Fantasy Hockey

Vorobyov has looked very good during training camp and is a sleeper candidate to become the Flyers third-line center at the beginning of the season.

The 21-year-old prospect struggled in the face-off circle during the team's first preseason game, but he also scored the Flyers first goal. Last season, Vorobyov scored nine goals and 29 points in 58 AHL games. Those aren't eye-popping numbers, but the Flyers are very high on him, and he's looked impressive this month. If Voroboyv earns the third-line center role, he would likely receive playing time next to proven fantasy commodity Wayne Simmonds and fellow prospect Oskar Lindblom.

Nieves has been diagnosed with a concussion, Larry Brooks of The New York Post reports.

Nieves probably has a decent shot at forcing his way into the 23-man roster, however, an extended absence by the center could set him back and ultimately land him back in the minors.

Zibanejad (undisclosed) told reporters he was healthy and available for Wednesday's meeting with Philadelphia, Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic reports.

Zibanejad was on the ice for Monday's intersquad scrimmage, which he certainly would have been held out of if he was still hurt. The center may not appear in Wednesday's game, but that would be a tactical choice by the coaching staff and not related to an injury.

Girgensons (face) is in the lineup Tuesday for a preseason home game versus the Penguins.

After notching 30 points as a second-year skater in 2014-15, Girgensons has started to fall into obscurity. He used to hold down a top-six role, but now he'll be lucky to secure a fourth-line role for the vast majority of the upcoming season. Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and Patrik Berglund are expected to occupy the center spot, taking shifts ahead of the Latvian.

Brassard (illness) could rejoin the team for practice in the coming days, Sam Kasan of Pens Inside Scoop reports.

Considering Brassard has yet to take part in any training camp sessions, he likely won't appear in either of the Pens' next two preseason contests, which pushes back his potential debut to Saturday versus the Blue Jackets at the earliest. By moving to the wing, the natural center could find himself lining up alongside Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel -- a plum assignment few players would turn down.

Granlund (ankle) will suit up versus the Oilers on Tuesday.

Granlund saw a significant drop in production last season, as he managed a mere eight goals and four assists -- well off the 32 points he put up in 2016-17. With the Sedin twins gone, the natural center should take on a bigger role this year.

Hartman (shoulder) has begun contact drills, adding that he's "very encouraged" by his progress, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

The Predators don't play again until Friday, which affords Hartman more time to get back into shape. Absorbing contact is generally considered the final step in the recovery process, so either way, it shouldn't be long before the American winger takes to the ice for a game.

Ladd's muscle tightness, which has been prohibiting from practicing, is not a long-term concern at this point, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Gross relayed this news from new Islanders coach Barry Trotz, who said it's important for Ladd to not fall behind in training camp. It doesn't sound like this injury will cause him to slide down draft boards, but Ladd hasn't produced more than 34 points in a season since hitting that number over 59 games with the Jets in 2015-16. Clearly, his relative lack of production is the greater concern at this juncture.

As expected, Karlsson (upper body) took part in Wednesday's practice session, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Karlsson won't be in action with the Sharks on Tuesday, but could hit the ice in Thursday's preseason matchup with Anaheim. With several players shipped off to Ottawa, the Swede should be in line for a bigger role this season.

Bailey (shoulder) is expected to play in Tuesday's preseason home game versus the Penguins.

Bailey is still looking to evolve into a full-timer in the NHL. Last season, he registered three goals and one assist over 12 games at the top level.

Deslauriers will miss an indefinite period of time due to a facial fracture that required surgery, TSN reports.

The bottom-six winger is feeling the effects of a fight with Devils forward Brandon Baddock from Monday's preseason game. Deslauriers wasn't going to draw heavy ownership in fantasy games after recording 10 goals and four assists over 58 games with the Canadiens last year, but this is a tough break for the Habs in general. Deslauriers registered 238 hits in 2017-18 and tends to keep opposing skaters honest with his physical play.

Perron -- who is dealing with an undisclosed injury -- won't be in the lineup Tuesday against Dallas, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

Perron may give it a go Wednesday versus Minnesota, although no firm determination has been made yet. Even if the winger is ruled out for a few games during the preseason, there is no indication he won't be ready for Opening Night on Oct. 4

Coach Joel Quenneville is open to the idea of Dahlstrom being a rotational player this campaign, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports.

If 2017 first-round pick Henri Jokiharju makes the Opening Night roster, Quenneville expects him to immediately step in as an everyday player, which would leave Dahlstrom as the front runner to take on rotational duties as the team's seventh defenseman. That limited role, coupled with Dahlstrom's lack of offensive upside, will keep the 23-year-old safely off the fantasy radar this campaign.

