NHL Team Line Combinations
Any NHL player can be evaluated in a vacuum, both with traditional stats like goals, assists and plus/minus and with more modern metrics like Corsi, Fenwick, PDO and others. Those statistics can give you a pretty accurate idea of a player’s value, both in real life and in fantasy, especially over the course of an entire season. However, to truly capture a player’s impact on a given game, it’s necessary to understand where that player fits in within his team’s structure and game plan. In other words, you need to understand on what lines that player is being deployed. Line combinations are crucial to properly valuing players, and this is especially true for daily fantasy.
Anaheim Ducks
Forwards
LW: Nicoloas Deslauriers (#20), Max Jones (#49), Rickard Rakell (#67), Sonny Milano (#22)
C: David Backes (#21), Sam Steel (#34), Adam Henrique (#14), Ryan Getzlaf (#15)
RW: Carter Rowney (#24), Kiefer Sherwood (#64), Jakob Silfverberg (#33), Danton Heinen (#43)
Defensemen
L1: Josh Manson (#42), Matt Irwin (#52)
L2: Micahel Del Zotto (#44), Jacob Larsson (#32)
L3: Jani Hakanpaa (#28), Christian Djoos (#29)
Power Play
Unit 1: Rickard Rakell (#67), Adam Henrique (#14), Jakob Silfverberg (#33), Max Jones (#49), Christian Djoos (#29)
Unit 2: Sonny Milano (#22), Sam Steel (#34), Danton Heinen (#43), Ryan Getzlaf (#15), Michael Del Zotto (#44)
Arizona Coyotes
Forwards
LW: Taylor Hall (#91), Carl Soderberg (#34), Lawson Crouse (#67), Michael Grabner (#40)
C: Christian Dvorak (#18), Nick Schmaltz (#8), Derek Stepan (#21), Brad Richardson (#15)
RW: Clayton Keller (#9), Phil Kessel (#81), Vinnie Hinostroza (#13), Christian Fischer (#36)
Defensemen
L1: Alex Goligoski (#33), Niklas Hjalmarsson (#4)
L2: Ilya Lyubushkin (#46), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (#23)
L3: Jason Demers (#55), Jordan Oesterle (#82)
Power Play
Unit 1: Taylor Hall (#91), Christian Dvorak (#18), Conor Garland (#83), Nick Schmaltz (#8), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (#23)
Unit 2: Alex Goligoski (#33), Carl Soderberg (#34), Phil Kessel (#81), Clayton Keller (#9), Jordan Oesterle (#82)
Boston Bruins
Forwards
LW: Jack DeBursk (#74), Brad Marchand (#63), Nick Ritchie (#21), Joakim Nordstrom (#20)
C: Sean Kuraly (#52), Patrice Bergeron (#37), David Krejci (#46), Chris Wagner (#14)
RW: Charlie Coyle (#13), David Pastrnak (#88), Ondrej Kase (#28), Par Lindholm (#26)
Defensemen
L1: Charlie McAvoy (#73), Zdeno Chara (#33)
L2: Matt Grzelcyk (#48), Jeremy Lauzon (#79)
L3: Connor Clifton (#75), John Moore (#27)
Power Play
Unit 1: Brad Marchand (#63), Patrice Bergeron (#37), David Pastrnak (#88), Jake DeBrusk (#74), Torey Krug (#47)
Unit 2: Nick Ritchie (#21), David Krejci (#46), Ondrej Kase (#28), Charlie McAvoy (#73), Matt Grzelcyk (#48)
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
LW: Jeff Skinner (#53), Victor Olofsson (#68), Jimmy Vesey (#13), Zemgus Girgensons (#28)
C: Jack Eichel (#9), Marcus Johansson (#90), Curtis Lazar (#27), Johan Larsson (#22)
RW: Sam Reinhart (#23), Dominik Kahun (#95), Wayne Simmonds (#17), Kyle Okposo (#21)
Defensemen
L1: Rasmus Dahlin (#26), Colin Miller (#33)
L2: Brandon Montour (#62), Rasmus Ristolanien (#55)
L3: Jake McCabe (#19), Henri Jokiharju (#10)
Power Play
Unit 1: Victor Olofsson (#68), Jack Eichel (#9), Rasmus Ristolainen (#55), Sam Reinhart (#23), Rasmus Dahlin (#26)
