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Deep Dive: Line combinations and how rare continuity is across the NHL

Photo credit: © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

By Jason Gregor

Sep 14, 2026, 16:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 14, 2026, 16:49 EDT

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“Do you know the lines?” “What are the lines?”

I’m in my 25th year covering the NHL, and the most common question I’ve been asked is about line combinations. Daily Faceoff’s most-visited page is the line combination page, with 10s of millions of views a month. Hockey fans love knowing who is playing on which line, but I would counter that it is the most overblown topic in the league.

Lines are rarely consistent, and not just for the Edmonton Oilers. Even teams that win change lines frequently for a variety of reasons ranging from injuries, losing, confidence, matchups and urgency. Duos are much more common than a consistent trio of linemates. I was working on an article about lines, and then last week Connor McDavid increased my urgency to finish the research when I asked him about playing with Leon Draisaitl.

Gregor: Do you expect to start the season playing with Leon?
McDavid: I think it’s just going to move in and out. I think it always kind of shifts throughout the year. You know how it goes. I think this year we would like a little bit more stability, if that’s possible, but that being said, we understand that it’s always kind of a moving target throughout the year. Different situations require different lineups and different formations and stuff, so that’s a coaching question.
Gregor: When you say stability, do you have a preference as far as what kind of stability you require?
McDavid: I think we’ve asked for that for a long time is some consistency throughout lines and building chemistry. It’s not easy just to jump around from spot to spot, guys switching positions, guys playing up the lineup, down the lineup. It’s hard. Mentally, it’s hard. It’s hard to understand what your job is, so I think we’re looking for some consistency throughout the lineup in terms of where guys are playing.

In theory, it makes sense, but in reality, McDavid actually had more consistency with linemates than most players in the NHL last season. It might surprise people, but only 13 of 32 teams had a line play more than 400 minutes together last year.

TEAM	TOI	PLAYERS	GP	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%	PR 82 GP
WPG	661	Connor-Schiefele-Vilardi	82	47	41	6	311	351	47	661
TBL	623	Girgensons-Gourde-Holmberg	63	20	21	-1	255	244	51	810
BOS	594	Arvidsson-Zacha-Mittelstadt	61	44	22	22	266	267	50	798
CAR	592	Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis	71	31	28	3	351	249	59	684
COL	565	Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas	65	46	20	26	344	282	55	712
CAR	549	Hall-Stankoven-Blake	80	36	25	11	306	216	59	562
MTL	534	Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky	81	34	14	20	279	229	55	540
DET	502	Kane-Copp-Debrincat	64	34	14	20	267	231	54	643
DET	497	Raymond-Larkin-Finnie	72	22	22	0	216	205	51	566
NJD	490	Meier-Hischier-Mercer	77	20	22	-2	252	230	52	521
WPG	470	Connor-Schiefele-Iafallo	79	22	22	0	201	206	49	487
BUF	451	Zucker-McLeod-Quinn	62	31	18	13	218	227	49	596
MIN	429	Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy	65	30	13	17	213	206	51	541
CBJ	427	Olivier-Coyle-Sillinger	60	31	17	14	222	184	55	583
MIN	419	Zuccarello- Hartman – Kaprizov	53	23	18	5	222	200	52	648
WSH	407	Beauvillier-Strome-Ovechkin	80	24	13	11	210	189	53	417
EDM	404	RNH-McDavid-Hyman	51	29	25	4	234	215	52	650

Duos are much more popular than trios in the NHL. No team illustrated that more than Winnipeg, as they had the 1st and 11th most common lines, and Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were part of both, as Gabe Vilardi played 661 minutes with them and Alex Iafallo logged 470 minutes with them. The Jets maintained more cohesiveness on their top line than any team in the NHL, but they still missed the playoffs. Carolina, Detroit and Minnesota also had two lines (with different players on both lines) play 400+ minutes.

McDavid, along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, played the 17th most minutes together, but that was due to injury. They dressed for 51 games together, while the Connor-Schiefele-Vilardi line had the most time together, but they also all played all 82 games. If you prorated all these lines playing 82 games together, then the RNH-McDavid-Hyman trio would have played 650 minutes together and ranked 6th most in the NHL. Only four lines had all three players dress for 80+ games and another three had 70+. It is difficult to keep a line healthy.

I understand why McDavid would like a bit more consistency in the lines. But he also acknowledged he understands why it doesn’t happen. Hyman played 75 per cent of his even-strength minutes with McDavid. He missed 24 games but was still McDavid’s most common linemate. When he was out, head coach Kris Knoblauch tried other wingers, but never found the same chemistry. It also didn’t help that the entire team didn’t play with much consistency. They didn’t win three games in a row until the 74th game of the season. Losing and not playing well will also lead to line juggling.

However, as noted above, even teams who win don’t have their lines remain the same all season. The Carolina Hurricanes led their division all season. They were very consistent, but even with that consistency, their top line only played 592 minutes together. Their second line missed a total of two games, which helped them skate 400+ minutes together. Health was a factor, for sure, but even with their team being healthy and very good and consistent, Rod Brind’Amour still switched up his line combinations. All six forwards on his top two lines played over 1000 minutes at even strength, but as a trio none averaged more than 55 per cent of their EV time on ice together. As duos, they were close to 80 per cent, but a trio is difficult to keep together even for winning teams. Detroit had pretty good consistency with two lines, but they fizzled out down the stretch and missed the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season.

To illustrate my point about trios playing together being rare, I looked at all 32 teams to see their most common lines at even strength. I included lines that played 100+ minutes together.

Anaheim Ducks

ANA	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	388:52	9.4	CHRIS KREIDER – TROY TERRY – LEO CARLSSON	24	18	6	223	171	56.6
2	327:09	7.9	MASON MCTAVISH – CUTTER GAUTHIER – BECKETT SENNECKE	17	13	4	198	163	54.8
3	262:38	6.3	MIKAEL GRANLUND – ALEX KILLORN – BECKETT SENNECKE	9	10	-1	129	120	51.8
4	136:02	3.3	RYAN POEHLING – JEFFREY VIEL – CUTTER GAUTHIER	4	7	-3	75	61	55.1

The Ducks only had four combinations play more than 100 minutes, and Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke were on two of them.

Boston Bruins

BOS	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	594:55	14.3	VIKTOR ARVIDSSON – PAVEL ZACHA – CASEY MITTELSTADT	44	22	22	266	267	49.9
2	356:11	8.6	ELIAS LINDHOLM – DAVID PASTRNAK – MORGAN GEEKIE	18	19	-1	156	170	47.9
3	353:35	8.5	SEAN KURALY – TANNER JEANNOT – MARK KASTELIC	10	13	-3	135	152	47
4	202:08	4.9	TANNER JEANNOT – MARK KASTELIC – FRASER MINTEN	7	4	3	82	86	48.8
5	191:23	4.6	ELIAS LINDHOLM – DAVID PASTRNAK – MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV	12	6	6	74	83	47.1
6	189:49	4.6	DAVID PASTRNAK – MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV – FRASER MINTEN	15	5	10	82	81	50.3
7	119:31	2.9	DAVID PASTRNAK – MORGAN GEEKIE – MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV	8	6	2	48	57	45.7
8	112:09	2.7	ELIAS LINDHOLM – MORGAN GEEKIE – ALEX STEEVES	7	4	3	49	46	51.6

The Arvidsson-Zacha-Mittelstadt trio was one of the best in the NHL, outscoring their opponents 44-22. David Pastrnak was part of four of their seven most common combinations.

James Guillory-Imagn Images

Apr 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Boston Bruins center Morgan Geekie (39) celebrates his goal with Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) and right wing David Pastrnak (88) and defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Buffalo Sabres

BUF	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	451:16	10.8	JASON ZUCKER – RYAN MCLEOD – JACK QUINN	31	18	13	218	227	49
2	266:59	6.4	ALEX TUCH – TAGE THOMPSON – PEYTON KREBS	21	11	10	132	123	51.8
3	185:55	4.5	TAGE THOMPSON – PEYTON KREBS – JOSH DOAN	10	9	1	85	89	48.9
4	145:37	3.5	RYAN MCLEOD – JACK QUINN – ZACH BENSON	11	4	7	69	62	52.7
5	130:04	3.1	JOSH NORRIS – JOSH DOAN – NOAH OSTLUND	7	3	4	67	52	56.3
6	122:37	2.9	ALEX TUCH – TAGE THOMPSON – JOSH DOAN	7	7	0	46	76	37.7
7	121:44	2.9	ALEX TUCH – TAGE THOMPSON – ZACH BENSON	6	4	2	50	53	48.5
8	112:37	2.7	ALEX TUCH – RYAN MCLEOD – JOSH DOAN	10	6	4	70	49	58.8
9	100:37	2.4	BECK MALENSTYN – PEYTON KREBS – JOSH DUNNE	2	5	-3	41	36	53.2

Buffalo had their best season in 15 years, but only two trios spent more than 200 minutes together.

Calgary Flames

CGY	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	244:09	5.8	NAZEM KADRI – YEGOR SHARANGOVICH – JOEL FARABEE	13	17	-4	132	127	51
2	243:01	5.8	JONATHAN HUBERDEAU – MORGAN FROST – MATT CORONATO	11	13	-2	144	110	56.7
3	209:58	5	MIKAEL BACKLUND – BLAKE COLEMAN – CONNOR ZARY	9	8	1	97	80	54.8
4	184:40	4.4	MIKAEL BACKLUND – YEGOR SHARANGOVICH – MATT CORONATO	3	6	-3	89	102	46.6
5	171:59	4.1	MIKAEL BACKLUND – BLAKE COLEMAN – JOEL FARABEE	10	7	3	83	83	50
6	150:54	3.6	MIKAEL BACKLUND – BLAKE COLEMAN – SAMUEL HONZEK	10	8	2	84	63	57.1
7	148:47	3.5	MIKAEL BACKLUND – BLAKE COLEMAN – MATT CORONATO	5	6	-1	66	77	46.2
8	137:27	3.3	MORGAN FROST – MATT CORONATO – MATVEI GRIDIN	6	8	-2	54	77	41.2
9	125:18	3	NAZEM KADRI – JOEL FARABEE – CONNOR ZARY	6	5	1	66	66	50
10	107:53	2.6	RYAN LOMBERG – JOHN BEECHER – ADAM KLAPKA	0	4	-4	32	60	34.8
11	103:50	2.5	RYAN STROME – VICTOR OLOFSSON – YEGOR SHARANGOVICH	6	6	0	47	57	45.2

Calgary had the most lines with 100+ minutes, and part of that was due to trades/acquisitions of Nazem Kadri, Ryan Strome and Victor Olofsson, but the Mikael Backlund/Blake Coleman duo were part of four of the seven most common trios. Calgary scored the fewest goals in the NHL, so I can understand why Ryan Huska kept looking for different combinations in hopes of finding some offence.

Jun 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jackson Blake (53) celebrates with left wing Taylor Hall (71) and center Logan Stankoven (22) after scoring during the 1st period against the Vegas Golden Knights in game four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Carolina Hurricanes

CAR	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	592:13	14	SEBASTIAN AHO – ANDREI SVECHNIKOV – SETH JARVIS	31	28	3	351	249	58.5
2	549:08	13	TAYLOR HALL – LOGAN STANKOVEN – JACKSON BLAKE	36	25	11	306	216	58.6
3	329:18	7.8	JORDAN STAAL – JORDAN MARTINOOK – NIKOLAJ EHLERS	17	18	-1	179	111	61.7
4	298:35	7.1	JORDAN STAAL – JORDAN MARTINOOK – WILLIAM CARRIER	15	15	0	135	110	55.1
5	250:42	5.9	NIKOLAJ EHLERS – LOGAN STANKOVEN – JACKSON BLAKE	10	5	5	127	89	58.8
6	155:13	3.7	MARK JANKOWSKI – WILLIAM CARRIER – ERIC ROBINSON	5	4	1	80	41	66.1
7	144:01	3.4	NIKOLAJ EHLERS – SEBASTIAN AHO – SETH JARVIS	8	7	1	79	67	54.1
8	127:19	3	TAYLOR HALL – MARK JANKOWSKI – ERIC ROBINSON	3	2	1	65	38	63.1

The ‘Canes had two trios over 500+ minutes, but Brind’Amour still liked moving one winger around on his lines. Nikolaj Ehlers played 329 with Staal/Martinook, 250 with Stankoven/Blake and 144 with Svechnikov/Jarvis. He’d switch up lines but liked keeping duos together quite often.

Chicago Blackhawks

CHI	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	364:48	8.7	ANDRE BURAKOVSKY – RYAN GREENE – CONNOR BEDARD	19	14	5	159	198	44.5
2	204:55	4.9	TEUVO TERAVAINEN – TYLER BERTUZZI – FRANK NAZAR	10	5	5	80	101	44.2
3	187:24	4.5	JASON DICKINSON – RYAN DONATO – ILYA MIKHEYEV	13	6	7	91	70	56.5
4	109:17	2.6	JASON DICKINSON – TYLER BERTUZZI – ILYA MIKHEYEV	1	4	-3	46	41	52.9

Chicago didn’t have much consistency with their lines; part of that was due to injuries and some trades later in the season, but mainly due to losing. It is difficult to keep your lines together when you aren’t having team success. But it was noticeable to see Bedard only have one line combination with more than 100 minutes together.

