Well, well, well. Here we go again. Let's have some fun!
Another season. Higher expectations. Battles at every position. A new coach in Lalonde, here to shore up Montreal's defensive game and penalty kill, and to help Marty St. Louis' own development, I would assume.
The biggest story coming into this season is the expectations that fans, media and the players themselves probably have. I know I have expectations. We're talking about a team that made it to the third round of the playoffs only a few years into its rebuild.
There are predictions out there that have Montreal winning the Stanley Cup this season. It's bonkers. I don't remember there being this much faith in the team beyond the confines of Habs Nation.
The core roster is back, signed long-term and barely inching into its prime. Everyone is a year older, which is important for a young team: they're stronger, more mature, and have experienced the full rigours of a long season and a deep playoff run.
So expectations aside, the next big story is the roster changes Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes have orchestrated over the summer.
Supervillain Chris Kreider has donned the bleu-blanc-rouge in an astonishing turn of events that has Habs fans contorting their BOOs into WOOs. What next, Mark Scheifele to the Habs? Would Zdeno Chara consider coming out of retirement?
And beyond Kreider, it's a story of consistency, and of new blood to replace the old guard (thank you, Brendan Gallagher, for your years of service).
Florian Xhekaj cracks the opening-night roster, presumably as the 13th forward with Oliver Kapanen sidelined by a lower-body injury. Florian has a few options to crack the lineup, with Dach, Texier and potentially even Bolduc getting scratched by St. Louis throughout the season.
Injuries will happen, too. And if you ask me, I'd rather the guys rest and take the time to recover when they need to because, for one, it's a long season, and for two, there are enough guys to chip in and fill holes in the bottom six throughout the year.
But with Florian's brother Arber Xhekaj set to open the year on the bottom pairing with Jayden Struble, matchups against the Tkachuk brothers could be explosive. Must-see TV. And not just them.
It's going to be a dogfight to kick off the season, especially in the Canadiens' Atlantic Division. Everyone is going to be clamouring to get an early leg up in the standings. You never know when you'll need a cushion to get you through a cold streak. The Habs are going to need the guys who can throw their weight around during the early phase of the season, and then again, certainly, in the early rounds of the playoffs.
And alas, I've buried the lead (and no, I'm not talking about Reinbacher).
Samuel Montembeault is BACK! He was all but written off. We caught glimpses of him in the background during the Habs' playoff drive last year, but otherwise it's been quiet on the Monty front. And then he broke the silence with strong play in the preseason to earn himself a chair alongside Jakub Dobes, who backstopped Montreal through the playoffs.
Jacob Fowler finds himself back in Laval, where he'll get to play big minutes as the number one goaltender on what should be another strong Rocket squad. Never a bad thing for development.
And why not root for Monty? We're talking about a goalie who was one of Team Canada's three goaltenders at the 4 Nations Face-Off a couple of years ago. If he continues to deliver steady performances, the Canadiens' crease may be the strongest it's been since Carey Price's best seasons, when he carried the load.
Montreal's three-headed monster of Dobes, Montembeault and Fowler could be the envy of the league. But it can't last beyond this season, so eventually decisions will need to be made.
But until then, let's enjoy the show and root for the good guys! #GoHabsGo