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: Top-Performing Lines in the East – December 18

By Brennan Des|2018-12-18T11:10:22-05:00December 18th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, I share a few quick notes about how some lines in the Eastern 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 each trio has played as a line this season, values were retrieved [...]

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Lining Up: Scorching Flames Find Success Together

By Brennan Des|2018-12-11T08:46:23-05:00December 11th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, we focus on one particularly hot line. 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 highest scoring line for each team at even strength. Here’s the list… # Team Line Points 1 Colorado [...]

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Lining Up: Tuch, Pacioretty, and Eakin – December 4

By Brennan Des|2018-12-04T08:59:59-05:00December 4th, 2018|Lining Up|

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Lining Up – Top Line Combinations from Around the League

By Brennan Des|2018-11-27T10:06:28-05:00November 27th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s instalment, we take a look at a few hot lines in the NHL. 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 highest scoring line for each team at even strength. Here’s the list… # [...]

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Lining Up: Gourde’s Hot Start, Getzlaf Underappreciated, and More – November 13

By Brennan Des|2018-11-13T09:01:00-05:00November 13th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s installment, we take a look at one hot line and one cold line. The temperature of these lines was determined using Dobber’s Line Production Tool to compare even-strength production over the past 10 games. I compiled a list of the highest scoring line for each team at even strength. Here’s the [...]

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Lining Up: November 6

By Brennan Des|2018-11-06T09:35:29-05:00November 6th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s installment, we take a look at the top 15 line combinations around the league (one from each team). This top 15 was determined by which lines had tallied the most even strength points so far this season. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compiled a list of the highest scoring line [...]

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Lining Up – Top Lines for the Sharks, Oilers, Sabres, and More – October 30

By Brennan Des|2018-10-30T08:32:25-04:00October 30th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s installment, I’ll be predicting which lines will score the most from Tuesday October 30th to the end of the fantasy week on Sunday November 4th. We’re taking a break from the usual format that thoroughly analyzes a couple of line combinations, and will instead conduct a brief overview of a few [...]

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Lining Up – Hurricanes, Avs, and More – October 23

By Michael Clifford|2018-10-23T08:49:13-04:00October 23rd, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s installment, we take a look at two of the hottest lines in the league. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compiled a list of the highest scoring line for each team at even strength. If a team’s highest scoring line hasn’t crossed the double-digit mark yet, it’s likely because many line combinations [...]

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Lining Up: Habs, Lightning, and Leafs – October 16

By Brennan Des|2018-10-16T08:39:51-04:00October 16th, 2018|Lining Up|

In this week’s installment, we take a look at a few lines that have been particularly successful in this young season. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, I compiled a list of the highest scoring line for each team at even strength. If a line has crossed the double-digit mark at this point, it’s unlikely [...]

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Lining Up: Vancouver, Chicago, and More – October 9

By Brennan Des|2018-10-09T11:43:54-04:00October 9th, 2018|Lining Up|

Stop what you’re doing right now. Stop Scrolling. Stop sipping your coffee. Go follow me on Twitter @BrennanDeSouza for the latest line changes and injury updates. Don’t you want to be the first to know when WhatsHisName McNobody gets promoted to the top line? Don’t you want to find a replacement for Band-Aid Boy [...]