van Riemsdyk is a healthy scratch for Thursday's game against the Ducks.
JVR will sit in favour of Jonatan Berggren when the Red Wings host the Ducks on Thursday. JVR has just one goal and one assist in 13 games this season.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Liljegren will rejoin San Jose's lineup in Calgary on Thursday.
Shakir Mukhamadullin will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Calgary Flames, allowing Liljegren to draw back into the lineup. 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.
Mukhamadullin will be a healthy scratch in Calgary on Thursday.
Timothy Liljegren will draw back into San Jose's lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames, sending Mukhamadullin to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Mukhamadullin is averaging 16:12 time-on-ice and has four points (0G / 4A) in seven games this season.
Line Change
Tomasek is expected to draw back into Edmonton's lineup in Columbus on Thursday.
Isaac Howard will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Tomasek to return from a two-game absence. The 29-year-old Tomasek is in his first NHL season and has scored three points (1G / 2A) in 13 games.
Line Change
Regula is expected to draw back into Edmonton's lineup in Columbus on Thursday.
Ty Emberson will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Regula re-enter the lineup for only the fifth time this season. The 25-year-old Regular is averaging 14:42 time-on-ice and has zero points.
Line Change
Howard is expected to be a healthy scratch in Columbus on Thursday.
David Tomasek will return to the Oilers' lineup on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, sending Howard to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 21-year-old Howard has played 17 of 18 games for the Oilers in his rookie season and has scored three points (2G / 1A) while averaging 9:30 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Emberson will be a healthy scratch in Columbus on Thursday.
Alec Regula will draw back into Edmonton's lineup on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, sending Emberson to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 25-year-old Emberson is averaging 15:44 time-on-ice, recording 27 blocks, 23 hits, and three points (1G / 2A) in 16 games this season.
Line Change
Schenn is expected to be a healthy scratch in Seattle on Thursday.
With Dylan Samberg return from a wrist injury, Schenn will exit the lineup as a healthy scratch. The 36-year-old Schenn has been in and out of the lineup for the Jets this season. He has 18 blocks and 29 hits in 13 games.
Line Change
Chibrikov is expected to be a healthy scratch in Seattle on Thursday.
With Gustav Nyquist returning from an injury, Chibrikov will head to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Chibrikov is averaging 9:12 time-on-ice and has zero points through eight games this season.
Line Change
Boqvist will draw back into the Islanders' lineup in Vegas on Thursday.
Boqvist has been used sparingly this season, but will re-enter the lineup on Thursday, as Scott Mayfield is away from the team, tending to personal matters. The 25-year-old Boqvist has zero points in four games this season.
Line Change
Hanley will be a healhty scratch vs. San Jose on Thursday.
After being a journeyman for the first decade of his professional career, Hanley become an NHL regular last season with the Flames. He has played all 18 games this season, but will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. He has three assists and 25 block in 18 games this season.
Line Change
Bean will draw back into Calgary's lineup vs. San Jose on Thursday.
Joel Hanley will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, allowing Bean to return to the lineup for the first time since November 1st. The 27-year-old Bean is averaging 16:38 time-on-ice and has one assist in 10 games this season.
Line Change
Kerins is expected to make his season debut vs. San Jose on Thursday.
Kerins made his NHL debut last season, scoring four points (0G / 4A) in five games with the Flames, but has primarily been an AHL player. The 23-year-old sixth-round draft pick has 14 points (5G / 9A) in 13 games with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) this season. Yegor Sharangovich will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Kerins' debut.
Line Change
Sharangovich is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. San Jose on Thursday.
Rory Kerins will make his season debut on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks, sending Sharangovich to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old Sharangovich has just four points (2G / 2A) in 16 games this season.
Line Change
Bastian will draw back into Dallas' lineup in Montreal on Thursday.
With Adam Erne (lower body) out week-to-week, Bastian will draw back into the lineup for the first time since November 4th. The 27-year-old Bastian has one goal and 30 hits in 13 games this season.
Kuzmenko will be a healthy scratch in Toronto on Thursday.
Kuzmenko's ice time has dropped below eight minutes in his last two games, as he has been playing primarily on the fourth line, and he will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old Kuzmenko has seven points (3G / 4A) in 17 games this season, but has only one point (1G / 0A) in his last eight games. Jeff Malott enters the lineup as Kuzmenko's replacement.
Line Change
Malott will draw back into Los Angeles' lineup on Thursday in Toronto.
Andrei Kuzmenko is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, allowing Malott to re-enter the lineup. The 29-year-old Malott has two goals and 23 penalty minutes in 13 games this season.
Matinpalo will draw back into Ottawa's lineup on Thursday vs. Boston.
With Thomas Chabot (upper body) sidelined, Matinpalo will re-enter the lineup for Ottawa on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. Through nine games this season, the 27-year-old Matinpalo has one assist, nine blocks, and 10 hits.
Myers is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Los Angeles on Thursday.
Dakota Mermis will draw back into Toronto's lineup on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, sending Myers to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 28-year-old Myers has played nine games this season, primarily on the third defensive pair, averaging 14:50 time-on-ice, recording zero points and a -5 plus/minus.
Mermis is expected to draw back into Toronto's lineup vs. Los Angeles on Thursday.
Philippe Myers will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, allowing Mermis to re-enter the lineup. The 31-year-old Mermis has only played twice this season, averaging 13:35 time-on-ice while recording a -3 plus/minus.
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.