Unit 2: Marcus Johansson (#90), Kyle Okposo (#21), Wayne Simmonds (#17), Colin Miller (#33), Jeff Skinner (#53)
Calgary Flames
Forwards
LW: Johnny Gaudreau (#13), Andrew Mangiapane (#88), Milan Lucic (#17), Sam Bennett (#93)
C: Sean Monahan (#23), Mikael Backlund (#11), Derek Ryan (#10), Mark Jankowski (#77)
RW: Elias Lindholm (#28), Matthew Tkachuk (#19), Dillon Dube (#29), Tobias Reider (#16)
Defensemen
L1: Mark Giordano (#5), Rasmus Andersson (#4)
L2: TJ Brodie (#7), Travis Hamonic (#24)
L3: Derek Forbort (#20), Erik Gustafsson (#56)
Power Play
Unit 1: Johnny Gaudreau (#13), Sean Monahan (#23), Matthew Tkachuk (#19), Elias Lindholm (#28), Erik Gustafsson (#56)
Unit 2: Milan Lucic (#17), Mikeal Backlund (#11), Andrew Mangiapane (#88), Dillon Dube (#29), Mark Giordano (#5)
Carolina Hurricanes
Forwards
LW: Tevuo Teravainen (#86), Brock McGinn (#23), Nino Niederreiter (#21), Jordan Martinook (#48)
C: Sebastian Aho (#20), Jordan Staal (#11), Vincent Trocheck (#16), Morgan Geekie (#43)
RW: Andrei Svechnikov (#37), Justin Williams (#14), Martin Necas (#88), Warren Foegele (#13)
Defensemen
L1: Joel Edmundson (#6), Jaccob Slavin (#74)
L2: Brady Skjei (#76), Haydn Fleury (#4)
L3: Trevor van Reimsdyk (#57), Jake Gardiner (#51)
Power Play
Unit 1: Jack Gardiner (#51), Vincent Trochek (#16), Nino Niederreiter (#21), Morgan Geekie (#43), Martin Necas (#88)
Unit 2: Teuvo Teravainen (#86), Justin Williams (#14), Andrei Avechnikov (#37), Jaccob Slavin (#74), Sebastian Aho (#20)
Columbus Blue Jackets
Forwards
LW: Nick Foligno (#71), Alexander Wennberg (#10), Eric Robinson (#50), Jakob Lilja (#15)
C: Boone Jenner (#38), Pierre-Luc Dubois (#18), Riley Nash #(20), Devin Shore (#74)
RW: Gustav Nyquist (#14), Emil Bemstrom (#52), Kevin Stenlund (#11), Stefan Matteau (#23)
Defensemen
L1: Ryan Murray (#27), Zach Werenski (#8)
L2: David Savard (#58), Vladislav Gavrikov (#44)
L3: Andrew Peeke (#2), Markus Nutivaara (#65)
Power Play
Unit 1: Gustav Nyquist (#14), Nick Foligno (#71), Zach Werenski (#8), Kevin Stenlund (#11), Pierre-Luc Dubois (#18)
Unit 2: Alexander Wennberg (#10), Boone Jenner (#38), Emil Bemstrom (#52), David Savard (#58), Ryan Murray (#27)
Chicago Blackhawks
Forwards
LW: Brandon Saad #(20), Alex Nylander (#92), Dominik Kubalik (#8), Ryan Carpenter (#22)
C: Jonathan Toews (#19), Dyland Strome (#17), Kirby Dach (#77), David Kampf (#64)
RW: Alex DeBrincat (#12), Patrick Kane (#88), Brandon Hagel (#38), Matthew Highmore (#36)
Defensemen
L1: Connor Murphy (#5), Lucas Carlsson (#46)
L2: Duncan Keith (#2), Nicolas Beaudin (#74)
L3: Olli Maatta (#6), Slater Koekkoek (#68)
Power Play
Unit 1: Alex DeBrincat (#12), Jonathan Toews (#19), Patrick Kane (#88), Kirby Dach (#77), Duncan Keith (#2)
Unit 2: Brandon Saad (#20), Dyland Strome (#17), Dominik Kubalik (#8), Alex Nylander (#92), Lucas Carlsson (#46)
Colorado Avalanche
Forwards
LW: Vladislav Namestnikov (#90), Joonas Donskoi (#72), Matt Nieto (#83), Sheldon Dries (#15)
C: Gabriel Landeskog (#92), J.T. Compher (#37), Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (#41), Vladislav Kamenev (#81)
RW: Nathan MacKinnon (#29), Tyson Jost (#17), Valeri Nichushkin (#13), Logan O’Connor (#25)
Defensemen
L1: Cale Makar (#8), Ryan Graves (#27)
L2: Erik Johnson (#6), Samuel Girard (#49)
L3: Ian Cole (#28), Nikita Zadorov (#16)
Power Play
