After a few days of practice, the Montreal Canadiens are set to kick off the preseason schedule on Saturday. It will be split squad games against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Group A playing in Montreal against the Maple Leafs while Group B will travel to Toronto, according to Marco D'Amico.
With a longer regular season by two games, teams are dealing with a shortened training camp as well as fewer preseason games. Players will be able to play at most three games if they have under 100 NHL games, but for veterans, they are only able to play two.
There are several players within both groups who have something to prove, as they might be fighting for a spot in the lineup or even just a spot on the Canadiens' Opening Night roster. With that in mind, these are five players in the two games that fans should watch closely on Saturday night.
Group A
Chris Kreider
Even though fans have had some time to prepare, it is still going to be a little surprising to see Chris Kreider suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens. The former New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks forward signed with Montreal this past weekend and already has been moved into a prominent spot on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
For a veteran like Kreider, it really is going to be how comfortable this line looks together. It is still early in the process with only a few practices but would be a great sign if they are able to make an impact.
Oliver Kapanen
One of the biggest question marks entering the season is the center on the second line. Martin St. Louis has given Oliver Kapanen the first chance to secure that position and really has put him in a great spot to succeed by having Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov on either side of him.
These three played a good portion of last season together as the Kid Line, but after a full season for Demidov and Kapanen and two full seasons for Slafkovsky, they may not be able to retain that nickname. A good performance from Kapanen won't guarantee him the spot to begin the season, but it will certainly move him along in the competition.
Group B
Samuel Montembeault
There are plenty of rumors swirling around Samuel Montembeault, and it feels like it is only a matter of time before he is traded. The Canadiens don't plan to carry three goalies and probably want to get Jacob Fowler to the NHL as soon as possible.
Montembeault is the player standing in the way, and Kent Hughes is likely hoping the goalie can boost his trade value with an improved start to the season. He can make that happen almost immediately in this first preseason game.
Brett Berard
One of the surprises so far in camp has been Brett Berard, not Zachary Bolduc, on a line with Alex Newhook and Jake Evans. As for Bolduc, he will be on the roster but might be on the fourth line instead of the expected third line.
As for Berard, the Canadiens traded with the New York Rangers for him this offseason. While Berard has had some time in the NHL, with 48 games over the past two seasons, he has primarily been an AHL player, with 145 games as a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Canadiens obviously saw something this summer to decide to trade for him, and he might have a bigger role than some might have expected.
David Reinbacher
The battle on the Canadiens' blueline is very intriguing, especially with Kaiden Guhle expected to miss the beginning of the regular season. A few weeks ago, it was expected to be a battle for the seventh defenseman, but now players like Arber Xhekaj, Adam Engstrom, and David Reinbacher are fighting for a spot on the ice.
In practice, Reinbacher and Engstrom have been working as a pair, and they probably will in this game. However, it feels like of the three players mentioned, Reinbacher probably has the most pressure being a Top 5 pick who has yet to establish himself in the NHL.
Unlike some of the other players, Reinbacher should play in all three preseason games and be able to help his case. However, he probably has to pass Xhekaj while trying to stay ahead of Engstrom for a spot in the lineup on Opening Night.
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