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NHL Scratches & Line Changes

Mason Lohrei(D)|BOS
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Lohrei is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 4 vs. Buffalo.

Lohrei has struggled mightily in Boston's opening three games to start the playoffs and is expected to head to the press box for Game 4 vs. Buffalo as Jordan Harris enters the lineup. Lohrei appeared in 73 regular season games for the Bruins but has been battling throughout the playoffs with zero points, and a -4 plus/minus despite averaging 14:14 TOI per game.

Source:
Scott McLaughlin 2026-04-25T16:16:08.905Z
Mason Lohrei
Jordan Harris(D)|BOS
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Harris is expected to draw back into Boston's lineup for Game 4 vs. Buffalo.

Boston finds themselves down 2-1 in their opening series vs. Buffalo and will bring Jordan Harris into the lineup Sunday as a replacement for the struggling Mason Lohrei. Harris appeared in only eight games for the Bruins during the regular season, picking up a goal, three points and 12 SOG.

Source:
Scott McLaughlin 2026-04-25T16:17:21.157Z
Jordan Harris
Lukas Reichel(LW)|BOS
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Reichel is expected to make his playoff debut in Game 4 vs. Buffalo on Sunday.

With Boston down 2-1 in their opening series to Buffalo, it appears they will shake up the lineup as Lukas Reichel is expected to take the spot of James Hagens for Game 3 on Sunday. The 23-year-old speedster appeared in 29 games this season between Chicago, Vancouver and Boston and pick up three goals and eight points.

Source:
Scott McLaughlin 2026-04-25T15:27:50.326Z
Lukas Reichel
James Hagens(C)|BOS
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Hagens is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 4 vs. Buffalo.

Hagens playoff debut has started with three scoreless games and has led to Lukas Reichel expected to replace him in Boston's lineup for Game 4 vs. Buffalo. The 19-year-old Hagens joined the Bruins after a strong season at Boston College (NCAA) and has one assist in five appearances with the Bruins across regular season and the playoffs.

Source:
Scott McLaughlin 2026-04-25T15:31:02.088Z
James Hagens
Ross Colton(C)|COL
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Colton will draw into the Avalanche lineup for Game 3 in Los Angeles.

Colton was surprisingly a healthy scratch in each of the first two games of Colorado's round one series against the Kings, but will draw into the lineup on Thursday in place of Joel Kiviranta. Colton appeared n 73 regular season games for the Avs, tallying nine goals and 15 assists.

Source:
Tracey Myers 2026-04-24T01:36:43.142Z
Ross Colton
Josh Dunne(C)|BUF
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Dunne is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 vs. Boston.

Tyson Kozak will draw into Buffalo's lineup in Game Three, sending Dunne to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Dunne averaged 15:49 time-on-ice, recording a +1 plus/minus and two hits through the first two games of the series.

Source:
Mike Harrington 2026-04-23T16:30:16.594Z
Josh Dunne
Dennis Gilbert(D)|OTT
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Gilbert is expected to be a healthy scratch for Game 3 vs. Carolina.

Gilbert played the opening two games of Ottawa's first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, but will head to the sidelines as a healthy scratch in Game Three. The 29-year-old Gilbert recorded 11 hits and six penalty minutes in his two postseason appearances.

Source:
Bruce Garrioch 2026-04-23T15:33:18.947Z
Dennis Gilbert
Cameron Crotty(D)|OTT
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Crotty is expected to draw back into Ottawa's lineup for Game 3 vs. Carolina.

Lassi Thomson will be a healthy scratch in Game Three, allowing Crotty to enter the lineup for his postseason debut. The 26-year-old Crotty was serviceable in six games for the Senators late in the season, averaging 14:55 time-on-ice and scoring one assist.

Source:
Bruce Garrioch 2026-04-23T15:30:22.211Z
Cameron Crotty
Curtis Lazar(C)|EDM
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Lazar will draw into the Oilers lineup for Game 2 against the Ducks.

Lazar will make his post-season debut on Wednesday after serving as a healthy scratch in Game 1. He'll slot in for Jason Dickinson, who is out with an undisclosed injury. Lazar appeared in 45 regular season games for the Oilers, tallying four goals and two assists.

Source:
Jack Michaels 2026-04-23T01:35:49.666Z
Curtis Lazar
Nico Sturm(C)|MIN
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Sturm will draw into the Wild lineup for Game 3 against the Stars.

After serving as a healthy scratch in the opening two games of the series, Sturm will slot into the lineup in Game 3 in place of the injured Yakov Trenin (upper-body). Sturm appeared in 49 regular season games for the Wild, tallying five goals and six assists.

Source:
Dylan Loucks 2026-04-23T01:14:45.346Z
Nico Sturm
Drew Helleson(D)|ANA
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Helleson will make his playoff debut and draw back into Anaheim's lineup for Game 2 vs. Edmonton.

Rakdo Gudas (undisclosed) will not play in Game Two, allowing Helleson to enter the lineup for his postseason debut. The 25-year-old Helleson averaged 16:58 time-on-ice and scored 15 points (2G / 13A) in 60 games this season.

Source:
Zach Cavanagh 2026-04-22T18:26:22.410Z
Drew Helleson
Josh Samanski(LW)|EDM
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Samanski is expected to draw back into Edmonton's lineup for Game 2 vs. Anaheim.

Henrique exited Game One on Monday after only 2:56 time-on-ice due to a lower-body injury and will not play in Game Two, allowing Samanski to enter the lineup for his postseason debut. The 24-year-old Samanski averaged 10:34 time-on-ice and scored four points (2G / 2A) through 24 games in his first NHL season.

Source:
Bob Stauffer 2026-04-22T17:13:54.037Z
Josh Samanski
Justin Brazeau(RW)|PIT
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Brazeau is expected to draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup for Game 3.

Brazeau will make his Penguins' postseason debut on Wednesday, drawing into the lineup for Elmer Soderblom. The Penguins have been offensively challenged through two games in their series against the Philadelphia Flyers and hope Brazeau can give them a spark after scoring a career-high 34 points (17G / 17A) in 64 games this season.

Source:
Pens Inside Scoop 2026-04-22T16:01:35.652Z
Justin Brazeau
Liam O'Brien(C)|UTA
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O'Brien will draw into the Mammoth lineup for Game 2.

Nine years into his career, O'Brien will finally get the chance to make his post-season debut on Tuesday after serving as a healthy scratch for the opening game of the series. He'll take the place of Jack McBain, who is out with an undisclosed injury.

Source:
Cole Bagley 2026-04-22T01:19:15.741Z
Liam O'Brien

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.