Line Change
Bauer will be scratched for Monday's gmae in Pittsburgh.
Daily Faceoff is a news site with no direct affiliation to the NHL, or NHLPA
NHL Scratches & Line Changes
Line Change
Allan will be a healthy scratch in Dallas on Monday.
Sam Dickinson will draw into San Jose's lineup on Monday to make his season debut against the Dallas Stars, resulting in Allan being a healthy scratch. The 23-year-old Allan is averaging 18:22 time-on-ice and has one goal through two games this season.
Line Change
Dickinson will make his season debut in Dallas on Monday.
Nolan Allan will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Dallas Stars, allowing Dickinson to enter the lineup for his season debut. Dickinson averaged 16:45 time-on-ice and scored 14 points (1G / 13A) last season in 72 games.
Line Change
Blackwell is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. San Jose on Monday.
Through two games this season, the Stars have alternated between inserting Joel Kiviranta and Colin Blackwell into the lineup. The trend will continue Monday, with Blackwell returning to sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 33-year-old Blackwell played 7:29 time-on-ice in his previous game.
Line Change
Kiviranta will draw back into Dallas' lineup vs. San Jose on Monday.
Through two games this season, the Stars have alternated between inserting Joel Kiviranta and Colin Blackwell into the lineup. The trend will continue Monday, with Kiviranta returning against the San Jose Sharks. The 30-year-old Kiviranta averaged 10:18 time-on-ice and recorded two shots on goal in his only outing this season.
Line Change
Crotty will draw back into Ottawa's lineup in Boston on Monday.
With Jake Sanderson (lower body) expected to miss at least two more games, Crotty will fill in on Ottawa's blueline, beginning with Monday's contest against the Boston Bruins. The 27-year-old Crotty played six games for Ottawa last season, averaging 14:55 time on ice and scoring one assist.
Line Change
Hallander is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Winnipeg on Monday.
Filip Hallander will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, allowing Koivunen to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Koivunen was solid in his season debut, scoring one goal in 13:50 time-on-ice.
Koivunen is expected to draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup vs. Winnipeg on Monday.
Filip Hallander will be a healthy scratch on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, allowing Koivunen to re-enter the lineup. The 23-year-old Koivunen was solid in his season debut, scoring one goal in 13:50 time-on-ice.
Line Change
Kuraly is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Ottawa on Monday.
Kuraly played the first three games of the season for Boston, but he will be a healthy scratch on Monday, making way for Matthew Poitras (lower body) to make his season debut. The 33-year-old Kuraly is averaging 12:13 time-on-ice and has zero points so far this season.
Crozier will make his season debut on vs. Philadelphia on Monday.
Crozier has not played in either of Tampa Bay's first two games, but he will make his debut on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 26-year-old defenseman played a career-high 35 games with Tampa Bay last season, averaging 16:01 time-on-ice and scoring 10 points (1G / 9A).
Line Change
Fleury is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Calgary on Sunday.
Fleury made his season debut on Saturday but will find himself in the press box on Sunday as Seattle takes on Calgary. The 27-year-old will be replaced by Ville Ottavainen on Seattle's backend.
Line Change
Ottavainen is expected to make his season debut vs. Calgary on Sunday.
Ottavainen will make his second career NHL appearance and first of the young 2026-27 campaign as he replaces Cale Fleury on Seattle's defensive unit on Sunday vs. Calgary. The 24-year-old towering Finnish defenseman last appeared in the NHL two seasons ago in 2024-25, picking up an assist in his only game played.
Line Change
Meyers will be a healthy scratch vs. Calgary on Sunday.
Meyers will be the odd man out of Seattle's lineup on Sunday as the team opts for more size with Curtis Douglas vs. Calgary. Meyers made his season debut on Saturday but failed to put up any counting stats across 10:59 TOI.
Line Change
Douglas will draw back into Seattle's lineup vs. Calgary on Sunday.
Douglas was a scratch for Seattle's game on Saturday but finds himself back in the lineup on Sunday vs. Calgary as he replaces Ben Meyers. The 26-year-old towering forward only logged 5:58 TOI in Seattle's season opener and is expected to play a similar, limited role on Sunday.
Line Change
Kuznetsov is expected to draw back into Calgary's lineup in Seattle on Sunday.
A day after being a healthy scratch, Yan Kuznetsov is expected to rejoin Calgary's lineup in Seattle as he takes the spot of Joel Hanley on the Flames' second pairing. The 24-year-old appeared in 57 games last season, picking up four goals, 12 points and 28 PIMs.
Line Change
Othmann will be a healthy scratch in Seattle on Sunday.
Othmann made his season debut on Saturday but will be the odd man out of Calgary's lineup in Seattle on Sunday as Connor Zary returns. Othmann will hope to find himself in the lineup more than not after being acquired from New York late last season and putting up two points in two games with the Flames.
Line Change
Zary will draw back into Calgary's lineup in Seattle on Sunday.
Despite picking up an assist in Calgary's opening night loss, Connor Zary found himself a healthy scratch in Saturday's game vs. Vancouver, but will return to the lineup on Sunday in Seattle. The 25-year-old will hope to remain in the lineup after appearing in 75 games with the Flames last season, with 12 goals and 25 points.
Line Change
Colangelo is expected to make his season debut vs. Florida on Sunday.
With Anaheim rostering a deep lineup, nightly changes are expected, and on Sunday, Sam Colangelo will make his season debut vs. Florida as Frank Vatrano comes out of the Ducks' lineup. Colangelo appeared in nine games in 2025-26, scoring a goal and four PIMs while averaging just 10:11 TOI. He is expected to take a third-line role alongside Ryan Poehling and Nikita Nesterenko after running lines in practice on Saturday.
Line Change
Vatrano is expected to be a healthy scratch vs. Florida on Sunday.
Vatrano failed to make an impact across 10:34 TOI in Anaheim's opening night win and will now be a healthy scratch as Sam Colangelo enters the lineup vs. Florida on Sunday. The 32-year-old is in his 12th NHL season and fifth with the Ducks, having closed out 2025-26 on a low note with just five goals and nine points in 50 games played.
Englund will make his Red Wings' debut vs. Winnipeg on Sunday.
Detroit claimed Englund off waivers from Calgary a week ago and will have the towering defenseman make his Red Wings debut after Marco Kasper was placed on injured reserve on Sunday. Detroit will go with an 11F/7D lineup for the first time this season after being shut out by New York in their opening night matchup. Englund is entering his ninth NHL season with his sixth organization and had zero points across three games with Nashville in 2025-26.
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.