Colorado Avalanche

COL	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	565:43	13.7	NATHAN MACKINNON – ARTTURI LEHKONEN – MARTIN NECAS	46	20	26	344	282	55
2	218:42	5.3	GABRIEL LANDESKOG – NATHAN MACKINNON – MARTIN NECAS	21	6	15	143	106	57.4
3	177:46	4.3	PARKER KELLY – JOEL KIVIRANTA – JACK DRURY	11	7	4	100	54	64.9
4	176:04	4.2	BROCK NELSON – VALERI NICHUSHKIN – ROSS COLTON	10	9	1	103	78	56.9
5	171:18	4.1	GABRIEL LANDESKOG – BROCK NELSON – VALERI NICHUSHKIN	10	6	4	103	81	56
6	134:09	3.2	BROCK NELSON – VALERI NICHUSHKIN – ARTTURI LEHKONEN	7	4	3	75	48	61
7	124:00	3	VICTOR OLOFSSON – ROSS COLTON – JACK DRURY	3	3	0	84	43	66.1
8	100:15	2.4	VICTOR OLOFSSON – PARKER KELLY – JACK DRURY	6	2	4	58	48	54.7

Martin Necas played 83 per cent of his even-strength ice time with Nathan MacKinnon. That duo played a lot together and had mainly Arturri Lehkonen or Gabriel Landeskog as their linemate. Colorado was the most dominant team in the NHL last year, leading the league in goals scored while allowing the fewest goals against, but they only had two trios logging more than 200 minutes together, and both of those consisted of MacKinnon/Necas. Moving the other lines around frequently wasn’t an issue for them.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Jan 8, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) celebrates his goal with center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) in the second period against the Ottawa Senators at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Columbus Blue Jackets

CBJ	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	427:44	9.9	CHARLIE COYLE – MATHIEU OLIVIER – COLE SILLINGER	31	17	14	222	184	54.7
2	356:53	8.3	MASON MARCHMENT – KIRILL MARCHENKO – ADAM FANTILLI	26	10	16	187	166	53
3	221:00	5.1	DMITRI VORONKOV – KIRILL MARCHENKO – ADAM FANTILLI	12	9	3	110	93	54.2
4	151:53	3.5	SEAN MONAHAN – DMITRI VORONKOV – KIRILL MARCHENKO	9	4	5	88	92	48.9
5	135:50	3.2	BOONE JENNER – SEAN MONAHAN – KENT JOHNSON	10	5	5	72	53	57.6
6	106:06	2.5	KIRILL MARCHENKO – COLE SILLINGER – ADAM FANTILLI	1	5	-4	48	46	51.1

The Blue Jackets’ main duo was Kirill Marchenko and Adam Fantilli, and they had three different wingers with Mason Marchment (356), Dmitri Voronkov (221) and Cole Sillinger (106). Marchment was acquired from Seattle, and in his 39 games, he quickly found a home with Marchenko and Fantilli. Marchment signed with San Jose in the off-season, so now the Blue Jackets will likely audition a few wingers to play with Marchenko and Fantilli, if Marchenko stays and when Fantilli signs.

Dallas Stars

DAL	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	268:36	6.4	JASON ROBERTSON – WYATT JOHNSTON – MAVRIK BOURQUE	7	12	-5	147	127	53.6
2	251:01	6	MIKKO RANTANEN – SAM STEEL – WYATT JOHNSTON	13	8	5	105	122	46.3
3	209:41	5	OSKAR BACK – MAVRIK BOURQUE – JUSTIN HRYCKOWIAN	11	8	3	84	66	56
4	209:03	5	ROOPE HINTZ – JASON ROBERTSON – MAVRIK BOURQUE	13	7	6	108	75	59
5	156:59	3.7	JAMIE BENN – MATT DUCHENE – SAM STEEL	10	5	5	61	62	49.6
6	133:23	3.2	MIKKO RANTANEN – JASON ROBERTSON – WYATT JOHNSTON	9	2	7	74	64	53.6
7	119:27	2.9	TYLER SEGUIN – ROOPE HINTZ – JASON ROBERTSON	11	2	9	59	48	55.1

The Stars tried to find a regular winger to play with Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston but never settled on one. Sam Steel (251) and Jason Robertson (133) played the most. Finding a consistent trio is difficult, even for successful teams. Rantanen missed 18 games, which was likely a key factor. But Jamie Benn (60 games played), Matt Duchene (57), Roope Hintz (53) and Tyler Seguin (27) missed a lot of time as well, and that was a main reason Glenn Gulutzan didn’t have one trio play more than 268 minutes together.

Detroit Red Wings

DET	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	502:49	11.9	PATRICK KANE – ANDREW COPP – ALEX DEBRINCAT	34	14	20	267	231	53.6
2	497:31	11.7	DYLAN LARKIN – LUCAS RAYMOND – EMMITT FINNIE	22	22	0	216	205	51.3
3	133:56	3.2	DYLAN LARKIN – LUCAS RAYMOND – MARCO KASPER	7	4	3	55	58	48.7
4	123:43	2.9	PATRICK KANE – J.T. COMPHER – ALEX DEBRINCAT	8	8	0	78	65	54.5
5	118:53	2.8	MICHAEL RASMUSSEN – MASON APPLETON – ELMER SODERBLOM	0	4	-4	39	46	45.9

The Wings’ top two lines were fairly consistent, but they still missed the playoffs, and the Raymond-Larkin-Finnie played a lot together, but they were only even. The Wings gained no advantage, in terms of goals for/against, by having them as a consistent trio.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) and right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42) react after a goal against the Dallas Stars during the third period in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Edmonton Oilers

EDM	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	404:06	9.5	RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS – ZACH HYMAN – CONNOR MCDAVID	29	25	4	234	215	52.1
2	192:57	4.5	LEON DRAISAITL – JACK ROSLOVIC – VASILY PODKOLZIN	10	11	-1	102	86	54.3
3	141:54	3.3	ZACH HYMAN – LEON DRAISAITL – CONNOR MCDAVID	11	6	5	80	52	60.6
4	141:00	3.3	LEON DRAISAITL – KASPERI KAPANEN – VASILY PODKOLZIN	12	3	9	81	64	55.9
5	114:27	2.7	CONNOR MCDAVID – VASILY PODKOLZIN – MATT SAVOIE	5	4	1	58	39	59.8
6	106:21	2.5	LEON DRAISAITL – VASILY PODKOLZIN – MATT SAVOIE	6	1	5	58	41	58.6

Vasily Podkolzin was involved in four of the six most common lines, while McDavid and Draisaitl were involved in three of them. Draisaitl missed 14 games, which led to some different combinations. I’m sure they would like to find some more consistency in their bottom six, but that will hinge on health and performance. Edmonton only had five forwards play 70+ games last season, which was a factor in line combinations changing. If the team is more consistent in their puck management and defensive play, I could see a bit more consistency in the bottom six, but as seen with other teams, that is rare. Usually, those lines have guys in and out of the lineup.

