Canadiens: Three Training Camp Battles To Watch

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The Montreal Canadiens will take to the ice for the first time in the 2023-24 season today.

Training camp officially opened yesterday with 72 players reporting to Montreal. The players just met with the media and did some off ice testing, medicals and physical tests. They did not hit the ice, but that will change today as we will finally get to see the Canadiens skate for the first time this season.

Training camp always brings high hopes as we focus on the best case scenarios and hope to see plenty of development and growth from the team’s younger players. That could be the case in Montreal, but most pundits are still predicting them to finish low in the Atlantic Division standings, possibly in the basement of the division for the third consecutive season.

Yet, there are some reasons for optimism as we approach a new season. Those young players could take a leap forward, Sam Montembeault could become a true number one goalie or maybe they can just stay healthy long enough to show what they can do as currently constructed.

Speaking of health, there is only one injury on the roster at the moment. Christian Dvorak is out of the lineup until November, but he is the only player on the injured list with Carey Price who is pretty much considered retired at this point.

With a mostly healthy roster, there is going to be some competition in camp for roster spots. No matter the expectations of an NHL team, there are players battling for spots when training camp opens each year.

Some spots, like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield playing on the top line, are a given. But these three battles will be worth keeping an eye on as the players finally hit the ice for the first time in training camp today.

Apr 13, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Montreal Canadiens Joel Armia. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports /

Which Winger Gets Scratched?

The Canadiens cleared up some roster space when they dealt Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick earlier this summer. They also allowed Jonathan Drouin and Denis Gurianov to leave as free agents which meant four regular NHL wingers were leaving town.

They did trade for Alex Newhook who will probably play the wing and just acquired Tanner Pearson as part of the Casey DeSmith trade earlier this week. So, where does that leave them?

Let’s assume Cole Caufield, Newhook, Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher are guaranteed a spot in the opening night lineup. That leaves just three more spots for Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Jesse Ylonen, Pearson, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta.

It would not make sense to have young wingers like RHP and Ylonen sitting on the bench. RHP could be sent to the Laval Rocket without needing waivers, but he scored 14 goals in 34 games with the Canadiens last season so he deserves a spot in the lineup, though he may have to earn it in camp.

Ylonen would need waivers to be sent down and he would likely be claimed by a team like the Arizona Coyotes or San Jose Sharks. It would be foolish to lose him for nothing.

Including those two youngsters in the lineup leaves one spot for Armia, Pearson and Pezzetta. Armia and Pearson are high prices veterans, but they are going to have to show something in training camp to earn a spot in the opening night roster.

Pezzetta, a hardworking and loveable teammate appears to be the clear 14th forward and is in tough to earn an every day roster spot. It will be interesting to see which of these wingers earns an opening night lineup spot and who will be the odd men out.

Apr 8, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

Right Defense Pecking Order

The Canadiens have some lineup spots that are pretty much sewn up before we even start training camp. We can pretty much guarantee Suzuki, Dach, Monahan and Evans start the season as their centers. We know Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen are the team’s goaltenders.

One position that is nearly impossible to pin down at all is right defense. There is going to be incredible competition for the three spots, but even more of a battle for the pecking order of those top three spots.

We know that David Savard is going to play opening night, but what is his role? Is he on the top pairing? He probably is the team’s most reliable right defenseman, but if he is on the top pairing he likely plays with Mike Matheson. Will they be separated to put veterans on each of the top two pairs?

That is likely, but it is something that needs to be sorted out at training camp.

Who else makes the team on right defense? Justin Barron played 39 games with the Canadiens last season and played well. He is a smooth skater who can bring the puck up ice and find a teammate with a quick pass. He scored 15 points last season, but the 21 year old is by no means a lock to start the season with the Canadiens.

Johnathan Kovacevic is another right defender that will be looking for an increased role next season. He also had 15 points last season, in 77 games, but plays a tidy defensive role and uses his 6’4″ frame to shut things down and clear the front of his net while winning battles for pucks in the corner.

Those three probably have the inside track right now, but can Kovacevic show he should be the top pairing guy with Matheson, leaving Savard to play on the second pair? Can Barron also prove to be better than Savard and earn a top four role, pushing Savard all the way down to the third pair?

Will Jordan Harris or Arber Xhekaj move to the right side to ensure they play every day? And what about Chris Wideman, the veteran defender who played 46 games last season and is a popular teammate? Is he going to crack the roster for opening night?

We haven’t even mentioned newcomer Gustav Lindstrom who played 38 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season and was a second round pick in 2017. Can he jump in and usurp a few of the Canadiens holdovers from last season?

There is a lot, (everything) to be determined on the right side of the defense. A good guess today would have Savard, Barron and Kovacevic in the lineup, but training camp is going to tell that story.

Oct 12, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

First Line Winger

The biggest and most prominent position up for grabs right now is on the team’s top line. We can pencil in Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield right now, but who plays with them?

Suzuki and Caufield have proven to be a dynamic duo with the Canadiens over the past three seasons, but they are yet to find a longtime running mate. We have seen a few different players get auditions, and most of them were rather successful, but who is the perfect candidate?

Dach looked great when he played on the top line, but he had to move to the wing to do so. He was moved back to center later in the season and appears to have a long term home as a center on this team.

Josh Anderson played there and played well, but he may not have the playmaking instincts to be on a line with a sniper like Caufield. Anderson is big, fast, has a good shot and is a great forechecker, but Caufield needs someone who can get him the puck on a tee.

Sean Monahan played a little there last season and may have been a good fit as a showcase to pump up his value ahead of the trade deadline. However, with Dvorak injured, Monahan will surely play center to begin the season.

Could Slafkovsky get the role? He only had ten points in 39 games last season but was the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Could it be Harvey-Pinard after his impressive scoring tear last season? Maybe Newhook gets the prime time role after the team traded two high picks for him at last year’s NHL Draft.

If I had to guess today it would be Newhook’s role to take, but he will need to prove he earns it at training camp. If not Slafkovsky or RHP could definitely steal the job from him, or we could see Anderson return there as well.

It is a prominent role on the team, but there are a lot of questions about who will fill it. Training camp will answer that question.

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