Line Change
Harris will be a healthy scratch on Saturday.
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NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Aspirot (illness) will return to the Bruins lineup on Saturday.
Jankowksi will draw back into the Hurricanes lineup on Friday.
Jankowski will immediately re-enter Carolina's lineup after sitting on Wednesday's game in Vancouver. Jesperi Kotkaniemi will sit in his place.
Kotkaniemi is a healthy scratch for Friday's game in Edmonton.
Kotkaniemi will come right back out of the lineup on Friday after getting the opportunity to play on Wednesday for the first time in a month. Mark Jankowski will draw back into the lineup in his place.
Vilmanis is a healthy scratch for Friday's game in Detroit.
Vilmanis is the odd-man out as A.J. Greer re-enters the lineup after sitting out Thursday night's game. Vilmanis has appeared in 19 games this season, logging three goals and two assists.
Line Change
Greer will draw back into the Panthers lineup on Friday.
Greer was held out of Florida's game on Thursday due to roster management purposes but ultimately was never traded. Sandis Vilmanis will sit in his place.
Line Change
Xhekaj will draw into the Canadiens lineup on Friday.
Xhekaj will return to the Habs lineup after sitting out each of their last two games. Jayden Struble will sit in his place.
Struble will be a healthy scratch for Friday's game in Anaheim.
Struble will take a seat on Friday in favour of Arber Xhekaj. Struble is yet to score a goal in 41 games this season, but has managed to pick up nine assists from the back-end.
Line Change
Greer will draw back into Florida's lineup in Detroit on Friday.
Sandis Vilmanis will be a healthy scratch on Friday, allowing Greer to re-enter the lineup against the Detroit Red Wings. The 29-year-old Greer is averaging 11:38 time-on-ice and has 22 points (11G / 11A) in 61 games for the Panthers this season.
Vilmanis will be a healthy scratch in Detroit on Friday.
A.J. Greer will re-enter Florida's lineup on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings, resulting in Wilmanis being a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Vilmanis has five points (3G / 2A) in 19 games in his first NHL season.
Garland (trade) is expected to arrive in Columbus on Friday and be available on Saturday vs. Utah.
Columbus acquired Conor Garland from Vancouver for a 2028 2nd and 2026 3rd round pick on Thursday, and he is hopeful to make his team debut on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth. Garland is a feisty 29-year-old winger who is in his eighth NHL season and will now be joining his third NHL team (VAN, ARI, CBJ). He's struggled to produce at his usual rate this season, with seven goals, 26 points and 103 SOG through 50 games played.
Carolina has acquired Nicolas Deslauriers from Philadelphia for a conditional 2027 7th round pick.
The Hurricanes have added some grit to their bottom-six forward group by acquiring Deslauriers from the Philadelphia Flyers. The 35-year-old Deslauriers averaged 8:05 time-on-ice while recording one assist, 33 penalty minutes, and 86 hits in 24 games this season.
Blankenburg will not make his Avalnache debut on Friday vs. Dallas.
The Avalanche acquired Blankenburg from the Predators on Wednesday in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. Blankenburg is a somewhat underrated, 27-year-old two-way defenceman who's put up career highs in goals (six) and assists (15) in just 49 games this season. He quarterbacked the Predators second power-play unit at times this season, but it's unclear where exactly he will slot in on the pecking order of an Avalanche blue-line that just recently swapped out Samuel Girard for Brett Kulak.
Line Change
Dach is expected to make his Oilers' debut on Friday vs. Carolina.
The Oilers acquired Dach and forward Jason Dickinson in exchange for forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round draft pick earlier this week. A second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Dach made his NHL debut in 2025, registering five goals and 11 assists across 78 games with the Blackhawks. He is expected to make his team debut on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Line Change
Dickinson is expected to make his Oilers' debut vs. Carolina on Friday.
The Oilers acquired Dickinson and forward Colton Dach in exchange for forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round draft pick earlier this week. In Dickinson, the Oilers are gaining an excellent two-way forward who should excel in a shutdown role and finally fill Edmonton's third-line-centre void. A former first-round pick way back in 2013, Dickinson has spent the last four seasons with the Blackhawks, developing into one of the league's more underrated defensive forwards. The Georgetown, Ontario native won't need to worry about obtaining a work visa and will make his Oilers debut on Friday when they host the Hurricanes.
Line Change
Murphy will make his Oilers' debut vs. Carolina on Friday.
Edmonton, one of the NHL's worst defensive teams (3.38 GA/GP), acquired Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday to help them shore up their blueline. In 60 games with Chicago this season, the 32-year-old Murphy averaged 16:34 time-on-ice, recording 13 points (4G / 9A), 62 hits, and 87 blocks. He will make his team debut on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Line Change
Roy is expected to make his Avalanche debut vs. Dallas on Friday.
Colorado acquired Nicolas Roy from Colorado for a 2027 1st round pick and a 2026 5th round pick earlier this week and he is expected to make his team debut on Friday against the Dallas Stars. Roy has become a valuable bottom-six center in the NHL and will bring that presence to Colorado as they set their sights on a deep playoff run. The 29-year-old Roy averaged 14:45 time-on-ice, recording 20 points (5G / 15A), 32 blocks, and 61 hits in 59 games this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mangiapane will make his Blackhawks debut on Friday vs. Vancouver.
The Blackhawks acquired Mangiapane from the Oilers along with a conditional 2027 first-round pick in exchange for forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Mangiapane had a disappointing campaign with the Oilers and hopes a fresh start with the Blackhawks will serve him well. He scored 14 points (7G / 7A) in 52 games with the Oilers this season.
Line Change
Myers (trade) is not expected to make his debut on Friday vs. Colorado.
Vancouver held Myers out of the lineup for several games as they anticipated trading the veteran blueliner, which came to fruition on Wednesday in a deal sending him to the Dallas Stars. The Texas-born defenseman averaged 20:13 time-on-ice, recording eight points (1G / 7A), 65 hits, and 91 blocks in 57 games with the Canucks this season. He is expected to make his Stars' debut on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Line Change
Bunting (trade) is expected to miss Friday's game vs. Colorado.
The Stars addressed their pre-deadline need for a depth scorer, acquiring Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators. Bunting has had success in his career playing alongside high-end talent, notably during his time with Toronto when he played with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, and could be poised for a top-line role in Dallas with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen, who is currently out with a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old Bunting averaged 14:48 time-on-ice and scored 31 points (13G / 18A) in 61 games with Nashville this season. He is expected to make his team debut on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
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.