Unit 1: J.T. Compher (#37), Gabriel Landeskog (#92), Nathan MacKinnon (#29), Tyson Jost (#17), Samuel Girard (#49)
Unit 2: Vladislav Kamenev (#81), Vladislav Namestnikov (#90), Valeri Nichushkin (#13), Eric Johnson (#6), Nikita Zadorov (#16)
Dallas Stars
Forwards
LW: Jamie Benn (#14), Blake Comeau (#15), Roope Hintz (#24), Corey Perry (#10)
C: Tyler Seguin (#91), Radek Faksa (#12), Joe Pavelski (#16), Justin Dowling (#37)
RW: Jason Dickinson (#18), Mattias Janmark (#13), Denis Gurianov (#34), Andrew Cogliano (#11)
Defensemen
L1: Jamie Oleksiak (#2), Miro Heiskanen (#4)
L2: John Klingberg (#3), Esa Lindell (#23)
L3: Stephen Johns (#28), Andrej Sekera (#5)
Power Play
Unit 1: Jamie Benn (#14), Joe Pavelski (#16), Denis Gurianov (#34), Tyler Seguin (#91), John Klingberg (#3)
Unit 2: Corey Perry (#10), Roope Hintz (#24), Justin Dowling (#37), Radek Faksa (#12), Miro Heiskanen (#4)
Detroit Red Wings
Forwards
LW: Tyle Bertuzzi (#59), Darren Helm (#43), Brendan Perlini (#29), Christoffer Ehn (#70)
C: Dylan Larkin (#71), Valtteri Filppula (#51), Robby Fabbri (#14), Frans Nielsen (#81)
RW: Anthony Matnha (#39), Dmytro Timashov (#15), Luke Glendening (#41), Justin Adbelkader (#8)
Defensemen
L1: Filip Hronek (#17), Madison Bowey (#74)
L2: Jonathan Ericsson (#52), Gustav Lindstrom (#28)
L3: Cody Goloubef (#26), Alex Biega (#3)
Power Play
Unit 1: Tyler Bertuzzi (#59), Dyland Larkin (#71), Anthony Mantha (#39), Sam Gagner (#89), Filip Hronek (#17)
Unit 2: Frans Nielsen (#81), Valtteri Filppula (#51), Madison Bowey (#74), Gustav Lindstrom (#28), Robby Fabbri (#14)
Edmonton Oilers
Forwards
LW: Tyler Ennis (#63), Zack Kassian (#44), James Neal (#18), Andreas Athanasiou (#28)
C: Leon Draisaitl (#29), Connor McDavid (#97), Jujhar Khaira (#16), Riley Sheahan (#23)
RW: Kailer Yamamoto (#56), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (#93), Alex Chaisson (#39), Josh Archibald (#15)
Defensemen
L1: Ethan Bear (#74), Darnell Nurse (#25)
L2: Adam Larsson (#6), Oscar Klefbom (#77)
L3: Matt Benning (#83), Caleb Jones (#82)
Power Play
Unit 1: Alex Chiasson (#39), Leon Draisaitl (#29), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (#93), Oscar Klefbom (#77), Connor McDavid (#97)
Unit 2: James Neal (#18), Riley Sheahan (#23), Andreas Athanasiou (#28), Ethan Bear (#74), Darnell Nurse (#25)
Florida Panthers
Forwards
LW: Jonathan Huberdeau (#11), Brett Connolly (#10), Frank Vatrano (#77), Jayce Hawryluk (#79)
C: Aleksander Barkov (#16), Vincent Trocheck (#16), Dominic Tonianto (#14), Brian Boyle (#9)
RW: Evgenii Dadonov (#63), Noel Acciari (#55), Mike Hoffman (#68), Colton Sceviour (#7)
Defensemen
L1: MacKenzie Weegar (#52), Aaron Ekblad (#5)
L2: Anton Stralman (#6), Mike Matheson (#19)
L3: Josh Brown (#2), Keith Yandle (#3)
Power Play
Unit 1: Mike Hoffman (#68), Aleksander Barkov (#16), Evgenii Dadonov (#63), Jonathan Huberdeau (#11), Keith Yandle (#3)
Unit 2: Erik Haula (#56), Lucas Wallmark (#71), Brett Connolly (#10), Aaron Ekblad (#5), Frank Vatrano (#77)
Los Angeles Kings
Forwards
LW: Alex Iafallo (#19), Trevor Lewis (#22), Martin Frk (#29), Austin Wagner (#51)
C: Anze Kopitar (#11), Blake Lizotte (#46), Gabriel Vilardi (#42), Nikolai Prokhorkin (#74)
RW: Dustin Brown (#23), Adrian Kempe (#9), Trevor Moore (#12), Michael Amadio (#10)
Defensemen
L1: Drew Doughty (#8), Ben Hutton (#15)
L2: Matt Roy (#3), Mikey Anderson (#44)