Florida Panthers

FLA	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	317:28	7.8	SAM REINHART – EETU LUOSTARINEN – ANTON LUNDELL	15	16	-1	131	121	52
2	199:12	4.9	BRAD MARCHAND – SAM BENNETT – CARTER VERHAEGHE	12	13	-1	104	117	47.1
3	193:55	4.7	SAM REINHART – EVAN RODRIGUES – CARTER VERHAEGHE	6	8	-2	99	86	53.5
4	182:22	4.5	SAM BENNETT – CARTER VERHAEGHE – MATTHEW TKACHUK	11	13	-2	90	99	47.6
5	177:46	4.3	BRAD MARCHAND – EETU LUOSTARINEN – ANTON LUNDELL	11	7	4	86	90	48.9
6	151:51	3.7	SAM BENNETT – CARTER VERHAEGHE – A.J. GREER	17	7	10	85	58	59.4
7	147:37	3.6	EVAN RODRIGUES – A.J. GREER – MACKIE SAMOSKEVICH	4	7	-3	90	56	61.6

Florida only had one line play more than 200 minutes together. Mainly due to their top forwards being injured. Alex Barkov missed the entire season, Matthew Tkachuk missed 51 games, Brad Marchand missed 30, and Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart each missed 18. No forward played every game. Their most productive line all season was Carter Verhaeghe-Sam Bennett-AJ Greer, but they only played 151 minutes together.

Los Angeles Kings

LAK	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	319:12	7.5	ANZE KOPITAR – ARTEMI PANARIN – ADRIAN KEMPE	21	11	10	169	124	57.7
2	291:24	6.8	TREVOR MOORE – QUINTON BYFIELD – ALEX LAFERRIERE	21	12	9	152	125	54.9
3	157:38	3.7	PHILLIP DANAULT – WARREN FOEGELE – TREVOR MOORE	6	2	4	75	55	57.7
4	144:28	3.4	KEVIN FIALA – ALEX TURCOTTE – ANDREI KUZMENKO	7	5	2	73	50	59.3
5	144:19	3.4	JEFF MALOTT – SAMUEL HELENIUS – TAYLOR WARD	7	5	2	60	63	48.8
6	125:07	2.9	KEVIN FIALA – QUINTON BYFIELD – ALEX LAFERRIERE	4	6	-2	62	54	53.4
7	123:48	2.9	JOEL ARMIA – KEVIN FIALA – QUINTON BYFIELD	4	1	3	65	50	56.5
8	113:50	2.7	ANZE KOPITAR – ADRIAN KEMPE – ALEX LAFERRIERE	7	2	5	71	50	58.7
9	104:30	2.4	JOEL ARMIA – SCOTT LAUGHTON – JARED WRIGHT	5	5	0	58	51	53.2

The Kings also had injury issues, with only their forwards playing more than 70 games. They acquired Artemi Panarin in February, and he played 26 games with the Kings, mainly with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. They were a great trio, outscoring their opponents 21-11, but Panarin only played 26 games, and still being on the most common line illustrates why the Kings were 29th in offence. They were searching for offensive answers all season.

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Mar 13, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) celebrates his goal with Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) and Los Angeles Kings center Alex Turcotte (15) against the New York Islanders during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Minnesota Wild

MIN	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	429:49	10.1	MARCUS JOHANSSON – JOEL ERIKSSON EK – MATT BOLDY	30	13	17	213	206	50.8
2	419:09	9.9	MATS ZUCCARELLO – RYAN HARTMAN – KIRILL KAPRIZOV	23	18	5	222	200	52.6
3	207:24	4.9	VLADIMIR TARASENKO – YAKOV TRENIN – DANILA YUROV	12	7	5	78	111	41.3
4	197:21	4.7	MATS ZUCCARELLO – KIRILL KAPRIZOV – DANILA YUROV	10	11	-1	98	104	48.5
5	170:47	4	JOEL ERIKSSON EK – MATT BOLDY – KIRILL KAPRIZOV	17	6	11	82	86	48.8

The Wild were the third team with two lines playing 400+ minutes together. Mats Zuccarello missed 23 games, yet he managed to still play a lot with Ryan Hartman and Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild’s top two lines were fairly consistent linemates, compared to the rest of the NHL, but their bottom six saw a lot of change, which is the norm for most teams. It will be interesting to see who plays with Kaprizov this coming season, with Zuccarello playing for the Kings.

Montreal Canadiens

MTL	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	534:06	12.7	NICK SUZUKI – COLE CAUFIELD – JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY	34	14	20	279	229	54.9
2	365:07	8.7	OLIVER KAPANEN – JURAJ SLAFKOVSKY – IVAN DEMIDOV	25	18	7	163	184	47
3	285:07	6.8	ALEX NEWHOOK – OLIVER KAPANEN – IVAN DEMIDOV	20	14	6	105	151	41
4	177:42	4.2	NICK SUZUKI – COLE CAUFIELD – ZACHARY BOLDUC	11	8	3	76	75	50.3
5	161:07	3.8	BRENDAN GALLAGHER – PHILLIP DANAULT – JOSH ANDERSON	6	3	3	68	58	54
6	157:25	3.7	NICK SUZUKI – ALEXANDRE TEXIER – COLE CAUFIELD	12	3	9	83	59	58.5
7	113:08	2.7	BRENDAN GALLAGHER – JOSH ANDERSON – JAKE EVANS	2	4	-2	53	57	48.2

It is interesting to note that Juraj Slavkovsky was a part of the Canadiens’ two most common lines. He played 534 with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki and then 365 with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. The Habs top line played the seventh most minutes together, mainly due to their health. That trio combined to miss one game, and yet, with only missing one game, they still only played 534 minutes together as a trio. I don’t think anyone suggests Marty St. Louis isn’t a smart coach; quite the opposite, in fact, but even he couldn’t get them together for even 50 per cent of their EV time on ice. Montreal might be the best example that illustrates how fans and media can overhype the importance of line combinations.

