Slaggert will draw into the Blackhawks lineup on Wednesday.
Slaggert will slot in for Andre Burakovsky, who is out with an undisclosed injury. Slaggert is yet to register a point through five games this season.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Douglas will draw into the Lightning lineup on Wednesday.
Douglas will be one of several Lightning players drawing in on Wednesday as Victor Hedman, Anthony Cirelli, and Pontus Holmberg are all unavailable due to injury.
Line Change
Katchouk will make his Lightning debut on Wednesday.
Katchouk will be one of several Lightning players drawing in on Wednesday as Victor Hedman, Anthony Cirelli, and Pontus Holmberg are all unavailable due to injury.
Sabourin will make his Lightning debut on Wednesday.
Sabourin will be one of several Lightning players drawing in on Wednesday as Victor Hedman, Anthony Cirelli, and Pontus Holmberg are all unavailable due to injury.
Grebenkin is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Edmonton on Wednesday.
Grebenkin is averaging 9:20 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 11 games this season. Expect Nicolas Deslaurier as a likely candidate to replace Grebenkin in the lineup.
Aston-Reese will draw out of the Blue Jackets lineup on Tuesday.
Aston-Reese will fall right back out of the lineup after drawing in on Monday. Miles Wood (illness) returns to the lineup in his place.
Liljegren is expected to be a healthy scratch in Minnesota on Tuesday.
Shakir Mukhamadullin will draw back into San Jose's lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, sending Liljegren to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Liljegren is averaging a career-high 20:32 time-on-ice, recording 28 blocks, 15 hits, and four points (0G / 4A) in 13 games this season.
Line Change
Cardwell will be a healthy scratch vs. Minnesota on Tuesday.
With William Eklund (lower body) returning to the Sharks' lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, Cardwell will be the odd man out as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Cardwell has played four games for the Sharks this season, scoring one goal while averaging 12:21 time-on-ice.
Mukhamadullin will draw back into San Jose's lineup on Tuesday in Minnesota.
Timothy Liljegren will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, allowing Mukhamadullin to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Mukhamadullin is averaging 15:48 time-on-ice and is off to a strong offensive start this season, with four assist in six games.
Chisholm will draw back into Washington's lineup in Carolina on Tuesday.
Trevor van Riemsdyk will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes, allowing Chisholm to re-enter the lineup. The 25-year-old Chisholm is averaging 14:10 time-on-ice and has one assist in six games this season.
Line Change
Sundqvist will draw back into St. Louis' lineup vs. Calgary on Tuesday.
Sundqvist was limited to 7:43 time-on-ice in the Blues' 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals last Wednesday, exiting the game with an undisclosed injury. The 31-year-old Sundqvist has five points (0G / 5A) in eight games this season. He returns from a two-game absence on Tuesday when the Blues face off against the Calgary Flames.
Line Change
Aspirot will be a healthy scratch vs. Toronto on Tuesday.
With Charlie McAvoy (personal) expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Aspirot will head to the press box as a healthy scratch. Six games into his NHL career, the 26-year-old Aspirot is averaging 15:07 time-on-ice and remains in search of his first career point.
Lundestrom will draw into the Blue Jackets lineup Monday.
Lundestrom will slot in along with Zach Aston-Reese as both Miles Wood and Cole Sillinger are unavailable due to an illness. Lundestrom has appeared in 13 games this season, registering zero goals and two assists.
Aston-Reese will draw into the Blue Jackets lineup Monday.
Aston-Reese will slot in along with Isac Lundestrom as both Miles Wood and Cole Sillinger are unavailable due to an illness. Aston-Reese has appeared in ten games this season, registering zero goals and three assists.
Barron is a healthy scratch for Monday's game in New York.
Barron will take a seat on Monday in order to make way for the return of Adam Wilsby (lower-body). Barron has appeared in 17 games this season, registering zero goals and four assists.
Holtz will draw back into Vegas' lineup on Monday vs. Florida.
With William Karlsson (lower body) sidelined due to injury, Holtz will re-enter the lineup on Monday against the Florida Panthers. The 23-year-old Holtz has zero points in six games this season. He last played on October 31st.
Line Change
Lazar will draw back into Edmonton's lineup on Monday vs. Columbus.
Lazar has only played four games this season, but will draw back into the lineup on Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 30-year-old Lazar had five points (2G / 3A) and 107 hits in 48 games with the New Jersey Devils last season.
Line Change
Brodzinski is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Nashville on Monday.
With Vincent Trocheck (upper body) returning to the Rangers' lineup on Monday, Brodzinski will head to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 32-year-old Brodzinski has scored two points (1G / 1A) in eight games this season.
Line Change
Lammikko is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. the Islanders on Monday.
With Zack MacEwen returning to the lineup on Monday against the New York Islanders, Lammikko will head to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 29-year-old Lammikko is averaging 10:21 time-on-ice, recording six blocks, six hits, and zero points in six games this season.
Line Change
Parssinen is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Nashville on Monday.
After being shut out for the fifth time in only 16 games this season, the Rangers are shaking up their lineup and sending Parssinen to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 24-year-old Parssinen had a surprising rookie season with the Nashville Predators in 2022-23, scoring an impressive 25 points (6G / 19A) in 45 games, but has not maintained that success in three seasons since, scoring only 31 points (16G / 15A) in 104 games.
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.