L3: Sean Walker (#26), Kurtis MacDermid (#56)
Power Play
Unit 1: Alex Iafllo (#19), Anze Kopitar (#11), Dustin Brown (#23), Drew Doughty (#8), Adrian Kempe (#9)
Unit 2: Gabriel Vilardi (#42), Michael Amadio (#10), Martin Frk (#29), Sean Walker (#26), Blake Lizotte (#46)
Minnesota Wild
Forwards
LW: Jordan Greenway (#18), Zach Parise (#11), Marcus Foligno (#17), Ryan Donato (#6)
C: Eric Staal (#12), Joel Eriksson Ek (#14), Alex Galchenyuk (#27), Mikko Koivu (#9)
RW: Kevin Fiala (#22), Luke Kunin (#19), Mats Zuccarello (#36), Ryan Hartman #(38)
Defensemen
L1: Jared Spurgeon (#46), Ryan Suter (#20)
L2: Matt Dumba (#24), Jonas Brodin (#25)
L3: Greg Pateryn (#29), Brad Hunt (#77)
Power Play
Unit 1: Zach Parise (#11), Luke Kunin (#19), Kevin Fiala (#22), Jared Spurgeon (#46), Ryan Suter (#20)
Unit 2: Ryan Donato (#6), Alex Galchenyuk (#27), Mats Zuccarello (#36), Matt Dumba (#24), Brad Hunt (#77)
Montreal Canadiens
Forwards
LW: Charles Hudon (#54), Jonathan Drouin (#92), Paul Byron (#41), Artturi Lehkonen (#62)
C: Phillip Danault (#24), Nick Suzuki (#14), Max Domi (#13), Jake Evans (#71)
RW: Brendan Gallagher (#11), Joel Armia (#40), Jordan Weal (#43), Dale Weise (#22)
Defensemen
L1: Ben Chiarot (#8), Shea Weber (#6)
L2: Brett Kulak (#77), Jeff Petry (#26)
L3: Xavier Ouellet (#61), Christian Folin (#32)
Power Play
Unit 1: Jeff Petry (#26), Phillip Danault (#24), Jordan Weal (#43), Jake Evans (#71), Nick Suzuki (#14)
Unit 2: Paul Byron (#41), Joel Armia (#40), Charles Hudon (#54), Shea Weber (#6), Max Domi (#13)
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
LW: Miles Wood (#44), Nikita Gusev (#97), Joey Anderson (#14), Janne Kuokkanen (#59)
C: Nico Hischier #(13), Jesper Bratt (#63), Travis Zajac (#19), John Hayden (#15)
RW: Kyle Palmieri (#21), Pavel Zacha (#37), Jack Hughes (#86), Kevin Rooney (#16)
Defensemen
L1: P.K. Subban (#76), Mirco Mueller (#25)
L2: Damon Severson (#28), Dakota Mermis (#32)
L3: Matt Tennyson (#7), Connor Carrick (#5)
Power Play
Unit 1: Travis Zajac (#19), Nico Hischier (#13), Kyle Palmieri (#21), Damon Severson (#28), Jack Hughes (#86)
Unit 2: Nikita Gusev (#97), Pavel Zacha (#37), Miles Wood (#44), P.K. Subban (#76), Jesper Bratt (#63)
Nashville Predators
Forwards
LW: Filip Forsberg (#9), Calle Jarnkrok (#19), Viktor Arvidsson (#33), Craig Smith (#15)
C: Matt Duchene (#95), Ryan Johansen (#92), Kyle Turris (#8), Nick Bonino (#13)
RW: Mikeal Granlund (#64), Colton Sissons (#10), Yakov Trenin (#32), Rocco Grimaldi (#23)
Defensemen
L1: Ryan Ellis (#4), Roman Josi (#59)
L2: Dante Fabbro (#57), Mattias Ekholm (#14)
L3: Korbinian Holzer (#22), Jarred Tinordi (#24)
Power Play
Unit 1: Filip Forsberg (#9), Mikael Granlund (#64), Craig Smith (#15), Kyle Turris (#8), Roman Josi (#59)
Unit 2: Matt Duchene (#95), Ryan Johansen (#92), Viktor Arvidsson (#33), Ryan Ellis (#4), Calle Jarnkrok (#19)
New York Islanders
Forwards
LW: Anders Lee (#27), Anthony Beauvillier (#18), Andrew Ladd (#16), Matt Martin (#17)
C: Mathew Barzal (#13), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (#44), Brock Nelson (#29), Derick Brassard (#10)
RW: Jordan Eberle (#7), Leo Komarov (#47), Josh Bailey (#12), Cal Clutterbuck (#15)
Defensemen
L1: Ryan Pulock (#6), Nick Leddy (#2)
L2: Scott Mayfield (#24), Devon Toews (#25)
L3: Noah Dobson (#8), Andy Greene (#4)
Power Play