Nashville Predators

NSH	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	276:49	6.6	RYAN O’REILLY – FILIP FORSBERG – LUKE EVANGELISTA	18	11	7	156	121	56.3
2	269:18	6.4	STEVEN STAMKOS – RYAN O’REILLY – LUKE EVANGELISTA	19	9	10	136	116	54
3	177:15	4.2	STEVEN STAMKOS – RYAN O’REILLY – FILIP FORSBERG	6	6	0	61	97	38.6
4	135:15	3.2	MICHAEL MCCARRON – COLE SMITH – REID SCHAEFER	1	7	-6	53	61	46.5
5	124:00	3	ERIK HAULA – MICHAEL BUNTING – LUKE EVANGELISTA	3	6	-3	67	47	58.8
6	122:38	2.9	ERIK HAULA – JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT – FILIP FORSBERG	7	5	2	49	68	41.9
7	109:29	2.6	JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT – FILIP FORSBERG – MATTHEW WOOD	5	3	2	32	66	32.7
8	108:44	2.6	ERIK HAULA – JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT – MICHAEL BUNTING	6	6	0	43	70	38.1
9	104:28	2.5	STEVEN STAMKOS – ERIK HAULA – MICHAEL BUNTING	5	8	-3	52	71	42.3
10	100:34	2.4	MICHAEL MCCARRON – COLE SMITH – OZZY WIESBLATT	4	5	-1	48	33	59.3

Andrew Brunette used 10 different line combinations at 100+ minutes. Ryan O’Reilly was clearly the main cog for them, as he was on the top three most common trios for the Predators. He basically rotated between three wingers: Luke Evangelista, Filip Forsberg and Steven Stamkos. Those four forwards missed a total of two games between them, which allowed Brunette to keep three of them as a trio and rotate one out. With Evangelista traded to New Jersey, I wonder if we see Stamkos-O’Reilly-Forsberg play over 400+ minutes together this season.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Jan 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (90) celebrates his goal with left wing Filip Forsberg (9) against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils

NJD	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	490:46	11.4	TIMO MEIER – NICO HISCHIER – DAWSON MERCER	20	22	-2	252	230	52.3
2	246:57	5.8	CONNOR BROWN – JESPER BRATT – JACK HUGHES	14	12	2	127	100	55.9
3	166:12	3.9	CONNOR BROWN – CODY GLASS – ARSENY GRITSYUK	9	7	2	85	64	57
4	154:46	3.6	TIMO MEIER – NICO HISCHIER – JESPER BRATT	8	9	-1	94	76	55.3
5	124:17	2.9	CODY GLASS – ARSENY GRITSYUK – LENNI HAMEENAHO	7	4	3	65	51	56
6	118:38	2.8	ONDREJ PALAT – JESPER BRATT – JACK HUGHES	9	8	1	68	58	54
7	102:52	2.4	NICK BJUGSTAD – PAUL COTTER – MAXIM TSYPLAKOV	2	5	-3	38	37	50.7

Unfortunately, Jack Hughes has missed 20+ games in five of his seven NHL seasons. His injury history is a key factor in why his most common linemates only played 246 minutes together as a trio. The Devils have two duos they like: Hughes/Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier/Nico Hischier. Dawson Mercer played 490 minutes with Meier and Hischier, but with the additions of Evangelista and Anthony Mantha, will he remain there this season? You likely see a rotation on the RW amongst those three in the top two lines, but the real consistency will depend on Hughes’ health.

New York Islanders

NYI	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	308:56	7.3	KYLE MACLEAN – CASEY CIZIKAS – MARC GATCOMB	7	7	0	117	96	54.9
2	247:44	5.8	JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU – ANDERS LEE – SIMON HOLMSTROM	14	13	1	106	112	48.6
3	135:14	3.2	BO HORVAT – JONATHAN DROUIN – EMIL HEINEMAN	7	5	2	59	57	50.9
4	132:49	3.1	BO HORVAT – MATHEW BARZAL – EMIL HEINEMAN	8	5	3	91	57	61.5
5	110:25	2.6	KYLE PALMIERI – BO HORVAT – EMIL HEINEMAN	4	5	-1	50	41	54.9

The Islanders’ most common line was their fourth line, which is fitting considering how little their top lines produced. Bo Horvat, who was named Captain of the Islanders earlier today, missed 14 games, but was still on three of their five most common lines. He was the one the coaches used to try and get others going. He is their most reliable and consistent forward. It is wild to me that Mat Barzal, who dressed in 81 games, never played more than 131 minutes with the same two linemates all season. That is likely a key reason Patrick Roy was fired late in the season. Barzal skated 131 minutes with Horvat and Emil Heineman. He did play over 467 minutes with Anders Lee, but they never had a regular second winger. I expect Peter DeBoer will handle Barzal’s linemates a bit differently this season.

New York Rangers

NYR	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	264:36	6.3	MIKA ZIBANEJAD – ALEXIS LAFRENIERE – GABE PERREAULT	14	10	4	102	124	45.1
2	229:42	5.5	MIKA ZIBANEJAD – ARTEMI PANARIN – ALEXIS LAFRENIERE	8	10	-2	118	99	54.4
3	185:39	4.4	VINCENT TROCHECK – ARTEMI PANARIN – ALEXIS LAFRENIERE	14	9	5	81	84	49.1
4	178:30	4.2	MIKA ZIBANEJAD – J.T. MILLER – GABE PERREAULT	11	10	1	99	85	53.8
5	134:26	3.2	J.T. MILLER – CONOR SHEARY – TYE KARTYE	8	8	0	58	56	50.9
6	128:45	3.1	MIKA ZIBANEJAD – ARTEMI PANARIN – WILL CUYLLE	7	6	1	65	53	55.1

The Rangers were 27th in even-strength goals last year with 175 while allowing 190. They struggled at even strength, and Mike Sullivan never found much consistency with his lines in his first year on the Rangers’ bench. They acquired Pavel Dorofeyev in the off-season, and I’d guess he will start with Mika Zibanejad. Will Alexis Lafreniere be the other winger? Their top nine forwards moved around a lot last year as Sullivan tried to find a trio that could produce.

Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Mar 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (16), New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23), New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) and New York Rangers right wing Gabe Perreault (94) celebrate the power play goal by New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafrenière (13) against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Ottawa Senators

OTT	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	320:28	7.7	BRADY TKACHUK – DYLAN COZENS – RIDLY GREIG	16	11	5	189	107	63.9
2	295:04	7.1	CLAUDE GIROUX – MICHAEL AMADIO – SHANE PINTO	16	8	8	126	105	54.5
3	292:14	7.1	NICK COUSINS – MICHAEL AMADIO – SHANE PINTO	10	11	-1	123	99	55.4
4	263:16	6.4	CLAUDE GIROUX – DRAKE BATHERSON – TIM STUTZLE	10	10	0	126	90	58.3
5	143:04	3.5	BRADY TKACHUK – FABIAN ZETTERLUND – TIM STUTZLE	7	8	-1	95	59	61.7
6	139:40	3.4	DAVID PERRON – DRAKE BATHERSON – DYLAN COZENS	5	7	-2	59	61	49.2
7	130:09	3.1	LARS ELLER – WARREN FOEGELE – FABIAN ZETTERLUND	5	2	3	51	57	47.2
8	117:22	2.8	CLAUDE GIROUX – MICHAEL AMADIO – RIDLY GREIG	7	2	5	47	44	51.6

The Senators had nine forwards play 72+ games last year, which allowed them to have four trios play over 263 minutes together, but Brady Tkachuk missed 22 games and was still part of their most common line with Dylan Cozens and Ridly Greig. Ottawa has 11 forwards who have been regular top-nine forwards, and that competition will likely lead to multiple line combinations this season. Will Travis Green find a trio he likes, but I could see him having three duos and then rotating others around them. That is more the norm in today’s NHL.

