Two days of camp are now in the books, with two preseason games to be played tonight (Saturday). Needless to say, there's plenty to talk about.

Since part of my job as managing editor is to organize writers and articles, I'll mention that the Lining Up and Injury Ward article will resume regularly next week. Ryan will discuss the line combinations to pay attention to during training camp, while Brennan will break down the key injuries. In the meantime, I'll try to cover some major developments with those topics, as well as some news and notes from around training camps.

You can also purchase your Fantasy Guide here, if you haven't already. Dobber consistently updates it with the latest relevant news.

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Vaccination is certainly shaping up to be an interesting topic this preseason. I can recall someone on Twitter asking why the Red Wings wouldn't simply bail on Tyler Bertuzzi, given his refusal to take the vaccine. Since the Wings play only nine games in Canada, Bertuzzi is not affected as much as someone as Josh Archibald (the Oilers play 32 games in the US). In addition, Bertuzzi is less of a replaceable player to his team than Archibald or Zac Rinaldo are to theirs. It's a minor inconvenience for teams rostering Bertuzzi, while he should be dropped down the rankings. But at least you'll be able to plan ahead, like I will have to. Yes, I decided to keep him several weeks ago.

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If you live in the Vancouver market (or maybe beyond because of the wide expanse of Twitter), you may have witnessed the Oliver Ekman-Larsson bag skate video.

Uh-OEL… pic.twitter.com/C1weB3MzlI

— 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 Faber 🔥🎙 (@ChrisFaber39) September 23, 2021

It's worth mentioning that this is not the entire bag skate – just the final portion. And Travis Green’s training camp bag skates are known to be nasty. So this isn't necessarily indicative of the 30-year-old OEL being out of shape or past his prime. However, it raises an immediate minor concern for the Canucks when you couple in the fact that his contract will last for six more years at over $7 million. Obviously, OEL doesn't provide much bang for the buck in salary cap leagues. Regardless, it is important to keep any early training camp developments in perspective and not to overreact.

Ekman-Larsson is currently being drafted in 100 percent of Yahoo leagues with an ADP of 133, so I wouldn't necessarily alter your rankings based on this video. Remember that Quinn Hughes is still without a contract and not at training camp, so OEL's short-term value would skyrocket if Hughes is somehow still unsigned to start the season. As much as Ekman-Larsson is not highly regarded in the analytics community, it's important to separate that data (which measures two-way play) from his actual fantasy value. OEL has been on a 40+ point pace in four of his last five seasons, which to me is more relevant in fantasy leagues.

Speaking of which, it might be time to push Hughes and Elias Pettersson (and for that matter Brady Tkachuk) down your rankings very slightly as long as they remain unsigned. Or at least picking another equivalently-ranked player if you have the opportunity to pick one of them in a single-season league draft. I don't know when they will be signed. Even though I've heard local reporters say otherwise, I'm starting to wonder whether the Canucks will have to move a player simply to get Hughes and Pettersson under contract. Jim Benning overspent on his roster yet again.

Also, cue the rumor mill that the Hughes brothers and Tkachuk brothers (and maybe Pettersson too) are conspiring to form a super team. Cap issues aside, if that team were ever to happen, which one would it be? New Jersey? Detroit? Somewhere else?

Of note, unsigned RFAs Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Brady Tkachuk all skating together in Michigan while they await their contract situations to get resolved. @TSNHockey @TheAthletic

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 24, 2021

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On the Edmonton blueline, much of the attention has been given to Tyson Barrie, Darnell Nurse, and even the recently acquired Duncan Keith (for more reasons than one). Yet one defenseman that has been receiving a lot of praise recently is 2018 first-round pick Evan Bouchard.

With Ethan Bear moved to Carolina, Bouchard should be able to move into a full-time role with the Oilers. That appears to be a third-pairing role and second-unit power-play minutes to start. Unlike other Oilers prospects, Bouchard hasn't been rushed, which has allowed him time to develop and produce offensively at every level prior to the NHL (OHL, AHL, Swe-1). As well, Bouchard may have a little more offensive upside than Nurse, who could be better suited for a two-way role long-term (although I've mentioned before that I really like Nurse as a multicategory league threat).

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Also from Oilers' camp, Jesse Puljujarvi and Zach Hyman were placed on a line with Connor McDavid. Hyman was given the long-term free agent deal this offseason, so there's no surprise that he's on the McDavid line. Puljujarvi's most frequent center last season was in fact McDavid, so that shouldn't be a huge shocker either. Continued use on the McDavid line is a good sign for Puljujarvi as he continues his development, though.

Puljujarvi has played 194 career games, so the 6-4 forward has a way to go before he hits the power forward breakout threshold of 400 games. Although he was drafted five years ago, he has never played more than 65 games in a season. So as Oilers fans can attest to, he's been a project in the true sense of the word.

"Pool Party" is only 14 percent rostered in Yahoo leagues as well, so there's a good chance he's available on your league's waiver wire in case he hits his stride before Game 400. Patience has been key if you've had Puljujarvi in your keeper pool all this time. I'm curious if anyone has stuck it out with him for five years, because given the breakout timeline, it may take even longer than that.

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After being bought out by the Jets just days ago, Sami Niku has signed a two-way deal with Montreal. Is he a potential post-hype prospect? Or simply a prospect that will never be an impact NHLer? Although Niku has played only 54 NHL games, the Jets have gotten a relatively decent amount of mileage out of a player picked 198^th overall. In fact, he managed to post some solid AHL numbers during his time there while being named the league's top defenseman in 2018. Unfortunately, he wasn't given enough of an NHL opportunity, likely because of his defensive shortcomings. That was even when there were major openings on the Jets' blueline.

Even though he has spent considerable time in the AHL already, there's a chance that Niku could be back there again this season. If he can get into some NHL games, he might be able to log some power-play minutes (remember that Shea Weber is expected to miss the season). Something to keep in mind is that Niku is no longer waiver exempt, which means he could be on the move again if he doesn't make the Habs roster.

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The Washington Capitals became the first team to announce the sponsor for their jersey ad, announcing that Caesars Sportsbook will appear as a small jersey patch at the start of next season (2022-23). The NHL jersey has been considered sacred until now, but during the pandemic NHL teams have had to consider other revenue streams, particularly if the salary cap is to increase sooner rather than later. The jersey ad seems similar to that of the NBA where it seems to blend in as opposed to sticking out. Let's just hope that European-style jerseys aren't in our future, though.  

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For more fantasy hockey discussion, or to reach out to me, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding