PHILADELPHIA -- For the first time in a long time, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrej Meszaros is able to say he feels healthy.

Injures to his back and shoulder, as well as a torn Achilles tendon, has limited him 12 games since March 1, 2012. He played 11 games last season.

"I'm really excited," he told NHL.com after taking part in the team's optional skate Wednesday. "I can't wait to play again. It's been a while. Preseason is over, so now I'm ready to go and it should be fun."

PHILADELPHIA -- After a full training camp and a few preseason games, Vincent Lecavalier has grown familiar with his new orange jersey.

However, he said it will be a different feeling when he skates onto the ice here at Wells Fargo Center for his first regular season game as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I'm definitely really excited," Lecavalier said. "Any opening night, especially when it's your first game with a new team, it's definitely extra special. I've never been through it. I've had a lot of great years in Tampa but I'm happy to be here. I think we have a great hockey team and I'm just excited to start."

Lecavalier, who will start centering the second line between Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, said he hasn't needed to change much of his game to adjust to new teammates and a new style of play.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers held an optional skate Wednesday morning, with only nine players taking the ice ahead of their game Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. But that was OK with coach Peter Laviolette.

"It was their choice," he said. "We've been practicing hard here, going at it pretty hard here. Whatever they wanted to do to get ready to play."

It's been a long time since the Flyers played a meaningful game, and a few players said they felt a little extra jump in their step when they got to the arena Wednesday.

"It's been a while waiting here," captain Claude Giroux said. "A long summer. You think about it a lot in the summer. Last year, not being happy with the results, every day thinking about it, and today's the day. I think everybody is pretty excited."

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said he was happy with the play of goalies Steve Mason and Ray Emery during training camp, but opted for Mason to start the season opener Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in part based on how Mason performed with the Flyers last season.

The 25-year-old, who joined the team in April after a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, went 4-2-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in seven games.

"Both goaltenders played well," Laviolette said. "We have to have a starting point here. Steve came here at the end of last year and really played terrific for us. Either one of them could have started, but we had to choose. Based on what Steve did at the end of last year, and the way Steve came into camp in shape, and the way he played through camp … both goaltenders, you could make a case for either one. We had to start somewhere and we decided to go with Steve. He had a great camp and he's ready to go."

EDMONTON -- Taylor Hall will be the center of attention as the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets drop the puck on their season Tuesday at Rexall Place.

With injuries to the Oilers' top two centers, Hall made the move into the middle from his usual left-wing position. He'll play between Ryan Smyth and Ales Hemsky on the Oilers' top line against the Jets.

"I think we'll be fine, though having Sam [Gagner] and Ryan [Nugent-Hopkins] out is a big hole for us," Hall said. "But we still have a lot of good players, no matter what position you are at. [At] forward, we still have a lot of depth there. The addition of [David] Perron has been huge for us. He's a great player and someone that's going to fit in well for us here. We're going to do everything we can to scrape out some wins until Gagner and Nugent-Hopkins get back."

CHICAGO ­-- Washington Capitals rookie Connor Carrick scrounged up 10 tickets for friends and family to see him make his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN) at United Center.

"I don't think it's going to be enough," the 19-year-old defenseman said.

It probably won't be because Carrick is from nearby Orland Park, Ill., which is approximately a 30- to 35-minute drive from downtown Chicago. He used to attend games at United Center when he was a kid, and now he gets to play his first NHL game in the same building.

Capitals rookie center Michael Latta, 22, is doing the same thing, and 19-year-old right wing Tom Wilson is making his regular-season debut after appearing in three games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.

Carrick is playing ahead of Steve Oleksy, while Latta is in instead of Jay Beagle. Wilson is playing because the Capitals cleared a roster spot Sunday by trading Mathieu Perreault to the Anaheim Ducks.

CHICAGO -- Michael Frolik's replacement on the Chicago Blackhawks would like it to be known that he's no "Fro," even if his skill set is pretty similar to the former penalty-killing wing on the fourth line.

Instead, 21-year-old rookie forward Joakim Nordstrom hopes to make his own impact in Chicago, while starting out playing right wing on the fourth line and likely getting the penalty-killing minutes that Frolik absorbed on the way to the 2013 Stanley Cup.

"I would be happy to be that guy, but I don't want to replace him," Nordstrom said of Frolik, who was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in the offseason. "I want to be the player that I am, but for sure I think that we have the same qualities as players. Killing penalties is one of my biggest strengths. That's what I want to bring to the team and everything else too."

CHICAGO -- Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus will join Patrick Sharp on the Chicago Blackhawks' second line Tuesday night despite not playing a game in the preseason. The Blackhawks open the season against the Washington Capitals at United Center (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

"Hopefully we don't slow Sharpie down," Hossa told NHL.com.

Hossa had an undisclosed upper-body injury that prevented him from playing in any of Chicago's six preseason games. The injury is believed to be related to his back injury that he sustained in the Stanley Cup Final last season.

MONTREAL -- Here are the lines for the Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday night, the opening game in the 2013-14 NHL season.

MAPLE LEAFS

James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel

Joffrey Lupul - Nazem Kadri - Nikolai Kulemin

Mason Raymond - Dave Bolland - Troy Bodie

Carter Ashton - Jay McClement - Colton Orr