Lining Up

Lining Up: NHL Line Combinations and Deployment Analysis
Welcome to Lining Up, DobberHockey’s dedicated column for analyzing NHL line combinations and their fantasy impact. In fantasy hockey, talent is only half the battle—deployment is the other. This category provides expert analysis on shifting line chemistry, defensive pairings, and power-play units to help you identify which players are gaining the most valuable ice time.

Track the Chemistry That Wins Leagues
A promotion to the top line or the first power-play unit (PP1) can instantly transform a waiver-wire find into a seasonal centerpiece. Our “Lining Up” reports focus on:

Line Shuffles & Auditions: Analysis of mid-game changes and practice line rushes that signal upcoming breakout performances.

Power Play Stacks: Identifying the four-forward and five-man units that maximize scoring potential.

Even-Strength Correlation: Tracking which duos are most effective together to help you “stack” your fantasy roster.

Deployment Shifts: Monitoring offensive zone start percentages (oZS%) and ice time trends for rising stars.

Interactive Line Tools
While our columns provide the “Why,” our data tools provide the “What.” For real-time, interactive data, utilize our industry-leading Frozen Tools:

NHL Line Combination Tool: See seasonal and game-by-game line trends for every NHL team.

Last Game Lines: Get the exact lineup data from the most recent games to stay ahead of the daily news cycle.

Lucas Main pens this weekly article on the hottest, coldest and newest line combinations in the NHL over the past week. Check it out every Tuesday!

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Lining Up: Setting Up For Fantasy Playoffs; Players Riding Hot Streaks

By Brennan Des|2019-03-05T10:38:19-05:00March 5th, 2019|Lining Up|

Whether you’re making one last push to qualify for the playoffs, or your playoff matchup has already begun, this week may be an important one in shaping your legacy as a fantasy hockey GM. To ensure your success, I’ve found a few players that may strengthen your fantasy roster because of their position in [...]

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Lining Up: Stacked Lines and Trade Deadline Analysis

By Brennan Des|2019-02-26T11:47:57-05:00February 26th, 2019|Lining Up|

This week is the second of two installments in which we’ll be trying to assess whether certain teams are more likely to stack their top lines or opt for a more balanced attack going forward. We’ll also take a look at how the trade deadline affected certain line combinations around the league. For the [...]

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Lining Up: Stack Lines or Not?

By Brennan Des|2019-02-12T13:25:02-05:00February 12th, 2019|Lining Up|

To stack or not to stack: that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer through a lack of depth scoring or to make do with a mediocre but balanced attack. Okay, we’re done with the Shakespeare and I’m truly sorry if that gave you flashbacks of a high school English [...]

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Lining Up – Changes in Buffalo, Columbus, and Florida; New Blues Top Line

By Brennan Des|2019-02-05T17:51:16-05:00February 5th, 2019|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, I’ll be sharing thoughts about a couple of line changes around the league, as well as a couple of lines with productive players. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compared even-strength point production around the league over the past 10 games. I compiled a list of the highest scoring line [...]

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Lining Up: Nino Niederreiter, Alex Ovechkin, Frank Vatrano, and More – January 29

By Brennan Des|2019-01-29T21:33:42-05:00January 29th, 2019|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, I’ll be sharing thoughts about a few lines listed in the table below. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compared even-strength point production around the league over the past three games. I compiled a list of the highest scoring line for each team at even strength. Here’s the list… # [...]

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Lining Up: Winnipeg and Columbus Boast Productive Top Lines

By Brennan Des|2019-01-22T12:27:25-05:00January 22nd, 2019|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, I’ll be sharing thoughts about a few lines listed in the table below. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compared even-strength point production around the league over the past 10 games. I compiled a list of the highest scoring line for each team at even strength. Here’s the list… # [...]

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Lining Up: Ty Rattie, Dylan Larkin, Brandon Pirri, and More – January 15

By Brennan Des|2019-01-15T10:21:11-05:00January 15th, 2019|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, we ‘re going to be doing things a little differently. Instead of dissecting a couple of lines, we’ll analyze the data collected in the table below. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, we compared even-strength point production around the league over the past 10 games. I compiled a list of the [...]

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Lining Up: Guentzel on Fire; Barzal Producing – January 8

By Brennan Des|2019-01-08T13:27:48-05:00January 8th, 2019|Lining Up|

Are you tired of losing matchups in fantasy hockey? Frustrated with the trash talk from your fellow GMs who clearly aren’t as talented as you? Ready to put an end to those sleepless nights and turn your season around? Well, do I have something for you! Dobber’s midseason guide is the industry’s leading resource [...]

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Lining Up: Blues, Leafs, Stars, Ducks, and More – January 1

By Brennan Des|2019-01-01T12:50:55-05:00January 1st, 2019|Lining Up|

New year, new lines. In this week’s instalment, I’ll let you know which lines to watch out for in the new year. Before we get into that, we’ll take a quick glance at each team’s most productive line during the 2018 portion of this season. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compared even-strength point [...]

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Top Lines of 2018-19 (so far)

By Brennan Des|2018-12-25T15:33:59-05:00December 25th, 2018|Lining Up|

Merry Christmas to all you folks who celebrate this wonderful holiday! In this week’s installment, I share a few quick notes about how some lines in the Western Conference have been performing this season. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, we compared even-strength point production around the league. ‘Time on ice’ represents how many minutes [...]