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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Artturi Lehkonen(LW)|COL
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Lehkonen is listed as a scratch for Monday's game in Edmonton.

Lehkonen is presumably getting the night off for rest on Monday as the Avalanche have already clinched the President's Trophy as the best team in the regular season. Lehkonen has enjoyed another productive season in Denver, tallying 20 goals and 27 assists in 68 games.

Source:
NHL.com 2026-04-14T01:23:29.266Z
Artturi Lehkonen
Viking Gustafsson Nyberg(D)|MIN
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Gustafsson Nyberg will make his NHL debut in St. Louis on Monday.

Gustafsson was considered a bit of a game-time-decision on Monday as the Wild sorted out his work visa. The 22-year-old undrafted Swedish shutdown defensemen was signed after completing his third NCAA campaign with the University of Connecticut (NCAA), picking up 11 points and 26 PIMs in 38 games played.

Source:
Michael Russo 2026-04-13T23:35:25.862Z
Viking Gustafsson Nyberg
Luke Schenn(D)|BUF
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Schenn is expected to be scratched on Monday.

Buffalo is two points from securing the Atlantic Division and will turn to Michael Kesselring on Monday over Luke Schenn in the Sabres' lineup. Schenn has been sparsely used since being acquired at the trade deadline from Winnipeg, appearing in only three games and failing to pick up a point while getting nine PIMs in the process.

Source:
Michael Augello 2026-04-13T19:03:50.950Z
Luke Schenn
Michael Kesselring(D)|BUF
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Kesselring is expected to draw back into the Sabres lineup on Monday.

Kesselring was a healthy scratch for Buffalo's previous game but will draw back into the lineup for Luke Schenn on Monday vs. Chicago. The 26-year-old defensemen has struggled to find the scoresheet in his first season in Buffalo, with just two assists and 50 PIMs in 33 games played this season.

Source:
Michael Augello 2026-04-13T19:05:11.500Z
Michael Kesselring
Logan Stanley(D)|BUF
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Stanley is expected to be scratched on Monday.

After appearing in nearly all of Buffalo's recent games, Logan Stanley will be a healthy scratch for Conor Timmins on Monday vs. Chicago. Stanley was acquired from Winnipeg at the trade deadline, and has appeared in 15 games, picking up four assists, 27 PIMs and a +4 plus/minus.

Source:
Michael Augello 2026-04-13T19:14:25.745Z
Logan Stanley
Conor Timmins(D)|BUF
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Timmins is expected to draw back into the Sabres lineup on Monday.

Logan Stanley will be a healthy scratch on Monday, allowing Timmins to re-enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Timmins has missed significant time due to injuries this season, but has been effective when in the lineup, averaging 18:52 time-on-ice and scoring eight assists in 37 games.

Source:
Michael Augello 2026-04-13T19:06:28.026Z
Conor Timmins
Jordan Greenway(LW)|BUF
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Greenway is expected to be scratched on Monday.

Tanner Pearson will re-enter Buffalo's lineup on Monday, sending Greenway to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 29-year-old Greenway has missed significant time due to injuries this season and has trouble regularly fitting into the lineup when healthy. He is averaging 12:20 time-on-ice and has six points (1G / 5A) in 38 games this season.

Source:
Michael Augello 2026-04-13T19:08:17.001Z
Jordan Greenway
Nikita Chibrikov(LW)|WPG
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Chibrikov is expected to draw into the Jets lineup on Monday.

With Winnipeg out of the playoffs, they will be dressing some of their young talent on Monday vs. Vegas as Nikita Chibrikov draws back into the Jets' lineup. The 23-year-old forward last appeared in a Jets jersey on November 11th, 2025 and has yet to pick up a point in any of his eight appearances this season.

Source:
Mitchell Clinton 2026-04-13T18:53:31.459Z
Nikita Chibrikov
Nick Leddy(D)|SJS
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Leddy will be a healthy scratch on Monday.

Leddy has been a staple in San Jose's lineup for the last month but will take a seat on Monday in Nashville as he is replaced by Luca Cagnoni. Leddy has endured a forgettable first season in San Jose after being waived earlier in the year, he has one goal, seven points and a -9 plus/minus in 32 games played.

Source:
Sheng Peng 2026-04-13T18:47:00.380Z
Nick Leddy

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.