Fantasy Hockey

Bellerive was reassigned to his junior club (WHL Lethbridge), TSN reports.

Bellerive has already racked up two points in two games for the Hurricanes and would appear to be on track to repeat his 2017-18 campaign in which he tallied 92 points in 71 games. If the center puts together similar productivity this season, he should challenge for a spot on the 23-man roster heading into the 2019-20 campaign -- although the team may opt to let him spend a year with the Baby Pens in the AHL first.

Strome (upper body) will take the ice Monday against the Ducks, Craig Morgan of The Athletic reports.

The Coyotes are still holding out hope that the third-overall pick from 2015 will finally be able to contribute to the team. Fortunately this injury didn't turn out too serious, as it might have hurt his chances of making the team, let alone making an impact at the NHL level.

Dauphin (knee) has not yet been cleared for contract, Craig Morgan of The Athletic reports.

Dauphin -- who underwent offseason knee surgery -- was originally expected to be ready for training camp, but at this point, it's possible the center may not be available Opening Night against the Stars on Oct. 4. If the youngster does miss any time, it could open the door for Dylan Strome to take on a bigger role this season.

Strome suffered a minor groin injury, but should be ready for Opening Night, Jason Gregor of OilersNation.com reports.

While coach Todd McLellan didn't provide any specifics, it appears Strome could miss the final three preseason contests. In 82 games last season, the center notched 34 points, his third season hitting the 30-point mark. While he will likely slot into a third-line role, the Ontario native should still log time on the second power-play unit, giving him solid mid-range fantasy value.

Kesler (hip) -- who is not expected to be ready for Opening Night -- has not been cleared for contact yet, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports.

Kesler's outlook seems to get bleaker and bleaker as more time passes, as it would seem he not only will miss Opening Night, but could be out awhile. Until the team provides a more definitive timeline, the all-star center should probably be considered out indefinitely and will likely be placed on injured reserve once roster limits go into effect.

Bozak (groin) is slated to play against the Capitals on Tuesday.

Bozak pending reintroduction into the lineup should quell any fears fantasy owners may have had about him not being ready for Opening Night. While the center has reached the 20-goal mark in just one of his previous five seasons -- in all but one of those campaigns he earned 40-plus points. With his new club, Bozak figures to slot into a bottom-six role to start, but could challenge for a second-line role throughout the season.

Coach Todd McLellan told reporters that Upshall's release from his PTO was due to injury and that the team would still consider bringing him back once healthy, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports.

As stated by McLellan, Upshall will likely be allowed to skate with the team and may have to spend some time in the minors before the organization would consider signing him to a regular contract. It's a glimmer of hope for the veteran that his career may not have come to a close yet.

Smith-Pelly (coach's decision) won't play Tuesday against the Blues according to head coach Todd Reirden, JJ Regan of NBC Sports Washington reports.

This is a weird situation. Reirden has said repeatedly that Smith-Pelly isn't injured, but he hasn't played in a single preseason game yet. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes, and could only speculate, but it seems that DSP will play when his coach says he wants him to play.

Coach Mike Yeo said he plans for Perron (groin) to suit up against the Capitals on Tuesday.

Fantasy owners will no doubt be sceptical after Perron was twice slated to make an appearance in a preseason game before ultimately being scratched. Until he takes the ice for warmups, it might be best to take a cautious approach with the winger.

Rantanen (leg) said he will practice Monday, but he will be skating with the group of players not expected to play in Monday's game against the Golden Knights, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports.

If Rantanen does practice, it will be his first time skating since Thursday. It sounds like there is no risk that he will miss the start of the regular season, which is what all his fantasy owners care about. His next chance to play after Monday will be Wednesday against the Stars.

Vogelhuber was reassigned to AHL Cleveland on Monday.

After earning a training camp invite, Vogelhuber has been sent down to the minors, where he has played the bulk of his professional career. Given the other available options in the Blue Jackets system -- it's hard to imagine the 30-year-old getting a call-up at any point this season.

Eriksson (bruise) could be in action against the Oilers on Tuesday.

Eriksson took the ice for Monday's practice session, and appears to be trending in the right direction. While the winger won't suit up Monday versus the Kings, his participation on the ice and potential reintroduction to the lineup bodes well for his availability Opening Night against the Flames on Oct. 3.

Riikola remains on the Pens' roster after the team cut 18 players Sunday.