Unit 1: Anthony Beauvillier (#18), Brock Nelson (#29), Josh Bailey (#12), Ryan Pulock (#6), Derick Brassard (#10)
Unit 2: Anders Lee (#27), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (#44), Jordan Eberle (#7), Mathew Barzal (#13), Devon Toews (#25)
New York Rangers
Forwards
LW: Phillip Di Giuseppe (#33), Artemi Panarin (#10), Kappo Kakko (#24), Brendan Lemieux (#48)
C: Mika Zibanejad (#93), Ryan Strome (#16), Brett Howden (#21), Greg McKegg (#14)
RW: Pavel Buchnevich (#89), Jesper Fast (#17), Steven Fogarty (#29), Julien Gauthier (#12)
Defensemen
L1: Tony DeAngelo (#77), Marc Staal (#18)
L2: Jacob Trouba (#8), Brendan Smith (#42)
L3: Adam Fox (#23), Ryan Lindgren (#55)
Power Play
Unit 1: Artemi Panarin (#10), Ryan Strome (#16), Pavel Buchnevich (#89), Mika Zibanejad (#93), Tony DeAngelo (#77)
Unit 2: Brendan Lemiux (#48), Brett Howden (#21), Kaapo Kakko (#24), Jacob Trouba (#8), Adam Fox (#23)
Ottawa Senators
Forwards
LW: Rudolfs Balcers (#38), Bobby Ryan (#9), Anthony Duclair (#10), Mikkel Boedker (#89)
C: Chris Tierney (#71), Brady Tkachuk (#7), Nick Paul (#13), Matthew Peca (#53)
RW: Connor Brown (#28), Colin White (#36), Jayce Hawryluk (#79), Scott Sabourin (#49)
Defensemen
L1: Ron Hainsey (#81), Thomas Chabot (#72)
L2: Nikita Zaitsev (#22), Mike Reilly (#5)
L3: Andreas Englund (#39), Christian Wolanin (#86)
Power Play
Unit 1: Anthony Duclair (#10), Colin White (#36), Connor Brown (#28), Brady Tkachuk (#7), Thomas Chabot (#72)
Unit 2: Mikkel Boedker (#89), Chris Tierney (#71), Bobby Ryan (#9), Rudolfs Balcers (#38), Mike Reilly (#5)
Philadelphia Flyers
Forwards
LW: Jakub Voracek (#93), Joel Farabee (#49), Tyler Pitlick (#18), Michael Raffl (#12)
C: Claude Giroux (#28), Kevin Hayes (#13), Derek Grant (#38), Nate Thompson (#44)
RW: Sean Couturier (#14), Travis Konecny (#11), Scott Laughton (#21), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (#62)
Defensemen
L1: Matt Niskanen (#15), Ivan Provorov (#9)
L2: Justin Braun (#61), Travis Sanheim (#6)
L3: Shayne Gostisbehere (#53), Robert Hagg (#8)
Power Play
Unit 1: Jakub Voracek (#93), Claude Giroux (#28), Travis Konecny (#11), Sean Couturier (#14), Ivan Provorov (#9)
Unit 2: Matt Niskanen (#15), Keivin Hayes (#13), Nicolas Aubue-Kubel (#62), Derek Grant (#38), Shayne Gostisbehere (#53)
Pittsburgh Penguins
Forwards
LW: Jason Zucker (#16), Patrick Marleau (#12), Patric Hornqvist (#72), Brandon Tanev (#13)
C: Sidney Crosby (#87), Evgeni Malkin (#71), Jared McCann (#19), Sam Lafferty (#37)
RW: Conor Sheary (#43), Bryan Rust (#17), Evan Rodrigues (#9), Teddy Blueger (#53)
Defensemen
L1: Kris Letang (#58), Brian Dumoulin (#8)
L2: Jusitin Schultz (#4), Jack Johnson (#3)
L3: John Marino (#6), Marcus Pattersson (#28)
Power Play
Unit 1: Jason Zucker (#16), Sidney Crosby (#87), Patric Hornqvist (#72), Justin Schultz (#4), Evgeni Malkin (#71)
Unit 2: Jared McCann (#19), Patrick Marleau (#12), Bryan Rust (#17), Kris Letang (#58), John Marino (#6)
San Jose Sharks
Forwards
LW: Kevin Lebanc (#62), Marcus Sorensen (#20), Stefan Noesen (#11), Antti Suomela (#40)
C: Evander Kane (#9), Joe Thornton (#19), Joel Kellman (#46), Dylan Gambrell (#7)
RW: Noah Gregor (#73), Timo Meier (#28), Melker Karlsson (#68), Lean Bergmann (#45)
Defensemen
L1: Brent Burns (#88), Radim Simek (#51)
L2: Tim Heed (#72), Marc-Edouard Vlasic (#44)
L3: Brandon Davidosn (#21), Nikolai Knyzhov (#71)
Power Play
