At this point, there could be rust but Pronger playing October 6th is much better than his absence on opening night. Right now Pronger holds an ADP of 98.7, so you can feel safe taking him among comparable d-men such as Jack Johnson, Ryan Whitney and Alex Goligoski.
As Dater notes, there was an outside shot Hishon made the roster this season. At this point, dynasty owners can only hope for a speedy recovery that does not hinder his development.
With Francis Bouillon still injured and the departures of Cody Franson and Brett Lebda, there should be room for the blue-chipper Ellis. He will need to earn a spot over other prospects like Teemu Laaskso and Roman Josi in addition to outplaying vets like Tyler Sloan and Jack Hillen. Could be a very interesting sleeper pick in dynasty/keeper leagues.
Couturier remains a long-shot to make the team out of training camp but could as a winger. Interesting news as his production would certainly translate better on the wing in fantasy hockey terms.
Leblanc is expected to start the season in the AHL but could receive a callup sometime this season. The 20-year-old posted 26 goals and 58 points in 51 games for the now-defunct Montreal Juniors last year.
When healthy, Salvador provided a nastier, physical presence on the blue line. While he won't light the lamp with any sort of frequency, being on the ice will prevent goals for Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg.
Reports out of Pittsburgh yesterday showed the team lineup with Sidney Crosby. Without the talented captain, most offensive pressure will fall on Malkin. Stay tuned for further updates from the team as camp breaks.
Bickell broke out last season, scoring 17 goals and 37 points in only 78 games. His emergence made it easier for the team to deal Troy Brouwer in the offseason, filling the hole with the cheaper Andrew Brunette. Should Bickell see time on the top two lines, his fantasy value should only increase.
Kruger earned a cup of coffee last season, appearing in seven games with no points and a minus-4 rating. He needs to prove his fantasy hockey relevance at this point in his young career.
Bolland proved more-than-capable of handling both offensive and defensive responsibility last season, where he scored 15 goals and 37 points in only 61 games
Hamilton, after impressing at last season's WJHC, will try to make the team as a spark-plug on the lower lines. He likely starts the season in the AHL, if healthy.
Holding Teubert out of the lineup is simply precautionary following the youngster getting his bell rung in a recent fight. If healthy, and on the Oilers, Teubert would fill a shutdown role, likely making a name for himself with his fists. No immediate fantasy value here, although it could come with time.
Coming off a career high 34 goals and 71 points, Sharp will need to recover quickly in order to match those totals this season. Appendectomies, while scary, have not been known to hinder hockey players once back to full strength, so take a sigh of relief long-term owners.
Prior to last season, Pominville was one of the healthiest skaters in hockey. Following two unpreventable injuries, Pominville should be able to re-establish himself on a stronger Sabres team. Expect another 20+ goal season from the dependable winger.
Roy remains the top line center in Buffalo despite missing the final 47 games of the regular season. With more-than-enough time to recover, Roy should be back at full health on one of the better Sabres teams of the last 10 years.
Despite the warning signs from Philadelphia, Carter will start his career in Columbus at center. One way or another he will play with superstar Rick Nash, which should keep his fantasy value in check.
Penner scored only two goals in 19 regular season games for the Kings last season. A slimmed down Penner with a better supporting cast should improve on those numbers and bounce back to the 50-60 point range.
Good news, as Brouwer was expected to miss some playing time this season. Last season, Brouwer scored 17 goals and 36 points while shuffling between the first and third lines. No reason to expect he can't repeat such success in the high-octane Caps system.
Despite scoring 14 goals and 27 points last season, Letestu will need to earn a role on the roster.
The Pens clearly see Sullivan as a LW, not a RW or C as he played on the Nashville Predators. Interesting to see whether fantasy hockey leagues give him the left wing position should he play there all season.