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de Haan will be a healthy scratch on Saturday.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
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Soucy will make his Rangers debut on Saturday.
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Gustafsson is a healthy scratch for Friday's game in New Jersey.
Gustafsson will be the odd-man out on Friday in order to make room for Brandon Tanev's Jets debut. Gustafsson has one goal and four assists in 29 games this season.
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Tanev will make his Jets debut on Friday.
Tanev will cap off what was an incredibly busy Friday for him by making his debut in New Jersey against the Devils. Tanev was thankfully already in nearby Philadelphia when he was acquired from the Kraken earlier on Friday. The 33-year-old Tanev has 17 points (9G / 8A) in 60 games this season.
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Gilbert is available on Saturday vs. New York.
The Senators acquired Dennis Gilbert, Dylan Cozens and a 2026 2nd Round Pick from the Sabres for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Gilbert has only played 25 games this season, averaging 10:04 time-on-ice, but will add needed depth the the Senators blueline. The 28-year-old defenseman has five points (0G / 5A), 29 blocks, and 52 hits this season.
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Cozens is expected to be available on Saturday vs. New York.
The Senators acquired Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 2nd Round Pick from the Sabres for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker. After a breakout 2022-23 season, scoring 68 points (31G / 37A) in 81 games, Cozens has not lived up to expectations in Buffalo, scoring only 78 points (29G / 49A) in 140 games in two seasons since. The 23-year-old Cozens will get the opportunity to re-establish his game in Ottawa with a group of talented young forwards. Cozens will likely take Josh Norris' former spot on Ottawa's top line, playing between David Perron and Drake Batherson.
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Norris is expected to make his Buffalo debut on Saturday in Florida.
The Sabres acquired Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker from the Senators for Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 2nd Round Pick. The 25-year-old Norris has battled injuries issues over the previous few seasons but has been productive when he is healthy. Norris will likely fit into the top-six on Buffalo's roster, effectively taking over the role of Dylan Cozens.
Laughton will make his Maple Leafs’ debut on Saturday vs. Colorado.
The Maple Leafs acquired Scott Laughton, a 2025 4th round pick and a 2027 6th round pick from the Flyers for Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional 2027 1st round pick ahead of the trade deadline on Friday. The 30 year-old Laughton registered 27 points (11G / 16A), 33 blocks, and 129 hits in 60 games with the Flyers this season.
Carlo is expected to make his Maple Leafs’ debut on Saturday vs. Colorado.
The Maple Leafs acquired Carlo in a trade with the Boston Bruins before the trade deadline on Friday. Carlo is expected to make his Toronto debut on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. He averaged 18:48 time-on-ice and scored nine points (1G / 8A) in 63 games with Boston this season.
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Rantanen will make his Dallas debut on Saturday in Edmonton.
Rantanen was acquired by Dallas in a trade from the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the tread deadline in exchange for Logan Stankoven and several high-end draft picks. The 28-year-old Rantanen immediately signed an eight-year, $96 million extension ($12 million AAV) and is expected to make his debut with Dallas on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Rantanen is coming off consecutive 100+ point seasons in Colorado and instantly makes the Dallas Stars a Stanley Cup favorite. Rantanen is poised to suit up on the Stars' top line with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.
Kuzmenko is expected to make his Kings’ debut on Saturday vs. St. Louis.
Kuzmenko began the season with the Calgary Flames, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, and was flipped to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2027 third-round pick on Friday. The Flyers are retaining 50% of Kuzmenko's contract. The impending UFA only had 15 points (4G / 11A) in 37 games with the Flames this season but was much more productive after joining the Flyers, scoring five points (2G / 3A) in seven outings.
Brazeau is expected to make his Minnesota debut on Friday in Vancouver.
Brazeau was part of a deal that sent Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov to the Boston Bruins on Thursday evening. The 27-year-old Brazeau played a career-high 57 games with the Bruins this season, scoring 20 points (10G / 10A) and averaging 12:58 time-on-ice.
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Khusnutdinov is available and ready to make his Bruins' debut on Saturday in Tampa Bay.
Jakub Lauko was acquired along with Marat Khusnutdinov and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Boston Bruins for Justin Brazeau. The 22-year-old Khusnutdinov averaged 11:14 time-on-ice and scored seven points (2G / 5A) in 57 games with Minnesota this season.
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Lauko is available and expected to play on Saturday in Tampa Bay.
Jakub Lauko was acquired along with Marat Khusnutdinov and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Boston Bruins for Justin Brazeau. The 24-year-old Lauko scored six points (3G / 3A) and averaged 10:03 time-on-ice in 38 games with Minnesota this season.
Dumoulin will make his Devils' debut on Friday vs. Winnipeg.
Dumoulin was acquired via trade from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and will add some defensive depth and Stanley Cup pedigree to the Devils blueline. The 33-year-old defenseman averaged 19:48 time-on-ice and scored 16 points (2G / 14A) through 61 games with the Ducks this season.
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Schuldt will make his Sharks debut in Colorado on Thursday.
A 29-year-old blue-liner, Schuldt has just a single NHL game under his belt, which came way back in the 2018-19 season with the Golden Knights. Schuldt has appeared in 53 AHL games this season, scoring four goals and adding 13 assists.
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Meyers will draw into the Kraken lineup on Thursday.
Brandon Tanev is a precautionary scratch for trade-related reasons, so Meyers will get the chance to make his eighth appearance of the season. He is yet to register a point.
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Stillman will draw into the Hurricanes lineup on Thursday.
Stillman will fill in for Dmitry Orlov, who was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury. Stillman has appeared in just two games with the Hurricanes this season.
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Veleno is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game against Utah.
Veleno will take a seat on Thursday in order to make way for the return of Michael Rasmussen (upper-body). Veleno has five goals and five assists in 56 games this season.
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Kunin (asset management) is expected to be out vs. Colorado on Thursday.
Kunin is an impending UFA and has 18 points (11G / 7A) in 63 games this season. Nikolai Kovalenko will draw into the lineup as Kunin's replacement.
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.