Philadelphia Flyers

PHI	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	307:33	7.3	TRAVIS KONECNY – CHRISTIAN DVORAK – TREVOR ZEGRAS	22	15	7	148	146	50.3
2	213:19	5	CHRISTIAN DVORAK – OWEN TIPPETT – TREVOR ZEGRAS	13	9	4	93	91	50.5
3	184:10	4.4	NOAH CATES – BOBBY BRINK – MATVEI MICHKOV	9	4	5	71	66	51.8
4	166:51	3.9	SEAN COUTURIER – OWEN TIPPETT – DENVER BARKEY	7	10	-3	72	61	54.1
5	147:45	3.5	NOAH CATES – BOBBY BRINK – TYSON FOERSTER	4	4	0	50	44	53.2
6	104:27	2.5	SEAN COUTURIER – BOBBY BRINK – MATVEI MICHKOV	5	6	-1	51	47	52
7	103:16	2.4	NICOLAS DESLAURIERS – GARNET HATHAWAY – RODRIGO ABOLS	1	1	0	19	40	32.2

Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak were a duo Rick Tocchet liked, and he tried different wingers with them. They played 55 per cent of their EV time together, but finding a regular linemate didn’t happen. They skated 307 minutes with Konecny, but Zegras actually skated more with Owen Tippett, at 533 total minutes. Tippett (81 GP), Zegras (81), Michkov (81), Dvorak (80) and Konecny (78) were quite healthy, but even then, only one trio played more than 214 minutes together. Line juggling is much more common than line continuity.

Pittsburgh Penguins

PIT	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	392:33	9.3	SIDNEY CROSBY – RICKARD RAKELL – BRYAN RUST	24	17	7	191	180	51.5
2	369:30	8.7	NOEL ACCIARI – BLAKE LIZOTTE – CONNOR DEWAR	19	11	8	157	149	51.3
3	223:05	5.3	EVGENI MALKIN – TOMMY NOVAK – EGOR CHINAKHOV	15	10	5	113	99	53.3
4	173:20	4.1	ANTHONY MANTHA – JUSTIN BRAZEAU – BEN KINDEL	11	6	5	79	74	51.6
5	126:25	3	EVGENI MALKIN – ANTHONY MANTHA – JUSTIN BRAZEAU	11	6	5	59	66	47.2
6	110:11	2.6	NOEL ACCIARI – CONNOR DEWAR – ELMER SODERBLOM	9	2	7	46	52	46.9
7	110:04	2.6	ANTHONY MANTHA – TOMMY NOVAK – JUSTIN BRAZEAU	6	5	1	49	40	55.1

The Penguins were one of the biggest surprises in the NHL last year, finishing with 98 points and scoring the third-most EV goals in the league. They scored a lot despite having to move players around a lot in their top nine. Their fourth line of Noel Acciari, Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar was their second most common line, and they were quite good when they played together. Injuries were a factor in the constant shuffling of lines, but the players produced regardless of who they played with. They were a great example of where Dan Muse’s system worked regardless of who played where. But can they repeat it is the question?

David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Apr 8, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Collin Graf (51), center Macklin Celebrini (71), and center Will Smith (2) battle Edmonton Oilers center Matthew Savoie (22), center Connor McDavid (97), and right winger Vasily Podkolzin (92) for the puck in the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

San Jose Sharks

SJS	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	263:53	6.4	WILL SMITH – COLLIN GRAF – MACKLIN CELEBRINI	13	10	3	112	132	45.9
2	211:39	5.1	TYLER TOFFOLI – WILL SMITH – MACKLIN CELEBRINI	16	6	10	87	90	49.2
3	198:59	4.8	RYAN REAVES – BARCLAY GOODROW – ZACK OSTAPCHUK	4	9	-5	65	99	39.6
4	189:41	4.6	TYLER TOFFOLI – ALEXANDER WENNBERG – WILLIAM EKLUND	2	15	-13	86	92	48.3
5	169:06	4.1	BARCLAY GOODROW – ADAM GAUDETTE – ZACK OSTAPCHUK	3	3	0	55	56	49.5
6	149:18	3.6	ALEXANDER WENNBERG – KIEFER SHERWOOD – WILLIAM EKLUND	7	8	-1	60	70	46.2
7	128:13	3.1	WILL SMITH – MACKLIN CELEBRINI – IGOR CHERNYSHOV	8	4	4	69	53	56.6
8	106:58	2.6	WILLIAM EKLUND – MACKLIN CELEBRINI – IGOR CHERNYSHOV	7	10	-3	45	49	47.9
9	103:45	2.5	TYLER TOFFOLI – WILLIAM EKLUND – MICHAEL MISA	7	7	0	56	53	51.4

In his second season as head coach, Ryan Warsofsky tried many different line combinations. Will Smith played 78 percent of his time with Macklin Celebrini, and they rotated between Collin Graf, Tyler Toffoli and Igor Chernyshov mainly. The Smith-Celebrini-Toffoli trio was easily their best, as they scored 16 goals in 211 minutes and only allowed six. I wonder if Mason Marchement gets to play with Smith-Celebrini or if Warsofsky elects to start Chernyshov there and have Graff and Marchement on the second line. I suspect we will see Warsofsky experiment with many different options besides Smith/Celebrini.

