ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family were involved in a plane crash at Tennessee’s Elizabethton Municipal Airport on Thursday afternoon.

A small Cessna Citation plane carrying Earnhardt, his wife Amy Earnhardt and daughter Isla Rose Earnhardt ran off the runway and caught fire in the incident, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Two pilots were also onboard the plane.

Elizabethton Fire Chief Barry Carrier confirmed that all five people onboard survived the crash and that none of the injuries were serious, according to WTVC-9 in Chattanooga.

Earnhardt was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. He has since been released and NBC Sports officials have confirmed he will take the weekend off from his broadcasting duties at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

NBC Sports statement on Dale Earnhardt Jr.: pic.twitter.com/O364HDMn3d

— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) August 16, 2019

Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Earnhardt Jr.’s sister and the co-owner of JR Motorsports, released a brief statement on social media regarding the crash Thursday afternoon.

“I can confirm that Dale, Amy and Isla, along with his two pilots, were involved in a crash in Bristol, Tenn., this afternoon,” Earnhardt Miller wrote. “Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time.”

I can confirm Dale, Amy & Isla along with his two pilots were involved in a crash in Bristol TN this afternoon. Everyone is safe and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. We have no further information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.

— Kelley Earnhardt (@EarnhardtKelley) August 15, 2019

Earnhardt, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, spent 17 years racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He won 26 races during that time, which included two victories in the Daytona 500.

After retiring from full-time competition at the end of the 2017 season, he transitioned to the broadcast booth. He currently works as an analyst for NASCAR on NBC and also co-owns JR Motorsports with his sister.

No celebration of the 85th anniversary of SPEED SPORT would be complete without remembering Chris Economaki.

Known as The Dean of American Motorsports Journalism, Economaki was editor of National Speed Sport News for 60 years, having begun his career selling single copies of the newspaper at local race tracks.

Economaki died in 2012 at age 91.

His column, the Editor’s Notebook, was the most- read feature in National Speed Sport News for six decades. The Notebook, as it was called by readers, was the most meaningful read in the newspaper, each week.

Economaki was known for his unique, recognizable voice, which he used first as a track announcer and later through nearly 40 years on television.

He worked with ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” he was with CBS and ESPN, and it can be said he was one of the catalysts in bringing racing to television. It is not an oversimplification to say he knew racing and knew how to speak about it.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1920, Economaki’s father was a Greek immigrant and his mother was a great-niece of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Economaki spent his childhood in Ridgewood, N.J., and saw his first race at the Atlantic City board track when he was 9 years old.

He was hooked and by his 14th birthday he was a fixture in the racing world. Economaki sold his first copies of NSSN at Ho-Ho-Kus Speedway when he was 13. Papers sold for a nickel and Economaki got to keep a penny.

“I sold 200 papers,” Economaki recalled. “That was $2. An incredible amount of money in 1934.”

Economaki had his first story published in 1935 and soon began writing his own column, known then as Gas-O-Lines, while continuing to peddle newspapers.

Much of Economaki’s knowledge about race cars — and people for that matter — was acquired during 1938 and 1939 when he traveled the eastern half of the United States as a “stooge” (mechanic) for legendary midget racer Duane Carter.

“He would pay me $15 a week when he could, which was rarely,” Economaki liked to say when recalling his days busting his knuckles and learning the “tricks of the trade.”

After serving in the Army during World War II, including a stint in the European Theater of Operation, Economaki returned to New Jersey and rekindled his passion for auto racing, selling newspapers and announcing at race tracks throughout the East.

“I got out of the service in February of 1946, and I immediately started going to races, and I picked up with paper sales, except I didn’t do the selling,” he explained. “I had guys selling them for me.

“I was selling 700 to 800 copies a week,” he continued. “Business was excellent.”

It was his paper-sales career that led him to become an announcer.

“One weekend, I can’t remember where the hell I was, it was 1947, I sold a lot of papers on a Friday night, and Saturday night 50 miles away at another track, with even more people, I sold under 100, and I couldn’t understand that,” he said.

“It dawned on me that the difference was the announcer,” Economaki explained. “The Friday night guy really knew how to plug something, and the Saturday night guy didn’t. That’s when I decided to become an announcer.”

After more than a decade announcing at tracks and working as editor of NSSN, a job he accepted in 1950, Economaki got his big break when NASCAR founder “Big Bill” France recommended Economaki be part of ABC’s first telecast from Daytona Int’l Speedway in 1961.

“That first race, July 4, which was taped and shown the following Saturday, I got there and these guys didn’t know which way the cars went,” Economaki remembered. “They were telling me what I should say, and I said, ‘I can’t really say that.’

“And I remember, the guy said, ‘Jesus Christ, this guy has never been on television before, and he’s a prima donna.’ He said, ‘Well, what would you like to say?’

“And I said this, that, and the other thing, and they said, ‘OK, that’s pretty good, you can say that.’ So they allowed me to speak my mind, and that began my television career.”

Economaki worked races for ABC through the 1983 season when he made the jump to CBS where he appeared through the mid-1990s. He also worked Formula One telecasts for ESPN in 1987 and ’88.

Economaki received countless awards, including the NASCAR Award of Excellence, and been elected to numerous Halls of Fame, most notably the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Economaki’s legacy remains alive in the pages of SPEED SPORT Magazine.

Subscribe to SPEED SPORT Magazine today, or order the 85th Anniversary issue of SPEED SPORT!

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Sam Mayer’s first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win of the season was a relatively-easy afternoon drive at Bristol Motor Speedway back in April.

His win in Thursday night’s Bush’s Beans 150 – completing a season-sweep at the high-banked, concrete half-mile – was anything but.

After making contact with polesitter Chase Cabre on the opening lap that sent Cabre spinning into the outside wall in turn three, Mayer was sent to the tail of the field for rough driving and had to battle back all race long after that.

But Mayer stayed patient, tried and true, and methodically worked his way forward again and back into contention through the first two 50-lap stages in the 150-lap event. By the time the green flag waved with 44 to go, Mayer was third and pressuring for more as Spencer Davis showed the way out front.

Mayer was shuffled out by Ty Gibbs two laps after the restart, dropping back to third before settling in and preparing a final assault. He re-passed Gibbs for second with 25 to go, then quickly latched on to Davis’ rear bumper as he plotted a race-winning maneuver.

That maneuver turned out to be the traditional Bristol “bump-and-run,” and it came with 13 to go when Mayer shoved Davis up the race track and out of the traction compound in turn three.

From there, Davis fell back through the running order, while Mayer went on to his second Bristol victory.

“As far as the first lap, I tried to get in there to move him (Cabre) out of the way, but I just got in there too hard,” Mayer noted, referencing his contact with the polesitter on the first lap of the race. “I feel like he deserved it for how he’s raced me this year, but I didn’t want to do it like that.

“From there, we just kept fighting all day long,” Mayer added. “There’s always that little bit of doubt in your mind that you won’t be able to come back through and get it done, but I felt pretty confident in my race car. … With the aero and all that, I couldn’t get by the 30 (Davis) to save my life until he made a mistake going into (turn) three. It definitely paid off that we were there to capitalize and pass him.”

The 16-year-old Wisconsinite will make his NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut under the lights in the UNOH 200, starting 18th in the No. 21 Manpower Chevrolet.

“I’m ecstatic with this win and finishing the sweep here at Bristol,” said Mayer. “It’s really special to go two for two, but hopefully we might even have a chance to go three for three later on tonight.”

Gibbs chased Mayer home in the closing laps, but had nothing for Mayer’s GMS Racing-prepared No. 21 Chevrolet and crossed the line 1.778 seconds back in his DGR-Crosley-built No. 17 Toyota.

Ruben Garcia Jr. finished third, followed by Mason Diaz. Davis faded to fifth at the checkered flag.

“We just weren’t as good as the 21 (Mayer),” said Davis. “He stayed turning longer than we did; we were just a little bit tight. We were better than the 17 (Gibbs) and the 24 (Diaz), but Sam’s been on rails all year long. … You expect that kind of a move from him, and you expect it at Bristol. That’s what this place is famous for, when it gets down to the end.

“He did what he had to do. Heck, I probably would have done the same thing. It’s just bittersweet.”

Cabre struggled for the rest of the day after his run-in with Mayer and was scored eighth in the final rundown. He was helped from his car by medics after the race, placed on a stretcher after complaining of back pain and later transported from the infield care center to a local hospital for observation.

The finish:

Sam Mayer, Ty Gibbs, Ruben Garcia Jr., Mason Diaz, Spencer Davis, Tanner Gray, Max McLaughlin, Chase Cabre, Hailie Deegan, Joe Graf Jr., Brandon McReynolds, Jett Noland, Austin Reed, Justin Carroll, Colin Garrett, Chuck Buchanan Jr.