MacDonald (lower body) is ahead of schedule, as he's now aiming to return for the Oct. 4 road opener against the Golden Knights, Sam Carchidi of The Inquirer reports.

News broke on Sept. 9 that MacDonald would need roughly six weeks to overcome his lower-body injury, but the veteran defenseman is optimistic that his rehab won't take that long. "It feels pretty good skating. I think they're more concerned about getting hit at this point," MacDonald said. "After the next appointment with the doc, we'll see when I get the clearance for contact." A proficient shot blocker, MacDonald redirected 131 shots last season in only 66 games. He also posted six goals and 15 assists to complement a plus-8 rating over that span.

Karlsson's first practice with the Sharks is scheduled for Wednesday morning, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Team Teal missed out on the John Tavares sweepstakes in free agency, but GM Doug Wilson trading for a two-time Norris Trophy Winner (2012, 2015) in Karlsson is a terrific consolation prize for fans of the Stanley Cup-starved franchise. There's heavy speculation that Karlsson and another elite offensive rearguard, Brent Burns, will be on separate pairings to open the season, but Karlsson's first practice -- or the press conference that follows -- could shed more light on how head coach Peter DeBoer specifically plans to deploy them.

Hjalmarsson (lower body) will be in the lineup for Tuesday's preseason game against the Kings, Dave Vest of the Coyotes' official site reports.

Hjalmarsson missed the final eight games of the 2017-18 season due to a lower-body injury, but that's clearly no longer an issue. The 31-year-old blueliner was only able to appear in 48 contests last campaign due to a number of different injuries, but if he's able to stay healthy this year, he should approach the 20-point mark and average over 20 minutes of ice time per game while skating on the Coyotes' top pairing.

McCabe (shoulder) is active for Tuesday's preseason home game versus the Penguins.

McCabe averaged just over 20 minutes per game on Buffalo's blue line between the last two seasons, but the upcoming campaign will be especially important for him since he's in a contract year. He's registered 10 goals and 37 assists over 215 career NHL contests to date.

Werenski (shoulder) will meet with his doctors Thursday to determine when he can return to the lineup, Brian Hedger of NHL.com reports.

Werenski also voiced his desire to suit up in a preseason contest in order to get himself ready for the upcoming campaign. Until he gets the all-clear, the blueliner will continue practicing in a limited capacity.

Lehner is expected to play at least half of the game Tuesday versus the Flyers, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.

Chris Gibson and Lehner will both play versus Philadelphia on Tuesday with Lehner expected to play more than just 30 minutes. Lehner is in a battle with Thomas Greiss for the starting job with the Islanders and will need to make a positive impression on coach Barry Trotz to win the job this preseason.

Berube is projected to start for the Blue Jackets in their preseason home tilt versus the Blackhawks on Tuesday.

Berube's name was listed above Joseph Raaymakers' on the projected lineup, which suggests that the former will lead his team out to the ice. The 27-year-old has a 3.39 GAA and .898 save percentage after 34 appearances between the Islanders and Blackhawks, making it clear that he has serious work to do in order to garner a substantial role at the top level and earn a fantasy owner's trust.

Campbell will get the start in goal in Tuesday's road intrasquad preseason game against the Coyotes, Jon Rosen of Fox Sports West reports.

Campbell played pretty well in limited action with the big club last season, compiling a 2-0-2 record while posting a 2.47 GAA and .924 save percentage in five appearances. The 26-year-old netminder will battle with Peter Budaj for the backup job behind Jonathan Quick during training camp.

Mrazek is tentatively expected to start the first two periods versus the Lightning in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, according to Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, Chip Alexander of The Raleigh News & Observer reports.

"Obviously we need to get him going, so whatever he needs," Brind'Amour said, referring to Mrazek, who is expected to compete with Scott Darling for the No. 1 job in Carolina. The Czech goalie was deemed expendable by the Red Wings and Flyers after failing to live up to a two-year, $8 million deal that he originally procured with Detroit in July of 2016. He owns a career 78-64-23 record, 2.66 GAA and .911 save percentage with 14 shutouts.

Lundqvist (knee) will defend the cage against the Flyers on Wednesday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Lundqvist -- who sat out the World Championships due to a knee injury -- will get his first taste of game action Wednesday. King Henrik should log 60-plus games this season, but may struggle to register 30 wins again this year given the rebuild occuring around him.

Vladar will tend the twine against the Capitals on Tuesday, Joe McDonald of The Athletic reports.

While it will be a good chance for the Bruins to get a look at their 2015 third-round pick, Vladar won't be on the 23-man roster Opening Night and will spend the year in the minors.