Unit 1: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (#44), Joel Kellman (#46), Stefan Noesen (#11), Tim Heed (#72), Melker Karlsson (#68)
Unit 2: Joe Thornton (#19), Evander Kane (#9), Kevin Labanc (#62), Brent Burns (#88), Timo Meier (#28)
St. Louis Blues
Forwards
LW: Jaden Schwartz (#17), Sammy Blais (#9), Zach Sanford (#12), Mackenzie MacEachern (#28)
C: Brayden Schenn (#10), Ryan O’Reilly (#90), Robert Thomas (#18), Oskar Sundqvist (#70)
RW: Alexander Steen (#20), David Perron (#57), Jordan Kyrou (#33), Ivan Barbashev (#49)
Defensemen
L1: Justin Faulk (#72), Alex Pietrangelo (#27)
L2: Marco Scandella (#6), Colton Parayko (#55)
L3: Vince Dunn (#29), Robert Bortuzzo (#41)
Power Play
Unit 1: David Perron (#57), Ryan O’Reilly (#90), Jaden Schwartz (#17), Alex Pietrangelo (#27), Brayden Schenn (#10)
Unit 2: Zach Sanford (#12), Tyler Bozak (#21), Robert Thomas (#18), Colton Parayko (#55), Vince Dunn (#29)
Tampa Bay Lightning
Forwards
LW: Alex Kilorn (#17), Ondrej Palat (#18), Pat Maroon (#14), Barclay Goodrow (#19)
C: Anthony Cirelli (#71), Brayden Point (#21), Cedric Paquette (#13), Tyler Johnson (#9)
RW: Blake Coleman (#20), Nikita Kucherov (#86), Yanni Gourde (#37), Carter Verhaeghe (#23)
Defensemen
L1: Kevin Shattenkirk (#22), Mikhail Sergachev (#98)
L2: Erik Cernak (#81), Ryan McDonagh (#27)
L3: Zach Bogosian (#24), Braydon Coburn (#55)
Power Play
Unit 1: Alex Killorn (#17), Tyler Johnson (#9), Nikita Kucherov (#86), Brayden Point (#21), Mikhail Sergachev (#98)
Unit 2: Pat Marron (#14), Anthony Cirelli (#71), Ondrej Palat (#18), Kevin Shattenkirk (#22), Yanni Gourde (#37)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards
LW: Zach Hyman (#11), Ilya Mikheyev (#65), Kasperi Kapanen (#24), Pierre Engvall (#47)
C: Auston Matthews (#34), John Tavares (#91), Alexander Kerfoot (#15), Frederik Gauthier (#33)
RW: Mitchell Marner (#16), William Nylander (#88), Jason Spezza (#19), Kyle Clifford (#73)
Defensemen
L1: Morgan Rielly (#44), Cody Ceci (#83)
L2: Travis Dermott (#23), Justin Holl (#3)
L3: Rasmus Sandin (#38), Tyson Barrie (#94)
Power Play
Unit 1: Tyson Barrie (#94), John Tavares (#91), William Nylander (#88), Mitchell Marner (#16), Auston Matthews (#34)
Unit 2: Kyle Clifford (#73), Jason Spezza (#19), Frederik Gauthier (#33), Justin Holl (#3), Morgan Rielly (#44)
Vancouver Canucks
Forwards
LW: Tyler Toffoli (#73), Tanner Pearson (#70), Tyler Motte (#64), Antoine Roussel (2#6)
C: J.T. Miller (#9), Bo Horvat (#53), Brandon Sutter (#20), Adam Gaudette (#88)
RW: Elias Pattersson (#40), Brock Boeser (#6), Jake Virtanen (#18), Zack MacEwen (#71)
Defensemen
L1: Troy Stecher (#51), Alexander Edler (#23)
L2: Christopher Tanev (#8), Quinn Hughes (#43)
L3: Tyler Myers (#57), Oscar Fantenberg (#5)
Power Play
Unit 1: Tyler Toffoli (#73), Bo Horvat (#53), J.T. Miller (#9), Elias Pattersson (#40), Quinn Hughes (#43)
Unit 2: Tanner Pearson (#70), Adam Gaudette (#88), Jake Virtanen (#18), Brock Boeser (#6), Tyler Myers (#57)
Vegas Golden Knights
Forwards
LW: Reilly Smith (#19), Max Pacioretty (#67), Brandon Pirri (#73), William Carrier (#28)
C: Paul Stastny (#26), William Karlsson (#71), Chandler Stephenson (#20), Tomas Nosek (#92)
RW: Jonathan Marchessault (#81), Nicolas Roy (#10), Nick Cousins (#21), Ryan Reaves (#75)
Defensemen
L1: Alec Martinez (#23), Shea Theodore (#27)
L2: Brayden McNabb (#3), Nate Schmidt #(88)
