On a Thursday evening in Montreal, two teams still finding their early-season footing met at the Bell Centre — Nashville carrying the uncertainty of injury and tactical reshuffling, Montreal the quiet confidence of a 3-1 start. These opening weeks of an NHL season are less about outcomes than about discovery: coaches learning which combinations hold, which bodies are ready, and which players must wait their turn. The projected lineups for this October contest reveal not just strategy, but the patient, provisional nature of building something that must last through spring.
Predators vs Canadiens: Game Day Lineups
Stamkos and Jost swap spots on the top two lines
Mark
So both teams are making changes to their lineups today—what's the story there?
Mimi
Nashville's moving Stamkos and Jost around on the top two lines, which suggests they're testing different combinations to find chemistry. Montreal's bringing Struble into the lineup for his season debut while keeping Xhekaj out as a healthy scratch for the first time.
Luke
But we don't know why those specific changes are being made, right? The source just says they're happening. Is it injury-driven, performance-driven, or just experimentation?
Mimi
Good point. For Nashville, Hague's upper body injury is forcing their hand—he skated but isn't ready yet. For Montreal, it's less clear. Veleno's been scratched five games in a row, and St. Louis says he'll play soon, but we don't have the reasoning.
Mark
What about the records going in? Does that matter?
Mimi
Nashville's 2-1-1, Montreal's 3-1-0. Montreal's had the better start, so they're not making changes out of desperation.
Luke
And we should note—this is just the projected lineup. Things can change before game time, and we're not getting deep analysis of why these specific players are in or out.
Mark
Fair. So it's really just a roster snapshot for this particular game?
Mimi
Exactly. A moment in time showing how each team is managing its depth and injuries as the season gets rolling.
Luke
Which is useful information, but it's not telling us whether these changes will work or what the coaches are actually thinking.
Mark
Understood. So we're reading the moves, not the reasoning behind them.
Mimi
Right. The moves are the story we have.
O Pulso
- Nashville's blue line is already under pressure — defenseman Nicolas Hague, still recovering from an upper body injury, watched from the sideline as his season debut was pushed further into uncertainty.
- The Predators reshuffled their top two forward lines, sliding Stamkos and Jost into swapped roles — a small but telling sign that the coaching staff is still searching for the right chemistry.
- In Montreal, Arber Xhekaj found himself a healthy scratch for the first time this season, while Joe Veleno sat out a fifth straight game despite his coach's assurances that a debut was coming soon.
- Jayden Struble stepped into his season debut on Montreal's third defensive pairing, one of several roster moves signaling the Canadiens are actively reshaping their depth as the schedule deepens.
- Both teams entered the Bell Centre managing more than just a single game — each lineup decision a negotiation between present results and the longer arc of an 82-game season.
On a Thursday evening in Montreal, two teams still finding their early-season footing met at the Bell Centre — Nashville carrying the uncertainty of injury and tactical reshuffling, Montreal the quiet confidence of a 3-1 start. These opening weeks of an NHL season are less about outcomes than about discovery: coaches learning which combinations hold, which bodies are ready, and which players must wait their turn. The projected lineups for this October contest reveal not just strategy, but the patient, provisional nature of building something that must last through spring.
The Nashville Predators arrived at the Bell Centre on Thursday evening with a 2-1-1 record, facing a Montreal side that had won three of its first four games. The 7 p.m. ET puck drop, broadcast on RDS, TSN2, and FDSNSO, carried the low hum of early-season adjustment for both clubs.
Nashville's forward lines showed deliberate reshuffling, with Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly, and Steven Stamkos forming the top unit after Stamkos and Tyson Jost exchanged roles from the previous game. Jost moved to center the second line alongside Fedor Svechkov and Luke Evangelista, while Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, and Jonathan Marchessault handled the third. On defense, Roman Josi anchored the top pairing with Adam Wilsby, and Juuse Saros was set to start in goal. Defenseman Nicolas Hague, nursing an upper body injury, skated in the morning session but remained unavailable — his season debut still on hold.
Montreal's lineup carried its own quiet drama. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky led the attack, while Jayden Struble made his season debut on the third defensive pairing. Arber Xhekaj, a regular presence earlier in the season, sat as a healthy scratch for the first time. Joe Veleno was benched for a fifth consecutive game, though coach Martin St. Louis signaled his return was imminent. Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault shared goaltending responsibilities as the Canadiens held an optional morning skate — a small gesture of confidence heading into the night.
Both rosters reflected the careful arithmetic of October hockey: managing injuries, integrating new faces, and holding others in reserve while the season's true shape slowly comes into focus.
The Nashville Predators arrived in Montreal on Thursday evening carrying a 2-1-1 record into their matchup against the Canadiens, who had won three of their first four games. The Bell Centre would host the contest at 7 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast on RDS, TSN2, and FDSNSO.
Nashville's lineup reflected some tactical shuffling in the days leading up to puck drop. Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly, and Steven Stamkos formed the top line, with Stamkos and Tyson Jost swapping positions from their previous arrangement on the team's top two forward units. The second line would feature Jost centering Fedor Svechkov and Luke Evangelista. Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, and Jonathan Marchessault rounded out the third line, while Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, and Ozzy Wiesblatt made up the fourth. On the blue line, Adam Wilsby and Roman Josi anchored the top pairing, with Brady Skjei and Nick Perbix forming the second pair and Spencer Stastney and Justin Barron completing the defensive rotation. Juuse Saros was slated to start in goal, with Justus Annunen backing him up. The Predators scratched Joakim Kemell, Nick Blankenburg, and Brady Martin. Defenseman Nicolas Hague, dealing with an upper body injury, participated in the morning skate but remained unavailable for his season debut.
Montreal's roster showed signs of transition as the team managed its depth chart and injury recovery. Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky led the offensive charge on the top line. Zach Bolduc centered Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher on the second line, while Patrik Laine, Jake Evans, and Josh Anderson formed the third. Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook, and Ivan Demidov completed the forward group. The Canadiens' defense featured Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson as the top pair, with Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson on the second pairing. Jayden Struble, making his season debut, would play alongside Alexandre Carrier on the third line. Jakub Dobes and Sam Montembeault shared goaltending duties. The team scratched Joe Veleno and Arber Xhekaj, with Xhekaj sitting as a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Veleno, meanwhile, remained benched for a fifth consecutive game, though coach Martin St. Louis indicated the forward would return to action soon to make his Montreal debut.
The Canadiens held an optional morning skate, a sign of their comfort heading into the contest. Both teams appeared to be managing their rosters carefully as October progressed, with Nashville working Hague back from injury and Montreal integrating new players into the lineup while keeping others in reserve for the season ahead.
Citações Notáveis
Veleno will be a healthy scratch for a fifth straight game; Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said he expects to get the forward into the lineup soon to make his Montreal debut.— Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens coach
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