Ellis (upper-body) played in his first preseason game Saturday against the Lightning. He did not factor into the scoring but recorded 21:39 in ice time, including 2:59 on the power play.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis is looking to build on the career-high 32 points he scored last season as part of the Preds' second defensive unit alongside Mattias Ekholm. He makes for a very solid second-tier fantasy defenseman option in most standard formats.

Ellis will miss the Predators first preseason game Tuesday against the Panthers with an upper-body injury.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis missed just three games for Nashville last year and should be ready for the start of the 2016-17 season. In his 79 contests, the 25-year-old notched 32 points from the blueline and will add some offensive talent to fantasy owners' lineups. In addition to his even-strength numbers, the defenseman recorded three goals and four helpers while averaging 2:30 with the man advantage, further increasing his value.

Ellis scored a goal on four shots in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Dallas.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis opened up the scoring in just 19 seconds of play, with the tally marking a new career-high 10 goals for the blueliner. The 25-year-old is having his best campaign with the Predators, setting new milestones across the board. The 2009 first-round pick enters the playoffs after posting 32 points in the regular season.

Ellis (upper body) will play in Tuesday's game against the Avalanche, Adam Vingan of The Tennessean reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis missed the last two games due to his upper-body injury, but he took the ice for pregame warmups Tuesday, signaling his return. He was surging prior to his injury, recording three points and a plus-3 rating in his previous four games.

Ellis (upper body) will not play Saturday against the Sharks.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis will not take the ice as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury that also hindered his status for Thursday's loss to the Penguins. Stefan Elliot figures to be the main beneficiary in playing time during Ellis' absence.

Ellis (upper body) was not a participant in morning skate Thursday, Adam Vingan of The Tennessean reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Predators are on the road to take on the Penguins, and fantasy owners shouldn't count on Ellis being available for that contest since he missed the skate. He's a tough one to replace, given how he logs close to 21 minutes of ice time per game, including a smidge over two minutes on the man advantage. Stefan Elliott stands to pick up playing time if Ellis indeed misses the upcoming match.

Ellis (upper body) was injured in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Dallas, Adam Vingan of The Tennessean reports.

EDGE Analysis

The former first-round pick has set career highs for goals and assists this season while playing over 20 minutes per night. Head coach Peter Laviolette indicated that Ellis would be evaluated Wednesday, but no further updates on his status have been given. If Ellis isn't able to play Thursday in Pittsburgh, expect the recently recalled Stefan Elliott to step into the lineup.

Ellis registered a goal and a blocked shot in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Stars.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis scored for the first time in five games, but he's got just three goals in his last 31 games. Despite this seemingly low level of production of late, he has still tied his career high in goals and assists, with nine and 22, respectively.

Ellis recorded an assist for the second consecutive game Saturday against the Blue Jackets, putting him at the 30-point plateau for the first time in his career.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis has proved his worth both to the Preds and to fantasy owners this season, registering career-highs in several categories, including assists (22), power-play goals (3), average ice time (21:00) and shots on goal (140). He makes for a very good second-tier fantasy defenseman play in most formats.

Ellis recorded his 20th assist of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Jets. This gives him 27 points in 66 games, matching his career high from each of the past two seasons.

EDGE Analysis

With stud blueliners Shea Weber and Roman Josi playing ahead of him, Ellis probably sees less than his fair share of offensive opportunities. That said, he's still a top-four defender who sees a healthy dose of second-line power-play time (about two minutes' worth), so he does have value in most fantasy formats out there.