Line Change
Jost is a healthy scratch for Wednesday's game against the Hurricanes.
Jost will take a seat on Wednesday in order to make way for the return of Cole Smith (upper-body). Jost has 2 goals and 3 assists in 23 games this season.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Smith is expected to draw back into Vegas' lineup vs. New Jersey on Wednesday.
An illness to Jack Eichel allows Smith to return to the lineup after serving one game as a healthy scratch. The 34-year-old Smith is pacing for career-low offensive totals, with six points (3G / 3A) through 28 games.
Line Change
Maatta is expected to be a healthy scratch in Detroit on Wednesday.
Nick DeSimone will draw back into Utah's lineup on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, sending Maatta to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old Maatta is averaging a career-low 11:55 time-on-ice and has one assist in 19 games this season.
Line Change
DeSimone will draw back into Utah's lineup in Detroit on Wednesday.
Olli Maatta will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, allowing DeSimone to re-enter the lineup. The 31-year-old DeSimone is averaging 16:25 time-on-ice and has three points (2G / 1A) in 10 games this season.
Line Change
Stenberg will make his NHL debut vs. Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Stenberg was drafted 25th overall by the Blues in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and will make his NHL debut on Wednesday against the Winnipet Jets. The 20-year-old forward has eight points (3G / 5A) in 21 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) this season.
Berggren will make his Blues' debut on Wednesday.
Berggren was drafted 33rd overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft but had trouble establishing himself with them at the NHL level and was ultimately placed on waivers. The 25-year-old forward had six points (2G / 4A) in 15 games this season and hopes to solidify himself as a full-time NHLer with the Blues.
Line Change
Studnicka will be a healthy scratch vs. Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Luke Kunin will draw back into Florida's lineup on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings, resulting in Studnicka being a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Studnicka has zero points through eight games this season.
Line Change
Kunin will draw back into Florida's lineup vs. Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Kunin has not played in nearly two weeks, but will re-enter the lineup on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings. The 28-year-old Kunin has two points (1G / 1A) and 41 hits in 22 games this season.
Line Change
Brodzinski will be a healthy scratch vs. Vancouver on Tuesday.
Vaakanainen will be a healthy scratch vs. Vancouver on Tuesday.
Line Change
Morrow will draw back into New York's lineup vs. Vancouver on Tuesday.
Line Change
Berard will be a healthy scratch vs. Vancouver on Tuesday.
Line Change
Zibanejad will draw back into New York's lineup on Tuesday in Vancouver.
Zibanejad was a healthy scratch in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a decision made by the coaching staff after he missed a team meeting. The 32-year-old Zibanejad is averaging 20:26 time-on-ice, recording 51 hits, 99 shots, and 25 points (11G / 14A) in 33 games this season.
Line Change
Leddy is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Calgary on Tuesday.
Shakir Mukhamadullin and Vincent Iorio will draw into San Jose's lineup on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, sending Sam Dinckinson and Nick Leddy to the sidelines as healthy scratches. The 34-year-old Leddy is averaging 17:21 time-on-ice and has three assists in 14 games this season.
Line Change
Dickinson is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Calgary on Tuesday.
Shakir Mukhamadullin and Vincent Iorio will draw into San Jose's lineup on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, sending Sam Dinckinson and Nick Leddy to the sidelines as healthy scratches. The 19-year-old Dickinson is averaging 14:48 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 26 games this season.
Line Change
Iorio is expected to draw back into San Jose's lineup vs. Calgary on Tuesday.
Nick Leddy and Sam Dickinson will be healthy scratches on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, allowing Shakir Mukhamadullin and Vincent Iorio to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Iorio is averaging 16:08 time-on-ice and is still searching for his first point of the season through nine games.
Line Change
Chernyshov is expected to make his NHL debut vs. Calgary on Tuesday.
Chernyshov was drafted 33rd overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old forward has never played an NHL game, but has been solid in the AHL this season, scoring 23 points (11G / 22A) in 25 games with the San Jose Barracuda.
Deslauriers is expected to draw back into Philadelphia's lineup in Montreal on Tuesday.
Nikita Grebenkin will be a healthy scratch on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, allowing Deslauriers to re-enter the lineup. The 34-year-old Deslauriers is averaging 8:20 time-on-ice and has zero points in 13 games this season.
Grebenkin is expected to be a healthy scratch in Montreal on Tuesday.
Nicolas Deslauriers will draw back into Philadelphia's lineup on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, resulting in Grebenkin being a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Grebenkin has four points (1G / 3A) in 22 games this season.
Trineyev will be a healthy scratch in Minnesota on Tuesday.
Sonny Milano will draw back into Washington's lineup on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, resulting in Trineyev being a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Trineyev made his NHL debut in Washington's most recent game, scoring zero points while playing 11:45 time-on-ice.
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.