The Montreal Canadiens announced today that Joshua Roy, Aam Engstrom, Logan Mailloux, and Jakub Dobes had been sent down to Laval. None of them had to clear waivers.
Oliver Kapanen, Alex Barre-Boulet, and Emil Heineman are the newcomers up front to start the season, and all three earned their spots. The 23-man roster is set to start the season.
Based on practice today, here is what we can expect on Wednesday in the season/home opener versus the Toronto Maple Leafs:
Caufield Suzuki Slafkovsky
Newhook Dach Armia
Barre-Boulet Dvorak Anderson
Heineman Evans Gallagher
Pezzetta
Kapanen
Guhle Matheson
Hutson Savard
Xhekaj Barron
Struble
Montembeault
Primeau
Jayden Struble had a “therapy day,” so it’s uncertain whether he will be in the lineup on Wednesday. Given that neither has been practicing much on the right side in camp, it will likely be either Struble or Xhekaj who sits.
The first power play in practice today featured Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky up front and Kirby Dach and Mike Matheson on the point. The second unit had Joel Armia, Alex Newhook, and Brendan Gallagher, backed by Barre-Boulet and Lane Hutson.
Kapanen led all Montreal skaters with four points in four exhibition games, and the club had a very long look at him on the power play. He averaged close to three minutes per game with the man advantage, and in the exhibition finale, he was the power-play quarterback on the left side and logged 5:19 in ice time. It may have ultimately hurt him as the Canadiens failed to pick up a power-play goal all preseason, and Kapanen finds himself out of the lineup for the season opener if today’s practice lines are what we see on opening night.
Heineman had a goal and an assist, threw nine hits, and was a regular penalty-killer in his four exhibition contests. He finished the preseason +3 and demonstrated to the coaching staff that he can be inserted anywhere on the bottom three lines and not hurt the team.
Barre-Boulet had a solid preseason as well and showed the coaching staff that he has the hockey sense, poise, and skill to create offense at this level. He will be allowed to prove that he can be a full-time NHLer by starting the season in Montreal’s third line and second power-play unit. If he produces, he will stay in the lineup. If he doesn’t – there are two able and willing healthy scratches that can replace him in a jiffy.
Lane Hutson is the lone addition to a blueline that had seen major upheaval during the previous two training camps. Two years ago, the Canadiens started the season with four rookie defencemen on opening night. Hutson will be counted upon to provide offence to a blueline that scored plenty of goals last season but didn’t have a defenceman other than Matheson, who collected 20 assists
It’s been a slow process but the club has finally built a group of players with the pedigree and skill level to compete with anyone.
A decade ago, Montreal’s opening night lineup included two skaters (and Carey Price) who were picked in the top 16. On Wednesday, the Canadiens will open the regular season with all six forwards on the top two lines being former top-16 selections. When Laine returns, there will be eight former top-16 picks in the lineup, and some nights, if Kapanen is still on the roster and Xhekaj a healthy scratch, the club will dress 14 players who were picked in the top two rounds of the NHL draft. That number on opening night a decade ago was seven.
The Canadiens will start the season with 13 skaters selected in the first two rounds of the NHL draft. When Laine returns, there could be nights when the club dresses 14 former top-65 choices. A decade ago, that number was six, with one of them (Alex Galchenyuk) being a top-16 pick.