THOMASVILLE, N.C. – Rick Ware Racing has announced that driver and team member Bayley Currey has violated NASCAR’s substance abuse policy

As a result, Currey has been indefinitely suspended by NASCAR and must complete the Road to Recovery program in order to be reinstated.

Currey, who has competed in all three NASCAR national divisions this year in addition to working as a crew member for Rick Ware Racing, was informed of his failed drug test by NASCAR at Bristol Motor Speedway this week.

“This weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR informed me that I failed a random drug test administered last week,” 22-year-old Currey said in a statement. “I spoke with NASCAR’s Doctor where he explained that I had DMAA (2-Amino-5-methylhexane) in my system. I take a pre-workout supplement, Juggernaut Irate, and this ingredient is indeed in the supplement. I was obviously not aware that I was violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy.

“I have immediately asked NASCAR to enter me into the Road to Recovery Program where I will gain more knowledge about such banned supplements and I will fully cooperate with NASCAR’s direction and advice. I have worked very hard for a lifetime to reach this level and I am eternally grateful to be afforded the privilege to compete in the sport that I love.

“I want to publicly apologize to my owner’s Rick and Lisa Ware, all the employees of Rick Ware Racing, my sponsors, NASCAR, and most importantly the fans.  My lack of knowledge is no excuse for this to happen. I will expediently complete the process and I will strive to have my suspension lifted as soon as possible.”

Currey has made nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts, eight NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and three NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts this year.

He earned the second top-10 finish of NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series career last week at Michigan Int’l Speedway, where he finished sixth.

Rick Ware Racing team owner Rick Ware said he stands by Currey following the failed drug test. Currey has made all nine of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts in cars fielded by Ware.

“At Rick Ware Racing, we stand by NASCAR’s decisions to uphold the drug policy for each and every owner, driver and crew member in the garage,” said Ware. “We believe that Bayley Currey has made an honest mistake by not checking his pre-workout supplements for ingredients that are not allowed through the NASCAR systems. As an organization, we stand behind Bayley’s Road to Recovery journey, and will always have a place for him within our organization.”

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Brett Moffitt outlasted the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series field and punched his ticket into the next round of the playoffs with a victory in Thursday night’s UNOH 200.

Moffitt came out on top of a thrilling mid-race battle with title rival Ross Chastain, then rallied through traffic and passed regular-season champion Grant Enfinger with 27 to go for his first win at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The defending series champion had to hold off the field on four late restarts after seizing command, including a three-lap sprint to the finish after contact between rookie Sam Mayer and Ben Rhodes on lap 193 sent Mayer into the outside wall and brought out the last of 12 yellow flags on the night.

Though Smith gave Moffitt everything he could handle when the green lights clicked on for the final time, Moffitt powered away on the outside and took the checkered flag in front by .743 seconds.

“Man, tonight was tough,” Moffitt said in victory lane. “Our (No. 24) Silverado was strong on long runs, but it was hard to get fired off, so it was really tough getting the first couple of laps under our belts after a restart. We made it work on the top, even though a lot of others didn’t want to go up there.”

Thursday night’s triumph was the 10th of Moffitt’s career, his third of the season and first at Bristol.

It also assures him a place in the Round of 6, meaning he can take chances for additional victories in the next two races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and doesn’t have to stress about his position in relation to any of his competition.

“There’s no more important win than right now for the season, getting into the Round of 6, so we’ll take this and move on with it,” Moffitt noted. “We’re playing with house money now. We still want to go get points and ultimately win races and get playoff points to set ourselves up with a little safety net for the next round, but now we can just go and race to win.

“The pressure’s off, and that’s good news for our team.”

The chaotic run to the finish began with 25 to go, moments after Moffitt took the lead, when Stewart Friesen, Ross Chastain and Raphael Lessard tangled in turn four, with Lessard spinning and bringing out the caution as a result.

On the ensuing restart, Smith nailed the jump and worked from fourth to second on the outside, driving past Ben Rhodes on the outside to claim the runner-up position. He wouldn’t relinquish it again.

However, a Gus Dean spin with 19 to go did lead to some nervous moments for Smith, as well as a six-and-a-half-minute red flag for cleanup in an attempt to preserve as many green flag laps as possible.

That attempt was foiled by Mayer and Rhodes’ clash with eight to go, setting up a mile and a half of mayhem to get to the checkered flag, with Moffitt and Smith on the front row for all the marbles.

