with Fiddler and Dvorak.
Expect at least 10 goals, 30 points and well above 150 PIM if you draft him, making him quite a valuable player for deeper leagues.
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Eriksson on a line with Benn and Vincour.
Good news for Eriksson owners as he might have respectable linemates now. Last season he scored 27 goals and 73 points over 79 while playing mostly next to Brad Richards.
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Powe centered 4th line
Powe mostly played on the third and fourth lines in Philadelphia last season, scored seven goals and 17 points. He should serve as a solid fourth line center and a valuable PKer for his new team but won't light the lamp with frequency.
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Bulmer skated on 3rd line today
Bulmer has impressed during training camp, earning a spot on the opening night's roster. Last season, the left wing scored 18 goals and 49 poiints in 57 games playing for the Kelowna Rockets. Look for him to play a third line role.
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Orr has long been in a class by himself as the greatest defenseman in hockey history. And now Lidstrom, entering his 20th season, potentially his last, has an opportunity to tie Orr’s seemingly unreachable record of eight Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman.
With another superb season, Lidstrom can tie the record of eight Norris Trophies. Last season the future Hall-of-Famer scored 16 goals ans 62 points over 82 games, making the point that he can continue to play at an elite level despite his age.
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Faulk is with Kaberle
Last season, at the University of Minnesota-Deluth, he scored eight goals and 33 points over 39 games. The team seems certain he fits in a top four role this season.
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Skinner, Staal, Ruutu
Ruutu scored 19 goals and 57 points playing mostly on the second line last season. Playing with Staal over a full season, he should be able to replicate those totals.
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Skinner, Staal, Ruutu
Skinner playing on the top line should do wonders for his fantasy hockey value. Last season he scored 31 goals and 63 points over 82 games in his rookie season. As a natural goal scorer, he very well could score 40 goals at some point in his career.
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Franson, Connolly and Orr out tonight, as expected.
Orr is the odd man out of the lineup, losing his role to Jay Rosehill. Last season he only played 46 games but posted 128 PIM. He could easily top 200 PIM if he can play a full season with the team.
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As for the game, we’ll assume that Adam McQuaid will play. McQuaid missed yesterday’s practice and part of Tuesday’s session because of a virus. If McQuaid can’t dress, Matt Bartkowski would be in the lineup.
McQuaid holds limited value as a bottom-pairing defender. Don't expect much except PIM and possibly a decent +/- while chipping in around 15 points.
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Richardson-Richards-Brown
With Dustin Penner listed as day-to-day, Brad Richardson moves up to a scoring line. Last season he scored seven goals and 19 points through 68 games. He could top those totals if he sticks on the second line.
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The Red Wings have several players who can perform better in 2011-12, none more so than a trio of top-six forwards -- Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler -- who coach Mike Babcock said need to have "bounce-back years."
Hudler scored 10 goals and 37 points last season following a breakout, 57-point campaign in his last NHL season. To say the least he disappointed but showed signs of improving. He likely splits the difference and tops 40 points this season but won't have the ice time to hit the 60-point range.
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The Red Wings have several players who can perform better in 2011-12, none more so than a trio of top-six forwards -- Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler -- who coach Mike Babcock said need to have "bounce-back years."
Filppula continues to tease fantasy hockey owners with a highly talented game that could easily elevate into a true scorer. However, his 35-40 point outputs have fallen well short of those predictions. He could approach 50 points if he remains Henrik Zetterberg's left wing.
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The Red Wings have several players who can perform better in 2011-12, none more so than a trio of top-six forwards -- Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler -- who coach Mike Babcock said need to have "bounce-back years."
Franzen scored 28 goals and 55 points last season in what was deemed a down season for him. Expect him to climb above 30 goals this season as he enters the season in good health.
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But Langenbrunner showed up for training camp Sept. 16 and the right winger learned that he was on a line with David Backes at center. The duo showed enough in the preseason that they will open the season on a line with left winger Andy McDonald.
Langenbrunner will start the season on the team's top line, pushing Matt D'Agostini to the third. Last season, the Cloquet, Minnesota native scored nine goals and 32 points over 70 games. Over a full season he could return to the 50-point range.
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The reality, though, is that he is a capable, useful winger. He's an effective forechecker, works diligently in his own end and is an integral member of what was the NHL's top penalty-killing unit last season.
Expect a slightly neutered Cooke this season following another controversial campaign full of cheap shots and checks from behind. Last season he scored 12 goals and 30 points through 67 games adding 129 PIM. He could be a useful player in deeper leagues although the PIM probably take a hit.
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.