Line Change
Wilsby (upper-body) will not play in Chicago on Friday.
Wilsby was a surprise scratch on Friday, with the team not announcing his absence prior to warmups. He is considered day-to-day with the injury.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Bemstrom will make his season debut in New York on Friday.
Bemstrom has 228 games of NHL experience, including scoring five points (2G / 3A) in 24 games with Pittsburgh last season, but has spent the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL. The 25-year-old forward has an impressive 41 points (19G / 22A) in 37 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL). He replaces the injured Sidney Crosby (upper-body) in the Penguins lineup.
Line Change
Blackwell will be a healthy scratch in Los Angeles on Friday.
Mavrik Bourque will return to the lineup from an upper-body injury, sending Blackwell to the press box as a healthy scratch against the Los Angeles Kings. Blackwell has two points (1G / 1A) in his last two games and has been an effective contributor from a fourth-line role this season. He has 12 points (5G / 7A) in 47 games.
Smith will draw back into Dallas' lineup on Friday in Los Angeles.
Ilya Lyubushkin is battling an upper-body injury and will not play on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, allowing Smith to re-enter the lineup. The 35-year-old Smith is averaging 12:35 time-on-ice, recording three points (0G / 3A), and 31 hits in 22 games this season.
Pelletier solved his visa issues and is a full participant in Philadelphia's practice on Friday.
Pelletier will likely make his Flyers debut on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 23-year-old Pelletier averaged 12:38 time-on-ice and had 11 points (4G / 7A) in 24 games with the Flames this season.
Kuzmenko solved his visa issues and was a full participant in practice on Friday.
Kuzmenko will likely make his Flyers debut on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kuzmenko broke onto the NHL scene in the 2022-23 season with a tremendous 74 points (39G / 35A) in 81 games with the Vancouver Canucks. The now 28-year-old has struggled to recapture that scoring prowess, with only 61 points (26G / 35A) in 109 games since.
Line Change
Kurashev will draw back into Chicago's lineup vs. Nashville on Friday.
With Jason Dickinson out week-to-week with an ankle injury, Kurashev will re-enter Chicago's lineup for the first time since January 30th. The 25-year-old Kurashev has only eight points (4G / 4A) through 36 games this season after an impressive 54-point campaign (18G / 36A) in 75 games last season.
Line Change
Ford is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. New York on Friday.
Brad Lambert will return to the Jets' lineup on Friday, resulting in Ford being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Ford has played three games with the Jets, the first of his NHL career, scoring one goal and averaging 7:50 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Lambert is expected to draw back into Winnipeg's lineup vs. New York on Friday.
Lambert had a brief stint with the Jets earlier this season, being held without a point in four games. The 21-year-old Lambert was the 30th overall pick of the Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He broke onto the professional scene last season with an impressive 55 points (21G / 34A) in 64 games with Manitoba (AHL) but has not been as effective this season, scoring only 16 points (3G / 16A) through 30 games with the club.
Middleton is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game against the Flames.
Middleton will take a seat on Thursday as Calvin de Haan draws into the lineup in his place. Middleton has zero goals and two assists in 26 games this season.
Line Change
de Haan will draw into the Avalanche lineup on Thursday.
de Haan will slot in for Keaton Middleton on Thursday when the Avalanche travel to Calgary to take on the flames. de Haan has zero goals and eight assists in 38 games this season.
Line Change
Morrow is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game in Minnesota.
Morrow will be the odd-man out on the Hurricanes blue-line as they opt to return to dressing just six defencemen on Thursday. Juha Jaaska (illness) returns to lineup in his place.
Line Change
Labanc is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game against Utah.
Labanc will sit to make way for the return of Zach Werenski (lower-body) as the Blue Jackets are opting to dress seven defencemen. Labanc has two goals and ten assists in 34 games this season.
Korczak will be a healthy scratch on Thursday in New Jersey.
Jonas Rondbjerg will draw back into the Vegas lineup on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, resulting in Korczak being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Korczak dressed as a seventh defenseman for the Golden Knights in their most recent game and was limited to only 3:34 time-on-ice.
Rondbjerg will draw back into Vegas' lineup in New Jersey on Thursday.
Kaedan Korczak will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils, allowing Rondbjerg to re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old Rondbjerg is averaging 9:23 time-on-ice and has zero points in nine games this season.
Line Change
Miromanov will draw back into Vegas' lineup on Thursday vs. Colorado.
Tyson Barrie will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche, allowing Miromanov to re-enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Miromanov is averaging 18:36 time-on-ice and has six points (1G / 5A) in 34 games this season.
Line Change
Barrie will be a healthy scratch vs. Colorado on Thursday.
Daniil Miromanov will draw into Calgary's lineup on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche, sending Barrie to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Barrie has been limited to 13 games this season, averaging 15:48 time-on-ice and scoring three points (1G / 2A).
Line Change
Crouse will rejoin Utah's lineup on Thursday in Columbus.
Matias Maccelli will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Crouse to re-enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Crouse is averaging 14:16 time-on-ice, recording 11 points (7G / 4A), 24 penalty minutes, and 105 hits in 52 games this season.
Maccelli will be a healthy scratch in Columbus on Thursday.
Lawson Crouse will draw back into Utah's lineup on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, resulting in Maccelli being a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Maccelli zero points in his last five game and will be a healthy scratch for the second time in the last two weeks.
Kemell is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday in Chicago.
Kemell was the 17th overall pick of the Predators in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old Finnish forward has yet to play an NHL game and has 25 points (9G / 16A) in 38 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) this season.
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.