Seattle Kraken

SEA	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	343:29	8	JORDAN EBERLE – JARED MCCANN – MATTY BENIERS	25	15	10	162	150	51.9
2	214:00	5	JADEN SCHWARTZ – CHANDLER STEPHENSON – EELI TOLVANEN	8	11	-3	82	115	41.6
3	205:02	4.8	CHANDLER STEPHENSON – FREDERICK GAUDREAU – EELI TOLVANEN	11	5	6	84	116	42
4	161:57	3.8	JORDAN EBERLE – KAAPO KAKKO – MATTY BENIERS	8	6	2	66	79	45.5
5	150:38	3.5	JORDAN EBERLE – MATTY BENIERS – BOBBY MCMANN	8	7	1	67	68	49.6
6	136:44	3.2	JORDAN EBERLE – MASON MARCHMENT – MATTY BENIERS	6	1	5	56	53	51.4
7	116:56	2.7	JORDAN EBERLE – MATTY BENIERS – BERKLY CATTON	6	3	3	49	49	50
8	111:26	2.6	KAAPO KAKKO – SHANE WRIGHT – BERKLY CATTON	3	2	1	47	48	49.5
9	108:48	2.5	JARED MCCANN – SHANE WRIGHT – BERKLY CATTON	4	3	1	56	56	50

Seattle was 28th in goals and tied for 26th in even-strength goals. Lane Lambert kept Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers together for much of the season as they played 85.5 per cent of their EV time together, but only Jared McCann played more than 162 minutes with them. McCann, Kaapo Kakko, Mason Marchment, Bobby McMann and Berkly Catton all played 100+ minutes with them at different times in the season. Unless the Kraken find a trio that produces regularly, and they aren’t blessed with a lot of high-scoring players, I suspect Kraken fans will see many different combinations again this season.

St. Louis Blues

STL	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	257:18	6.1	ROBERT THOMAS – DYLAN HOLLOWAY – JIMMY SNUGGERUD	26	6	20	141	124	53.2
2	193:19	4.6	JORDAN KYROU – PAVEL BUCHNEVICH – JAKE NEIGHBOURS	11	7	4	87	73	54.4
3	130:00	3.1	PAVEL BUCHNEVICH – ROBERT THOMAS – JAKE NEIGHBOURS	13	9	4	63	62	50.4
4	124:53	2.9	OSKAR SUNDQVIST – NATHAN WALKER – ALEXEY TOROPCHENKO	8	10	-2	35	60	36.8
5	107:46	2.5	BRAYDEN SCHENN – JORDAN KYROU – DYLAN HOLLOWAY	5	8	-3	45	50	47.4

Every Blues forward except Pavel Buchnevich missed at least 10 games last year, which is a main reason they only had one trio log 200+ minutes together. The Blues’ best trio was Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas, and Jimmy Snuggerud, as they outscored opponents 26-6 in only 257 minutes together. Jim Montgomery will start them as a trio this year and is hoping they can stay healthy. Holloway missed 23 games, Thomas missed 18, and Snuggerud missed 12. Hard to remain a trio when they are out for 53 combined games.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (18) celebrates his third goal of the game with left wing Dylan Holloway (81) and right wing Jimmy Snuggerud (21) in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Lightning

TBL	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	623:16	15	ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS – YANNI GOURDE – PONTUS HOLMBERG	20	21	-1	255	244	51.1
2	352:54	8.5	NIKITA KUCHEROV – ANTHONY CIRELLI – BRANDON HAGEL	36	10	26	237	157	60.2
3	218:27	5.3	NIKITA KUCHEROV – BRAYDEN POINT – JAKE GUENTZEL	16	10	6	117	121	49.2
4	128:22	3.1	NIKITA KUCHEROV – BRAYDEN POINT – GAGE GONCALVES	18	4	14	63	50	55.8
5	125:48	3	JAKE GUENTZEL – ANTHONY CIRELLI – BRANDON HAGEL	10	6	4	69	53	56.6
6	116:56	2.8	BRAYDEN POINT – JAKE GUENTZEL – GAGE GONCALVES	10	5	5	56	44	56

Jon Cooper was able to keep his third line intact for much of the season as Girgensons, Gourde and Holmberg played the second most minutes of any trio in the NHL, and they did that with Holmberg missing 12 games and Girgensons missing eight. His top two lines rotated between six players mainly, and Cooper deployed five different combinations that played over 116 minutes together. Cooper switched up Kucherov between his top two lines fairly frequently due to health and matchups.

Toronto Maple Leafs

TOR	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	241:34	5.7	MAX DOMI – AUSTON MATTHEWS – BOBBY MCMANN	15	16	-1	124	123	50.2
2	233:26	5.5	JOHN TAVARES – WILLIAM NYLANDER – MATIAS MACCELLI	16	18	-2	110	116	48.7
3	212:43	5	JOHN TAVARES – WILLIAM NYLANDER – EASTON COWAN	13	7	6	83	104	44.4
4	171:26	4	JOHN TAVARES – MATIAS MACCELLI – MATTHEW KNIES	7	13	-6	81	73	52.6
5	169:37	4	MAX DOMI – AUSTON MATTHEWS – MATTHEW KNIES	4	8	-4	78	89	46.7
6	150:39	3.5	CALLE JARNKROK – SCOTT LAUGHTON – STEVEN LORENTZ	3	4	-1	51	68	42.9
7	112:05	2.6	NICOLAS ROY – NICK ROBERTSON – EASTON COWAN	4	2	2	44	52	45.8

Toronto’s most common line had Bobby McMann and Auston Matthews on it, and both only played 60 games due to injuries (Matthews) and being traded (McMann). They really only had 40 games together, but when they were available, they played together quite often. John Tavares/William Nylander were a fairly common duo (64 per cent of the time when Nylander was in the lineup, they played together. With Matthews and Nylander missing a combined 37 games, it makes it impossible to maintain much line consistency.

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Jan 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) speaks with forward Max Domi as they warm up before playing the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Utah Mammoth

UTA	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	360:08	8.7	LAWSON CROUSE – NICK SCHMALTZ – CLAYTON KELLER	30	14	16	191	150	56
2	213:22	5.1	DYLAN GUENTHER – JJ PETERKA – LOGAN COOLEY	15	9	6	100	112	47.2
3	200:58	4.8	NICK SCHMALTZ – CLAYTON KELLER – JJ PETERKA	13	5	8	102	82	55.4
4	188:17	4.5	LAWSON CROUSE – MICHAEL CARCONE – JACK MCBAIN	8	10	-2	98	71	58
5	183:45	4.4	NICK SCHMALTZ – CLAYTON KELLER – BARRETT HAYTON	10	8	2	97	57	63
6	177:58	4.3	LIAM O’BRIEN – BRANDON TANEV – KEVIN STENLUND	2	6	-4	73	83	46.8
7	124:13	3	MICHAEL CARCONE – JACK MCBAIN – DANIIL BUT	3	5	-2	53	56	48.6
8	123:37	3	KAILER YAMAMOTO – DYLAN GUENTHER – LOGAN COOLEY	13	7	6	67	58	53.6
9	104:23	2.5	BRANDON TANEV – KAILER YAMAMOTO – KEVIN STENLUND	1	6	-5	33	41	44.6

Logan Cooley missed 28 games, and Barrett Hayton missed 15, so two of their top three centres were out for half the season. Keller/Schmaltz are a regular duo, as are Cooley/Guenther and Lawson Crouse, newly signed Anders Lee will start the season on their wings. They have Vincent Trocheck as their third-line centre and Kevin Stenlund as their fourth. If the Mammoth forwards can stay healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them have two lines play 400+ minutes together this year.