L3: Zach Whitecloud (#2), Nick Holden (#22)
Power Play
Unit 1: Max Pacioretty (#67), Paul Stastny (#26), William Karlsson (#71), Jonathan Marchessault (#81), Shea Theodore (#27)
Unit 2: Alec Martinez (#23), Nicolas Roy (#10), Reilly Smith (#19), Nick Cousins (#21), Nate Schmidt (#88)
Winnipeg Jets
Forwards
LW: Kyle Connor (#81), Andrew Copp (#9), Nikolaj Ehlers (#27), Mathieu Perreault (#85)
C: Mark Scheifele (#55), Adam Lowry (#17), Cody Eakin (#20), Nicholas Shore (#21)
RW: Blake Wheeler (#26), Jack Roslovic (#28), Patrik Laine (#29), Mason Appleton (#82)
Defensemen
L1: Dylan DeMelo (#12), Josh Morrissey (#44)
L2: Neal Poink (#4), Dmitry Kulikov (#7)
L3: Tucker Poolman (#3), Nathan Beaulieu (#88)
Power Play
Unit 1: Kyle Connor (#81), Mark Scheifele (#55), Blake Wheeler (#26), Patrik Laine (#29), Neal Poink (#4)
Unit 2: Mathieu Perreault (#85), Andrew Copp (#9), Nikolaj Ehlers (#27), Jack Roslovic (#28), Josh Morrissey (#44)
Washington Capitals
Forwards
LW: Alex Ovechkin (#8), Jakub Vrana (#13), Carl Hagelin (#62), Richard Panik (#14)
C: Evgeny Kuznetsov (#92), Nicklas Backstrom (#19), Lars Eller (#20), Nic Dowd (#26)
RW: Tom Wilson (#43), T.J. Oshie (#77), Ilya Kovalchuk (#17), Garnet Hathaway (#21)
Defensemen
L1: Michal Kempny (#6), John Carlson (#74)
L2: Brenden Dillon (#4), Dmitry Orlov (#9)
L3: Jonas Siegenthaler (#34), Nick Jensen (#3)
Power Play
Unit 1: Alex Ovechkin (#8), T.J. Oshie (#77), Jakub Vrana (#13), John Carlson (#74), Nicklas Backstrom (#19)
Unit 2: Carl Hagelin (#62), Lars Eller (#20), Richard Panik (#14), Nick Jensen (#3), Dmitry Orlov (#9)
Basic Line Concepts
NHL teams universally deploy 4 lines for forwards, each of which traditionally has a slightly different role, and are usually made up of a different caliber of player. The first line generally has the most talented offensive players on the team, and is responsible for bulk of that team’s scoring. A first line also receives the most ice time. The second line is another offensive-minded line, made up of the next best offensive forwards. Teams with multiple superstar players face the choice of either stacking their top line or splitting their stars between the first and second lines. That kind of choice can vary from game to game. A prominent example over the last decade would be the Blackhawks, where coach Joel Quenneville would alternate between splitting Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane between first and second lines and pairing them on the first line. The third line is traditionally referred to as the checking line, and usually features forwards who are skilled at defense and limited offensively. The idea behind the classic third line is to match up against an opponent’s top line and frustrate them defensively. The fourth line is traditionally referred to as the energy line, and it receives the least ice time and tends to feature the least skilled forwards on the team. In years past, the fourth line is where low-skilled enforcers would play, though this is changing as the league grows away from that aspect of the game. In addition to the 4 line structure, teams feature lines which play on the penalty and to kill opposing penalties. Generally, the standout forwards from the first and second lines play on the power play lines, and gritty third liners can often feature on penalty kill lines.
