Montreal Canadiens: Three Veterans Who Need A Strong Preseason

The Montreal Canadiens are set to begin their preseason tonight. The long offseason is finally over and we get to watch some Habs hockey in a few hours.

Of course, with eight preseason games, it won’t be long before we start wondering if this exhibition schedule is ever going to end. But the first game of the preseason is always the most exciting. Well, with this many contests, the end of the last game might be just as exciting, but Habs hockey is back, so we are all excited.

Of course, part of that excitement is getting to watch some young talent in action. Juraj Slafkovsky, Filip Mesar and Owen Beck are just three of the players taken in the most recent NHL Draft and all of them looked great in training camp so far. But how will they fare in actual game action?

We will soon get to see, at least in preseason action. Players will be battling for lineup spots and the intensity will be there, at least among players that need to prove themselves.

Of course, that is usually younger players that are battling for a spot in the opening night lineup. There isn’t as much intensity from a player who is 28 years old and signed to a long term contract and guaranteed a spot in the top six forward group or among the top four defenders.

Although, there are a few veterans in Canadiens camp who are going to need to show something in the preseason. Not all of them are guaranteed a spot in the opening night lineup, so they are going to have to earn it.

Which players with NHL experience aren’t guaranteed anything and need to prove themselves with a strong training camp? Let’s take a look at three of them who risk being scratched on opening night if they don’t step up in the next few weeks.