Smith did all he could on the bottom lane, firing off strong in the PJ1 traction compound and staying even with Moffitt until turns three and four, when Moffitt finally got the power down and broke free on the top side.

From there, it was certain victory for the GMS Racing driver, while the Kyle Busch Motorsports young gun had to settle for a career-best finish of second in just his third-ever Truck Series appearance.

“He (Moffitt) was just better all day,” lamented Smith. “We fought back early in the race. We got up to the 45 (Ross Chastain) and Brett (Moffitt). We needed just a little bit more to sit where he is right now.

“I can’t thank Rudy (Fugle, crew chief), KBM and Toyota enough for this incredible opportunity, though,” he added. “We’ve definitely made the most of it. Just came up one spot short of our goal here tonight.”

Chastain, who led four-times for a race-high 78 laps, rallied back from a pit road safety violation during the second stage break and finished third after restarting from the tail of the field.

Stewart Friesen was fourth after contact with Matt Crafton in the closing laps that sent both drivers around in turn four, while Enfinger crossed in fifth, giving playoff drivers four of the top five spots.

Matt Crafton was seventh and Austin Hill finished 10th. Meanwhile, Johnny Sauter wheeled a wounded truck to 11th after a collision with John Hunter Nemechek that sheared part of the right side off his Ford.

Electrical issues inside of 30 to go relegated Tyler Ankrum to 20th, six laps down and worst among the playoff contenders.

The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season continues Aug. 25 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

A lot happened since we last checked in on these rankings. The St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, the New Jersey Devils won the draft lottery, and at least 20 of these top-250 fantasy players are now wearing a different jersey than the one they donned at the end of the season. There are still a lot of questions to answer between now and fantasy draft season but, based on preliminary depth charts and our best guesses for starting lineups, we can begin to cobble together a better picture of the 2019-20 NHL season.

Before we get to those updated rankings, let's take a quick-hit look at each team for the biggest factors affecting our new list:

Anaheim Ducks: No Corey Perry and no major influx of fantasy-relevant talent means the Ducks will be content to find out which of a handful of budding stars are ready for prime time. The eventual deployment of Sam Steel, Max Comtois, Troy Terry and, to some extent, Daniel Sprong and Max Jones, are the most interesting storylines to watch for this rebuilding squad.

Arizona Coyotes: Can a 32-year-old Phil Kessel still score 82 points in a season? Not with the Coyotes he can't. He was tied for 23rd in the NHL with 82 points last season, but tied for 60th in the league with just 46 even-strength points. The Coyotes' power play is not the Pittsburgh Penguins' power play. ... Darcy Kuemper finished fifth among goaltenders on the ESPN Player Rater for fantasy value, which shows the possible upside of tending net full time for this team. However, with a healthy Antti Raanta, Kuemper is -- at best -- going to get the weaker side of a 55-45 split.

Boston Bruins: There's no discernible difference between the Bruins team that will open 2019-20 and the one that was oh-so-close to hoisting the Stanley Cup, except that everyone is a year older. In the cases of Zdeno Chara (42) and Patrice Bergeron (34), that's not nothing. Bergeron, especially, is a catalyst for this offense and needs to be at top speed to keep David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand among the top-15 fantasy options.

Buffalo Sabres: Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey have been added to the mix, but neither is a 100% lock for the top-six. That means the same Sabres players could be disappointing us for fantasy in 2019-20. That's a bit facetious, as Jeff Skinner was a pleasant surprise last season, but most others fell below expectations. Can they take a big leap forward while still featuring question marks in net and overall depth? It would be nice to get players in your draft at a discount as we wait to find out.

Calgary Flames: Few changes for the Flames is a big positive as this is a team that found a deadly top unit last season and skated to the best record in the Western Conference. Mark Giordano will be 36 years old. But, to his credit, his 35-year-old season was the third-best of all time among defensemen. Can he repeat the feat? Only Nicklas Lidstrom has ever cracked the 70-point barrier at an older age than Giordano is now. ... In net, David Rittich would be a fantasy darling if he can keep up his ratios over more starts.

Carolina Hurricanes: The Hurricanes kept Sebastian Aho from being stolen by Montreal, re-upped with Petr Mrazek, and are said to be still mulling the return of free agent and captain Justin Williams. After an encouraging postseason run, the future is bright as the team still has solid prospects on the way at every position. Watching for next steps forward from Andrei Svechnikov and/or Martin Necas will be key for fantasy.