Line Assignments and Daily Fantasy Hockey
Now that we’ve got the basics of line combinations down, what does that mean for daily fantasy hockey? Most daily fantasy hockey games feature a pretty simple scoring structure – players are rewarded for goals, assists, shots on goal and blocks, with goals and assists being worth the most points. There are a few other ways to score points, but that’s the basic framework of the game. You can immediately note that all these are volume stats. In other words, they correlate with playing time. The more time a player is on the ice, the more likely (in general) he is to rack up these kinds of stats. That being the case, pay careful attention to decisions coming from a team regarding changes in line structure. A demotion from the first to the third line, or from the second to the fourth line, likely means a significant drop-off in ice time for a player. This is almost always going to have an impact on daily fantasy stats. And the converse is true: If a player is promoted to a higher line, chances are his value has now improved by virtue of more ice time. But the impact of line shuffling goes beyond just increased/decreased ice time. Certain players elevate the stats of players sharing a line with them. A player playing on a line with Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos will always score more points than that same player playing with a lesser center.
So, a player dropping from a first line pairing with Steven Stamkos to a third line pairing with Cedric Paquette is a double whammy. Not only is he receiving less ice time, but he’s no longer benefitting from all the extra opportunities and assists that Stamkos brings to his line. Beyond where a player is being slotted into his team’s four lines, be cognizant of how much usage a player gets on the power play, and to a lesser extent the penalty kill. Power play minutes are pure gold, as over 20% of all goals are scored on the power play. Often daily fantasy leagues offer a bonus for any goals or assists scored while shorthanded, so penalty kill minutes can be a minor bonus. But the main point is that players on power play lines should be valued appropriately for their greater likelihood to generate scoring.
Not all Ice Time is Created Equally
The above is a solid guide to how to consider line combinations when trying to value players for daily fantasy hockey, but there’s one other consideration if you’re looking to properly judge players and their lines. NHL coaches aren’t just throwing their lines out on the ice in 1-2-3-4 order. They’re deploying them for specific reasons and in specific circumstances, and that strategy has a big impact on how much offense a given line or player produces. The two relevant ideas are Quality of Competition and Offensive/Defensive Zone Deployment. Simply put, some players and lines tend to be put on the ice against the opposing team’s best players, and some players and lines tend to either start their shifts more in either the offensive or defensive zones. All of these metrics are tracked and can be accessed on a number of NHL stats websites, and paying proper attention to QoC (Quality of Competition) and OZ% (Offensive Zone Deployment Percentage) can help you recognize which players and lines are being put in the position to score more or fewer points than their raw talent would otherwise dictate. Take a player like Vladimir Tarasenko and the St. Louis Blues’ top line. Tarasenko is getting nearly 70% of his non-neutral zone starts in the offensive zone. Further, in 2017-2018 Tarasenko’s line was being matched with opponents’ weaker lines more often than not. The combination of those two factors means that Tarasenko and his linemates are in an ideal position to deliver the daily fantasy goods more often than not. Conversely, a line with more defensive zone starts than offensive ones that is also being paired with an opponent’s top line isn’t going to produce very many points.
To sum it all up, the perfect player for daily fantasy hockey plays on the first line and the top power play line, is paired with talented line mates, gets playing time against weaker opponent lines and generally is deployed for offensive zone starts to line shifts.
The established stars in these situations are known quantities, and you’ll have to pay a premium for them. But keep your eyes open for changes in the usage patterns for players as the season progresses. A line shuffle or change in the OZ% for a player can mean that a lesser-valued player can suddenly begin to put up points like a top-tier star.
