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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhen an NHL defenseman is unavailable, the coach has to fill more than an empty lineup spot. The replacement must fit the missing player’s duties—such as defending, moving the puck, playing on special teams or handling a matchup—while still working with a partner. That can mean changing one pair, rearranging several, or keeping successful partnerships together and inserting a reserve elsewhere.
What a coach is replacing
A defense pair is a working partnership, not just two names placed beside each other. The players share defensive coverage, manage breakouts and may have different strengths or assignments. If one defenseman is out, the coach must decide who can take on those responsibilities and how the partner’s job will change.
- Role fit: The replacement needs to cover the absent player’s responsibilities, which might include defending rushes, moving the puck out of the zone, or contributing on a special-teams unit.
- Coverage balance: Partners need to anticipate one another. When one advances to support a breakout or join the attack, the other may need to stay back to guard against a quick reversal.
- Familiarity: Defenders who know each other’s habits may coordinate more reliably. Seattle Kraken’s team explainer describes pairings as tending to stay consistent so partners can get accustomed to one another.
- Side preference: Coaches and managers often prefer a defenseman on the side that feels natural to them, since routine passes and clears can be easier. It is one consideration, not a rule that decides every pairing.
- Matchups and workload: The opponent, game situation, available personnel and the distribution of ice time can all affect the arrangement.
Those factors do not produce one automatic answer. A coach may insert the most suitable reserve, reunite defenders who have played well together, or shift multiple players to keep the overall group balanced.
Why an absence does not always break up every pair
If the other pairs are effective and comfortable, a coach may leave them intact and make a change only around the vacancy. That preserves established communication while giving the replacement a defined role. On the other hand, shifting several defenders may be necessary if the available players are better suited to different sides, duties or opponents.
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Pairings can also change during a game. A coach may try a different combination to address a matchup or because the lineup has become more flexible. The combinations written on a lineup card are not a promise that the same two defenders will share every shift.
Ottawa’s March 2026 example
In a report dated March 13, 2026, the Ottawa Senators said Jake Sanderson was week-to-week with an upper-body injury and Nick Jensen was day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Those were the statuses reported at that time, not current player updates. With both unavailable, Thomas Chabot skated with Artem Zub, Dennis Gilbert entered beside Nikolas Matinpalo, and Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence stayed together.
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Coach Travis Green explained the role-covering logic: “When a guy like Sandy goes out, someone else has to go in that role.” The report said the Senators kept the existing pairs together because they were comfortable and had played well; Chabot took on more work, playing 28:32 on March 13, a season high according to the team’s report. That is a single-game figure from this specific example, not a league-wide pattern.
A flexible lineup can change how pairings work
Sometimes a team changes its roster structure as well as its defensive pairings. A Tampa Bay Lightning report from November 18, 2024 described an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup used while forward Brayden Point was injured. Coach Jon Cooper’s considerations included injuries, opponent strengths and weaknesses, strong individual play and preserving successful combinations.
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With seven defensemen available, pairings switched more often and ice time was distributed differently. Defenseman Nick Perbix described the effect: “The flow of the game is definitely slightly different, because pairings are switching up a little more often and on that side of things, that’s different.” This is one option teams may use; it is not the standard response whenever a defenseman is out.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When a replacement can enter
The NHL’s 2024–25 rulebook says a submitted starting lineup cannot be changed before the game without referee review and approval. During play, a player who is injured or compelled to leave may be replaced while play continues. Those rules set procedural boundaries; the coach still chooses how to deploy the available defensemen.
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