Riikola has put together a strong training camp which has him putting pressure on Chad Ruhwedel for a spot on the 23-man roster. Signed to a one-year, entry-level contract this offseason, the undrafted blueliner has spent the last five seasons playing in his native Finland. If he does make the team, the 24-year-old will likely spend a lot of time in the press box as the Pens' blue line is pretty well set with no current openings for a young player to break into.

Ericsson won't play Tuesday against the Blackhawks due to an upper-body injury, and is likely out for Wednesday as well.

The Swedish defenseman hasn't been officially ruled out for Wednesday's game with the Bruins, but the odds are not in his favor. That being said, Ericsson has never had more than 15 points in a season, so fantasy owners likely aren't too worried.

DeKeyser has been ruled out for Tuesday's matchup with Chicago due to an upper-body injury, Dana Wakiji of the Red Wings' official site reports.

Coach Jeff Blashill wouldn't go so far as to say DeKeyser wouldn't play Wednesday versus Boston, but he certainly didn't sound hopeful -- labelling the blueliner as questionable. Injuries limited the 28-year-old DeKeyser to just 65 games last season in which he managed to tallied a mere 12 points. If he does miss any time, Luke Witkowski figures to slot into the lineup in his stead.

Werenski (shoulder) is hoping to suit up for Friday's preseason tilt against the Penguins, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.

Werenski maintained that his priority is to be ready for Opening Night, but getting in a tuneup match or two should help shake out the rust. The news does rule the Michigan native out for Tuesday's clash with Buffalo. Despite falling 10 points shy of his rookie points total, Werenski still managed to set a career high in goals (16) and could certainly challenge for the 20-goal and 40-point marks this season.

Carlson (lower body) will play Tuesday against the Blues, JJ Regan of NBC Sports Washington reports.

The Capitals are playing it careful with Carlson, as they should. After all, he's coming off a season where he potted 15 goals and 53 assists. The 28-year-old is key to Washington's defense, so any good news on his health is welcomed.

Shattenkirk won't play Monday against the Devils, but is expected to play back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday, Colin Stephenson of Newsday reports.

Shattenkirk missed the end of last season with a knee issue, so it makes sense that the Rangers want to be careful with him this preseason. The 29-year-old will be expected to quarterback the Rangers' power play this year, so his health is going to be paramount for the team, and also for fantasy owners.

Bernier is out for Tuesday's game against the Blackhawks with a lower body injury. He's also questionable for Wednesday's game with the Bruins.

Bernier is in his first season with the Wings, having played last season with the Avalanche. Incumbent Wings starter Jimmy Howard has had his struggles, so there could be a chance for Bernier to carve out a role for Detroit. For now, the 30-year-old is ensconced in the backup role.

Crawford (upper body) is hoping to return to practice Saturday or "early next week" according to coach Joel Quenneville. However, Quenneville also added that Crawford playing opening night may be a stretch.

The saga of Crawford's health continues. He's trying to return from a concussion, which is obviously a serious issue, and also one without a definitive timetable. It's hard to speculate on the future for the Canadian netminder, but having at least some sense of when he is going to return to practice is a positive sign.

Copley will be the road starter versus the Blues on Tuesday, JJ Regan of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Coach Todd Reirden also said that Copley will play the full game, which could be a sign that he is in line to be the backup to Braden Holtby. Philipp Grubauer is gone, so somebody needs to step into the role. It will end up being Copley or Vitek Vanecek.

Francouz will be the road starter against the Golden Knights on Monday, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports.

We don't know much about Francouz, as the netminder has spent his career in Russia playing in the KHL. He signed a deal with Colorado this offseason, but the 28-year-old seems unlikely to see much NHL time during the regular season. Francouz is stuck behind Semyon Varlamov and Philipp Grubauer on the depth chart.

Markstrom will be between the pipes for Monday's preseason tilt with the Kings, Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Sun reports.

Markstrom registered a 23-26-7 record last season -- his first time as a true workhorse No. 1. While a lot of the netminder's struggles could be blamed on a lack of offense -- he lost nine times when allowing two or fewer goals -- he was far from perfect. If he struggles early, the coaching staff could consider turning the reigns over to Anders Nilsson.

Smith figures to play the full 60 minutes against the Jets on Monday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

While there is a logjam of netminders behind him competing for the backup job, the No. 1 role in Calgary is firmly in Smith's hands, despite a 25-22-6 record with a 2.65 GAA last season. In fact, the veteran hasn't posted a sub 2.50 GAA since 2011-12 (2.21 GAA) when he was with the then Phoenix Coyotes.