Chicago Blackhawks: The fantasy skaters remain valuable and consistent from last season, with the biggest offseason addition being goaltender Robin Lehner. With Corey Crawford struggling (both in terms of his health and his ratios), the situation is ripe for Lehner to usurp the starting gig. Still, how much of his league-leading ratios were a result of his playing for the defense-first Islanders?

Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche have completely revamped their lineup beyond the first line. Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi will jostle for top-six minutes (and a possible power-play role). Samuel Girard is the incumbent to the quarterback role vacated by Tyson Barrie, but rookies Cale Makar and Bowen Byram can't be ignored. Philipp Grubauer will enter his first season as a bonafide NHL starter at the age of 27.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Ouch! Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Duchene all opted to sign elsewhere during the offseason. That's a lot of offensive looks up for grabs on a depth chart with no clear candidates to seize the power vacuum. Gustav Nyquist will get a look at the top of the depth chart for offense, while Joonas Korpisalo will try to fend off rookie import Elvis Merzlikins in the crease.

Dallas Stars: The Stars added some significant veteran presence in Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry. Pavelski is still at the top of his game, while Perry has been on a downward trend. Yet, both could find some much-needed rejuvenation on the wrong side of 34 as they mix into a lineup with Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov.

Detroit Red Wings: A patient rebuild will give emerging fantasy assets such as Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Athanasiou another chance to advance their position. The same is true for less-proven commodities like Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen and Evgeny Svechnikov. ... Who is going to play the point on this power play? The Red Wings have no new options and Dennis Cholowski's nine power-play points topped the squad last season.

Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers didn't do anything to add new potential weapons for Connor McDavid, but that likely means Leon Draisaitl remains in the conversation as a first-round pick. ... Is veteran Mike Smith the answer here in goal? No. No, he is not. Still, his presence will vex us by taking some of the shine off Mikko Koskinen, who maintained months-long stretches as one of the league's best fantasy goalies last season.

Florida Panthers: The Panthers got the goaltender they needed in Sergei Bobrovsky and are ready to make a run. The established top group is fueled by the power play, but secondary scoring hasn't been ideal. Perhaps the addition of Brett Connolly or the further development of Henrik Borgstrom can help with that.

Los Angeles Kings: Things are looking down for a Kings team that is paying a lot for just a handful of players. Ilya Kovalchuk, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick combine for $23 million in contracts.They are also all at least 33 years old -- with at least two years left on their deals. It makes for a less-than-appetizing depth chart, outside of the stars. We will have to wait and see if any of the younger prospects like Gabriel Vilardi and Jack Campbell can push for a role at the top of the depth chart. That's where some wise fantasy investment could come.

Minnesota Wild: The biggest addition to the Wild lineup will be a healthy Matt Dumba, who was easily the team's best fantasy defenseman last season before he was felled by an injury after just 32 games. Ryan Suter may be handing over his mantle for good. ... The theme of ascension rings through the forward ranks as well. Kevin Fiala, Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek will look to establish themselves in place of veterans like Eric Staal, Zach Parise and newcomer Mats Zuccarello.

Montreal Canadiens: This team wasn't a big factor in the offseason, outside of a matched offer sheet to Sebastian Aho -- but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Carey Price is still young enough to be close to his prime, while Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi are emerging as future stars. There could be some jostling in the top-six, as Phillip Danault and Artturi Lehkonen are by no means locks. Meanwhile, youngsters like Nick Suzuki, Ryan Poehling and Jesperi Kotkaniemi may warrant expanded roles.

Nashville Predators: The Predators' secondary scoring gets a big upgrade by adding Matt Duchene, which solidifies a top-six that should be tough to keep down. ... Pekka Rinne will be 37 in November, so this should be the season we see him hand the reins off to Juuse Saros. You can count on your fingers the number of goaltenders in NHL history who have turned in what would equate to No. 1 fantasy goaltender seasons at 37 or older.

New Jersey Devils: There were big, positive changes for the Devils this offseason, who will enter the year tabbed as playoff contenders thanks to the additions of P.K. Subban, Jack Hughes and Wayne Simmonds. Until someone says otherwise, I'm operating under the assumption that Hughes becomes the team's No. 1 center, as neither Travis Zajac nor Nico Hischier blossomed in the role last season. Subban, Simmonds and Hughes will all elevate a power play featuring Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri.

