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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Jonathan Drouin(LW)|STL
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Drouin is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Winnipeg on Thursday.

Nathan Walker will draw into the Blues' lineup on Thursday, sending Drouin to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old Drouin has been in and out of the lineup to start his tenure with the Blues, scoring one goal through seven games.

Source:
Lou Korac 2026-04-09T18:10:15.473Z
Jonathan Drouin
Otto Stenberg(C)|STL
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Stenberg will draw back into St. Louis' lineup vs. Winnipeg on Thursday.

Pius Suter will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Stenberg to re-enter the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 20-year-old Stenberg, in his first NHL season, is averaging 13:37 time-on-ice and has nine points (2G / 7A) in 29 games.

Source:
Lou Korac 2026-04-09T18:12:44.535Z
Otto Stenberg
Nathan Walker(LW)|STL
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Line Change
Walker will draw back into St. Louis' lineup vs. Winnipeg on Thursday.

Jonathan Drouin will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Walker to re-enter the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets. The 32-year-old Walker is averaging 11:58 time-on-ice and has 11 points (4G / 7A) in 43 games this season.

Source:
Lou Korac 2026-04-09T18:09:06.052Z
Nathan Walker
Nick Foligno(LW)|MIN
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Foligno will draw back into Minnesota's lineup in Dallas on Thursday.

Bobby Brink will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Foligno to re-enter the lineup against the Dallas Stars. The 38-year-old Foligno has been used sparingly, in and out of the lineup in recent games. He has one assist in 13 games since being acquired by Minnesota at the trade deadline.

Source:
Michael Russo 2026-04-09T17:22:12.392Z
Nick Foligno
Bobby Brink(RW)|MIN
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Brink will be a healthy scratch in Dallas on Thursday.

Nick Foligno will re-enter Minnesota's lineup on Thursday, sending Brink to the sidelines against the Dallas Stars. Brink led the way in a 2-1 overtime win over the Dallas Stars three weeks ago, recording two points (1G / 1A), but he has cooled off since, with only one assist in five games.

Source:
Michael Russo 2026-04-09T17:21:40.470Z
Bobby Brink
Cameron Hughes(C)|DAL
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Line Change
Hughes will draw back into Dallas' lineup vs. Minnesota on Thursday.

With Nils Lundkvist (illness) out of the lineup on Thursday, Dallas will welcome Hughes back in as they return to a six-defenseman, 12-forward formation. The 29-year-old Hughes made his season debut last earlier this month, his third career NHL game, playing 6:34 time-on-ice.

Source:
Lia Assimakopoulos 2026-04-09T16:33:15.509Z
Cameron Hughes
Ludvig Jansson(D)|FLA
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Jansson will make his NHL debut on Thursday in Ottawa.

Jansson was a fourth-round pick of the Panthers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft that made his professional North American debut this season, scoring 10 points (3G / 7A) in 29 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL). The 22-year-old Swedish defenseman has yet to play an NHL game.

Source:
Doug Plagens 2026-04-09T16:25:41.034Z
Ludvig Jansson
Zack Bolduc(RW)|MTL
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Bolduc is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Joe Veleno will re-enter Montreal's lineup on Thursday, sending Bolduc to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Bolduc has 28 points (11G / 17A) in 76 games this season, but has been nearly invisible offensively in recent weeks, being held off the scoresheet in 14 of his last 15 games.

Source:
Eric Engels 2026-04-09T15:26:27.562Z
Zack Bolduc
Joe Veleno(C)|MTL
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Line Change
Veleno is expected to return to Montreal's lineup vs. Tampa Bay on Thursday.

Zack Bolduc will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Veleno to re-enter Montreal's lineup. The 26-year-old Veleno is averaging 12:07 time-on-ice, recording just four points (2G / 2A) and a -12 plus/minus in 58 games.

Source:
Eric Engels 2026-04-09T15:25:00.712Z
Joe Veleno
Cameron Crotty(D)|OTT
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Crotty will be a healthy scratch vs. Florida on Thursday.

With the surprising return of Thomas Chabot (forearm), Crotty will be the odd man out of Ottawa's lineup as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Crotty recently made his season debut with Ottawa, averaging 14:47 time-on-ice and tallying one assist in four games.

Source:
TSN 1200 2026-04-09T15:23:44.462Z
Cameron Crotty
Mitchell Gibson(G)|WSH
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Gibson will serve as Logan Thompson's backup on Wednesday.

Gibson was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals that has yet to play an NHL game. The 26-year-old has spent most of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL, where he has a 2.79 GAA and .907 SV% in 22 games (9-8-3). Gibson will get the chance to dress on Wednesday as Charlie Lindgren (undisclosed) is not able to suit up as Logan Thompson's backup.

Source:
Sammi Silber 2026-04-08T23:27:08.833Z
Mitchell Gibson
Ty Dellandrea(C)|SJS
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Line Change
Dellandrea will be a healthy scratch vs. Edmonton on Wednesday.

Adam Gaudette will re-enter San Jose's lineup on Wednesday, resulting in Dellandrea being a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Dellandrea has been used sparingly since returning from an injury earlier this month. He is averaging 14:11 time-on-ice and has 11 points (2G / 9A) in 44 games this season.

Source:
Sheng Peng 2026-04-08T18:28:47.171Z
Ty Dellandrea

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.