NHLers dealing with or coming back from significant injuries can get lost in the shuffle in fantasy draft preparation, but identifying those players is an important annual exercise that can give you an edge over your competition on draft night.

They can be overlooked, either because they get buried in default pre-draft rankings by virtue of having missed significant time, or because fantasy owners are wary of drafting someone coming off, or dealing with, an injury. Particularly in deeper leagues, keeping tabs on them can make the difference between making the playoffs and missing out.

Here's a handful of players returning from injury at some point this season to keep an eye on as fantasy drafts approach:

Robby Fabbri, St. Louis Blues

Fabbri's had some terrible misfortune, tearing the ACL in his left knee in February 2017 and then tearing it again in training camp seven months later. He didn't play a single game last season, but he got medical clearance to return to action last month and thus warrants fantasy consideration.

It remains to be seen both where the 22-year-old will fit in on the Blues' newly stacked lines - with Ryan O'Reilly and Tyler Bozak entering the fold up the middle and David Perron and Patrick Maroon giving St. Louis depth on the wings - as well as how effective Fabbri will be coming off the two serious knee injuries.

He's probably going to begin the season in St. Louis' bottom six, but if he can crack one of the top two lines, his fantasy value would skyrocket. He's worth a late look given the opportunities he may receive among what is now - at least on paper - one of the NHL's deepest groups of forwards.

Kevin Shattenkirk, New York Rangers

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Shattenkirk had a disappointing first campaign with the Rangers, as he played through a knee injury before opting for season-ending surgery in January. However, he's expected to be ready to go when training camp rolls around next month.

He won't be high on draft boards after being limited to 46 games in 2017-18, but it's worth noting that he still managed to chip in 12 power-play points, and 23 points overall, while dealing with the injury.

It's also worth remembering how effective Shattenkirk has been in his career as a point producer and power-play quarterback. He'll be on the Rangers' top defensive pairing and first unit with the man advantage, and as such, could be a late-round steal for fantasy owners.

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

A knee injury limited Jumbo Joe to 47 games last season, but like Shattenkirk, Thornton was still productive, chipping in 36 points, half of which came on the power play.

The 39-year-old is on track to be in the Sharks' lineup when the season begins in October, and he told NBC Sports Bay Area's Marcus White last month that his two surgically repaired knees feel great.

Thornton should center San Jose's top line between Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski, and he'll get plenty of power-play time, too, assuming he stays healthy. He's not what he once was, but don't forget about him or his potential impact.

Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Weber won't be ready for the start of the season, as he's expected to be out until mid-December while recovering from the arthroscopic knee surgery he underwent in June. He was shut down last season after 26 games and later admitted to playing 25 of those with a broken foot he sustained in the season opener.

When he does return, the veteran blue-liner will log heavy minutes, produce points, and rack up high shots on goal totals, giving him value in most fantasy leagues. Yes, Weber just turned 33, but he should come close to replicating his past production in the aforementioned categories when he steps back on the ice, making him worthy of late-round consideration for injured reserve-stashing purposes.

Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Relying on Crawford as a No. 1 fantasy goaltender this season would be a mistake. Owners should avoid drafting Crawford where they normally would given his uncertain status for the upcoming season, but he's at the very least worth keeping on the radar as fantasy drafts draw near.

The veteran goaltender was having one of the best campaigns of his career when he was forced out of the lineup for what turned out to be the rest of the season back in December with what were later reported as symptoms of vertigo.

Injuries aren't the only thing working against Crawford; he's 33, he could be rusty when he returns, and he has a pair of aging defensive anchors in front of him in Duncan Keith (35) and Brent Seabrook (33).

However, he posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average in 28 games last season before his absence, and as such shouldn't be dismissed entirely, whether it be on draft night or once the season begins.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier will be out of action for approximately four weeks with a lower-body ailment, the club confirmed Wednesday.

Couturier will participate on a limited basis at the start of training camp and will be ready to go a few weeks later, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi.

Hextall said Couturier's injury happened in a charity game and is in a different spot than that of the MCL tear in his right knee that he endured during the playoffs in April.

Couturier was hurt on Aug. 10 in Quebec on an "innocent play," the GM said, via the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2017-18, setting career highs in goals (31), assists (45), and points. He was the runner-up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best defensive forward.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With just three weeks until training camp opens, Josh Morrissey's next contract remains the lone piece of business for the Winnipeg Jets.

The 23-year-old is coming off his entry-level deal and remains a restricted free agent. While time is of the essence, Morrissey is confident he will have a contract in place before the start of the season.

"Everyone's going to have their own opinions and that's fine, but from my standpoint as a player, my agent and from our conversations with the team, everything's been going great," Morrissey said, according to Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press. "Everyone's confident it will be handled and done, definitely in time for the season.

"Right now, it's in the works. Every player handles these things differently but I'm just focused on training throughout the summer. Of course, it's something you think about. You'd be lying if that wasn't the case. But I think things have really started to progress. For me, I love being here, I love playing here. You look at the playoff run last year that we had and just the support from the fans, I love being a Winnipeg Jet."

Morrissey was originally drafted 13th overall in 2013 and is coming off his second full season in the league where he posted seven goals and 26 points in 81 games.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The president of the Humboldt Broncos minor hockey team is leaving the organization.

Kevin Garinger will not seek re-election to the role, he announced at a club board meeting Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press.

He cited wanting to spend more time with his family and his job as a CEO in the Saskatchewan school system as reasons for his decision. He will continue to sit on the Broncos' board and provide support for the incoming president, Jamie Brockman.

Garinger became the public face of the team following the bus crash in April that left 16 people dead and 13 injured.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price is confident the 2017-18 season will not repeat itself.

The 31-year-old is coming off a miserable year that saw him post the worst numbers of his career. With a record of 16-26-7 and a .900 save percentage and 3.11 goals-against average, Price is determined to bounce back for his teammates' sake.

"At the end of the day, I know how I feel about my game and I know I could have played better," Price said, according to Kevin Woodley of NHL.com. "I always feel like that regardless, but I know I can play better than that and I know my teammates will be looking to perform better this season as well.

"It's all intertwined, it's all connected and when you can iron out those details, it's all about chemistry."

The Canadiens will be looking to put the 2017-18 season behind them. The club finished with just 71 points, their lowest point total over a full 82-game season since the 2000-01 campaign when they finished with 70.

Prior to last year, the Canadiens had made the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons and captured the Atlantic Division title on three occasions. If they are to return to that form, Price will certainly need to turn back the clock to the 2014-15 campaign, where he captured both the Hart and Vezina Trophy.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You haven't heard the last from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Final, the Lightning are ready to enter the coming season with a renewed focus.

"We feel we have unfinished business," Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov told The Athletic's Joe Smith. "We're close. One day it's going to come, for sure. It's just going to blow up."

Last season, five wins were the difference between glory and defeat as the Lightning fell in the deciding game of the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Not only did Tampa Bay fall short of expectations - many pundits picked the Lightning to hoist the Stanley Cup - the team hasn't been able to seal the deal in recent seasons. An injury-riddled campaign saw Tampa Bay miss the 2017 postseason, one year after losing to the Penguins in the conference finals. In 2015, the Lightning advanced to the Stanley Cup Final only to fall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

But the difference between devastating defeat and winning it all can be overcome, as Kucherov points to countryman Alex Ovechkin and how his Washington Capitals finally won the Stanley Cup after repeated postseason flops and early exits. Kucherov believes the Lightning can use the Capitals' play last spring as a blueprint.

"Their whole team was unbelievable in the playoff run. Every line was fired up and they were playing the best hockey they ever played," Kucherov said. "I'm not sure some of those guys will ever play the same hockey they played in that series. You have to have every guy ready, from your leaders to other guys. Everyone has to be ready to play your best hockey."

The Russian sniper is confident that the Lightning aren't far off from reaching the winner's circle, and that a bevy of changes aren't needed in order to do so.

"We have to be more consistent in our game, more calmed down if things don't go well," Kucherov added. "Always believe in ourselves. Down three goals? You can finish the game the right way."

There will be plenty of internal and external pressure on the Lightning this season, as many pundits are tabbing Tampa Bay as one of the favorites to claim the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Randy Lee has resigned from the organization, the team announced on Tuesday.

The club also announced that a search is underway for Lee's replacement.

Lee's resignation comes after the franchise suspended him in June while awaiting a court ruling on his harassment charge.

The Ottawa native was charged with second-degree harassment in late May after making lewd comments toward and rubbing the shoulders of a 19-year-old male shuttle bus driver while attending the NHL draft combine in Buffalo.

"My hearing in Buffalo has been postponed until September 13. While my case continues to be reviewed by the courts, I do wish to address my future with the Senators," Lee told TSN's Ian Mendes. "My suspension has given me more time to spend with my loved ones than ever before. For the past 23 years, my family has taken a back seat to my career. My focus now is on putting them first.

"At the same time, I have to think about my obligations to the hockey team. They need an assistant general manager who can focus completely on the coming season. Until this matter is behind me, however, I'm not in a position to (do) that. For this reason - in consultation with the Ottawa Senators and my family - I have chosen to resign as assistant general manager of the Ottawa Senators and general manager of the Belleville Senators."

Lee's first court date was on June 4, and he pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he faces a possible fine and up to 15 days in jail.

The 56-year-old had been with the Senators since 1995, beginning as the team's video coach. In 2009, he was named director of hockey operations, and then received a promotion to assistant GM midway through the 2013-14 season.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If Mike Babcock, Kyle Dubas, and Brendan Shanahan decide they want Auston Matthews to be the 18th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history, the soon-to-be 21-year-old is ready to answer the bell.

"Yeah, I would tell them yeah," he told The Athletic's Jonas Siegel when asked what his response would be if approached about wearing the 'C.' "I’d tell them I’d feel ready. I don’t know what they’re thinking about doing, what they want to do.

"Obviously John (Tavares) has been the captain in New York for a while. So I don’t know what they’re thinking or what their whole ideal situation is for that. But I don’t think it really changes much, whether you have a letter or not, for myself or anybody. I go lead by example, on the ice, off the ice, and being a good teammate is a big part of that, too."

The Leafs haven't had a captain for two seasons. Dion Phaneuf last wore the 'C' before being dealt to the Ottawa Senators midway through the 2015-16 campaign.

Matthews was seemingly the no-brainer future captain of the Maple Leafs, but the acquisition of Tavares could change things. He's seven years older than Matthews and captained the New York Islanders for the past five seasons.

Immediately handing the captaincy to an offseason free-agent signing is a rarity. But a player of Tavares' caliber hitting the open market is rare, too.

Matthews, Toronto's prized first overall pick in 2016, has the homegrown advantage, but somewhat surprisingly no experience being a captain.

"I’ve never really thought about (being a captain), honestly," he told Siegel. "When I played I was always the younger guy on the team so I was never a captain. I was an assistant captain at the (U.S. development) program. Playing in Europe obviously (I was) a young guy. It’s something I’ve never really thought about too much.

"But obviously you come into a situation like this and it’s something that if it happens then you definitely embrace it and accept it, and if doesn’t you go about your business and your thing the same way."

The Leafs could also go one more season without naming a captain. Only time will tell.

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.