New York Islanders: The Islanders didn't make any changes, outside of subtracting Robin Lehner and adding Semyon Varlamov. With Thomas Greiss still around, Varlamov won't be a workhorse in the crease, so his value is likely limited, depending on your league format. ... Nick Leddy had 10 power-play points in 229 minutes last season, while Ryan Pulock had nine power-play points in 154 minutes. Perhaps the team finally makes some changes to their first unit.

New York Rangers: Artemi Panarin, Kappo Kakko and Jacob Trouba are all top-of-the-depth-chart additions to this squad. It's easy to envision Panarin and Mika Zibanejad on the top line together, but Kakko isn't guaranteed the third spot. That's a training camp battle to watch, for sure. Trouba was fourth in the NHL for scoring among defensemen after Jan. 1 last season and will be the unquestioned No. 1 on this team. The sky is the limit. ... Will the team's overall improvement be enough to secure a last hurrah for 37-year-old Henrik Lundqvist? I'll be taking him as my third goalie in many leagues to find out.

Ottawa Senators: This is going to be ugly again as the team didn't really improve for the coming season. Sure, Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk can rise above the funk for value, but beyond that we are talking about dart throws for fantasy value. Colin White? Drake Batherson? Erik Brannstrom? Anthony Duclair? All of these guys -- or none of them -- could be relevant this season.

Philadelphia Flyers: Kevin Hayes is a nice flex piece for the team, as he can play in the top six -- or not, depending on how Nolan Patrick and/or Morgan Frost fare this coming season. ... There is still lots of value at the top of the depth chart, but the defensemen are a big question mark. While Shayne Gostisbehere regressed (as expected) last season, Ivan Provorov failed to step up in his stead.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Alex Galchenyuk is a poor-man's Phil Kessel (at a much cheaper cost), so this deal may not disrupt the Penguins' elite power play all that much. Other than that swap, the Penguins just have to hope for health to be competitive in the NHL, as well as be helpful for fantasy leagues. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are getting older, but still have a few years left.

San Jose Sharks: The San Jose depth chart could still change a lot if Joe Thornton and/or Patrick Marleau end up returning for one more run. Bringing back Erik Karlsson will be huge, assuming he comes into this season fully healthy for a change. Other than that, this team is about maintaining the breakouts they enjoyed last season such as Timo Meier, Evander Kane and Kevin Labanc, while limiting how much they miss Joe Pavelski.

St. Louis Blues: No big changes are expected for the Stanley Cup-winning Blues, but Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn certainly added to their appeal with a strong postseason on the top line with Vladimir Tarasenko. One has to assume the trio sticks together to open the 2019-20 campaign, and it's hard not to recall their magical start to the 2017-18 season. ... Jordan Binnington comes into the campaign as a projected top-10 fantasy goaltender.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Assuming the team gets its deal done with Brayden Point, the winningest team in NHL history is back in earnest. They can absorb the loss of J.T. Miller easily enough.

Toronto Maple Leafs: We've seen some intriguing changes by Toronto as they manage the salary cap with their superstars. Out are Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner. In are Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie. The team also managed to re-sign up-and-coming pieces Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen. As long as nothing goes awry with the Mitch Marner contract this summer, he'll join John Tavares and Auston Matthews in the task of "lifting all boats" when it comes to fantasy. ... One big question will be how Morgan Rielly copes with the addition of another proven power-play quarterback in Barrie.

Vancouver Canucks: The Canucks just have to be patient now, as Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser rise to the top. As far as new faces, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes could both carve out fantasy-relevant jobs with the team. The Canucks boast three potentially elite-level young goaltenders, but Jacob Markstrom proved he deserves another chance as the starter for now.

Vegas Golden Knights: If Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny and Mark Stone play like they did in the playoffs, the Golden Knights will have a new top line. It makes sense, as the trio of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith has been successful because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. ... Where does Alex Tuch fit in? He was fourth on the team in scoring last season (and could have been first with a full 82 games), but comes into this season penciled in outside the top-six.

Washington Capitals: The Capitals bring back the same fantasy-relevant pieces alongside Alex Ovechkin, who seemingly has proved that he doesn't age. The only real question for fantasy is whether Jakub Vrana has done enough to cement the final spot in the top-six, or if an upstart Richard Panik or Brendan Leipsic can push for a shot.

Winnipeg Jets: Two of the Jets' top-six pieces remain restricted free agents, so there is some intrigue left. But, assuming everything comes together, not much will change for your fantasy league from this team. While Jacob Trouba is gone, that should clear room for Dustin Byfuglien to have a bounce-back campaign and/or Josh Morrissey to have a breakout year.