Storylines to watch in Canadiens' first preseason game vs. Flyers

The Montreal Canadiens will play their first preseason game on Monday night with a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers will visit the Bell Centre, but the player many Habs fans are likely hoping to see will not be in attendance. The Flyers released their lineup, which isn't plentiful with NHL veterans but won't feature last season's first-round pick Matvei Michkov. It would have been a media storm if Michkov had appeared in Montreal, so it makes sense for John Tortorella to keep his rookie away from that.

Canadiens fans will get their first look at Patrik Laine and their new-look second line. The second line is exciting for two reasons, as it'll also be the first time we see Kirby Dach in-game action since last season's second game. It's been rough for Dach in the scrimmages, so it'll be intriguing to see if he can stay healthy. The second line has the potential to be a strength for the Canadiens this season, and this will be their first chance to make an impression. It wouldn't be surprising if Laine and Dach feature in more preseason games than usual as they attempt to return to game shape.

Alex Newhook gets the first chance to play left wing on the second line. However, the other candidate won't be far away in this game. Joshua Roy will play on tonight's second line with Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson. Roy, Dvorak, and Anderson could be the third line to start the season, even though Dvorak's name has been going around in trade rumors.

Oliver Kapanen will also try to pad his resume to get a place on the opening night roster. He impressed with his two-goal performance in a recent scrimmage, but this will be his first test in a real game. The lineup has some intriguing battles, as Kapanen is trying to take Dvorak's place, and Roy is trying to take Newhook's. Martin St. Louis may not be afraid to switch things up mid-game to test different looks. If Kapanen ends up in the middle of Roy and Anderson by the end of this game, the hype for the Finnish prospect will be at an all-time high.

It'll also be Logan Mailloux's first chance to go ahead of Justin Barron on the depth chart. I expected to see David Reinbacher in this lineup, which would have made for an exciting battle with him, Mailloux, and Barron going every shift. Florian Xhekaj is also a noticeable absence from the lineup, as it seemed like he would be suiting up with his brother after yesterday's media availability.