Vancouver Canucks

VAN	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	144:13	3.4	BROCK BOESER – MARCO ROSSI – LIAM OHGREN	7	10	-3	46	66	41.1
2	126:34	3	EVANDER KANE – CONOR GARLAND – ELIAS PETTERSSON	3	3	0	63	77	45
3	120:32	2.8	TEDDY BLUEGER – LINUS KARLSSON – MAX SASSON	7	9	-2	44	53	45.4
4	106:37	2.5	EVANDER KANE – JAKE DEBRUSK – ELIAS PETTERSSON	6	4	2	41	62	39.8
5	101:53	2.4	CONOR GARLAND – BROCK BOESER – DAVID KAMPF	1	5	-4	52	47	52.5

Vancouver didn’t have one line play 150+ minutes together. They had significant player movement via trades, but Marco Rossi skated in 33 games and was still part of their most common trio. Jake Debrusk played 81 games, yet only had two linemates with whom he played more than 100 minutes. The Canucks were the worst team in the NHL, and I think at times, Adam Foote looked overwhelmed as head coach, because it seemed like he was always searching for an offensive spark. The Canucks scored a league-worst 150 goals at EV, so I get why he kept trying different looks, and often it was due out of necessity to injury or a trade, but their most used trio ranked 135th in time on ice together. Essentially, the other 31 teams averaged 4.3 lines with more than 144:13 of time together. The Canucks will need to find a bit more consistency this year if they have any hope of improving.

Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Oct 25, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Conor Garland (8) celebrate Garland’s goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Vegas Golden Knights

VGK	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	368:27	8.5	MARK STONE – IVAN BARBASHEV – JACK EICHEL	31	16	15	199	145	57.8
2	269:00	6.2	TOMAS HERTL – MITCH MARNER – PAVEL DOROFEYEV	12	7	5	130	85	60.5
3	261:23	6.1	IVAN BARBASHEV – JACK EICHEL – BRAEDEN BOWMAN	12	14	-2	128	100	56.1
4	162:33	3.8	COLTON SISSONS – KEEGAN KOLESAR – COLE REINHARDT	3	7	-4	60	71	45.8
5	162:00	3.8	REILLY SMITH – MITCH MARNER – PAVEL DOROFEYEV	7	3	4	79	62	56
6	142:08	3.3	BRANDON SAAD – TOMAS HERTL – PAVEL DOROFEYEV	2	7	-5	62	53	53.9
7	119:26	2.8	NIC DOWD – KEEGAN KOLESAR – COLE SMITH	3	1	2	49	44	52.7
8	103:52	2.4	MARK STONE – MITCH MARNER – BRETT HOWDEN	7	5	2	58	31	65.2
9	102:48	2.4	IVAN BARBASHEV – JACK EICHEL – MITCH MARNER	8	2	6	57	42	57.6

Mark Stone missed 22 games but was still part of Vegas’ most used trio. Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev played over 78 per cent of Eichel’s ice time together. Mitch Marner played almost 60 per cent of his time with Pavel Dorofeyev, as those were the top duos for Vegas. William Karlsson only played in 14 games, while Stone missed 22 and Brett Howden missed 24. That led to changes, as Marner played centre more often than he ever did in Toronto. Stone’s injury history is the only reason his line didn’t play 500+ minutes together.

Washington Capitals

WSH	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	407:24	9.8	DYLAN STROME – ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER – ALEX OVECHKIN	24	13	11	210	189	52.6
2	250:40	6	TOM WILSON – ALIAKSEI PROTAS – JUSTIN SOURDIF	17	7	10	145	94	60.7
3	135:32	3.3	TOM WILSON – PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS – ALIAKSEI PROTAS	9	3	6	64	53	54.7
4	111:15	2.7	DYLAN STROME – ALEX OVECHKIN – ALIAKSEI PROTAS	8	6	2	41	63	39.4
5	105:42	2.5	NIC DOWD – BRANDON DUHAIME – ETHEN FRANK	4	4	0	41	51	44.6
6	105:36	2.5	TOM WILSON – CONNOR MCMICHAEL – ALIAKSEI PROTAS	12	5	7	69	44	61.1
7	100:20	2.4	CONNOR MCMICHAEL – JUSTIN SOURDIF – RYAN LEONARD	8	5	3	34	39	46.6

The Capitals had 10 forwards play 72+ games, but still only had two trios log over 136 minutes together. The main duos were Ovechkin/Strome and Protas/Wilson. The addition of Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner gives head coach Spencer Carbury lots of options, and it will be interesting to see how he distributes minutes among his forwards. Alex Ovechkin could be on the third line most nights.

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Mar 26, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates an open net goal with center Dylan Strome (17) during the third period of a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Winnipeg Jets

WPG	TOI	%	PLAYERS	GF	GA	+/-	SF	SA	SF%
1	661:06	15.7	MARK SCHEIFELE – KYLE CONNOR – GABRIEL VILARDI	47	41	6	311	351	47
2	470:33	11.1	MARK SCHEIFELE – KYLE CONNOR – ALEX IAFALLO	22	22	0	201	206	49.4
3	237:51	5.6	ADAM LOWRY – GABRIEL VILARDI – COLE PERFETTI	7	10	-3	101	105	49
4	136:43	3.2	TANNER PEARSON – COLE KOEPKE – MORGAN BARRON	8	4	4	62	78	44.3
5	127:00	3	JONATHAN TOEWS – GABRIEL VILARDI – COLE PERFETTI	6	3	3	51	58	46.8
6	116:32	2.8	NINO NIEDERREITER – ADAM LOWRY – VLADISLAV NAMESTNIKOV	4	5	-1	51	45	53.1
7	110:59	2.6	JONATHAN TOEWS – VLADISLAV NAMESTNIKOV – COLE PERFETTI	2	4	-2	50	47	51.5
8	108:23	2.6	NINO NIEDERREITER – ADAM LOWRY – ALEX IAFALLO	6	6	0	40	44	47.6

Save the best, at least the most common, for last, as the Jets top line played together more than any trio in the NHL. None of Schiefele, Connor or Vilardi missed a game, which helps keep them consistent. No duo in the NHL played more minutes together than Schiefele/Connor as they logged 1233 EV minutes together. Scott Arniel kept them as his one main constant and had Vilardi play 661 minutes with them, and Alex Iafallo played 470.

PARTING SHOTS…

I doubt it will change, but fans and media could benefit from getting stressed over line combinations. They change frequently across the NHL. It isn’t just your team. Sure, some teams could improve, and I understand if McDavid would like a bit more continuity, but his line played the 17th most minutes together last year despite only suiting up for 51 games together.

**All data courtesy of Dobbersports.com.**

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