Projected Canadiens Lineup Sparks Buzz With Two Unexpected Surprises That Have Fans Excited
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The site Hockey30 has published a projected lineup for the Montreal Canadiens, and I'm certain this will fuel fans' imagination even before the official training camp begins.
This lineup shows a different face of the team, with some intriguing combinations and two major surprises worth highlighting.
In this projection, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Ivan Demidov are grouped together on an electrifying first line. It's no surprise to see these three players together, but it's further down the lineup where the choices get interesting.
Here's the post:
Slafkovsky Elevated and Florian Xhekaj Included in a Canadiens Lineup
The second line features Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, and Juraj Slafkovsky. After an encouraging season, seeing Slafkovsky placed right away on the right wing alongside two offensive veterans clearly shows that they expect significant progress from him.
However, separating the Slaf-Suzuki-Caufield line is still a surprise, but considering who is replacing Slaf on the first line, it's quite understandable!
As one observer summed it up regarding Demidov:
"You can feel that he has gained the organization's trust and that they want to test him quickly in a key role."
Further down, another surprise stands out: Florian Xhekaj. The young forward is projected on the fourth line with Jake Evans and Brendan Gallagher.
For a prospect coming off an excellent rookie camp, this is an encouraging sign.
A fan even noted in the comments:
"Just seeing his name in a projection like this is already an accomplishment for him."
On defense, we see Kaiden Guhle with Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson with Alexandre Carrier, and finally Mike Matheson with Arber Xhekaj. No big surprises there.
In goal, Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes complete the lineup. Again, nothing too wild. Although it's not out of the question that young Fowler could give a good battle for the backup spot.
Obviously, this is a projection and not an official lineup, but I think it really builds excitement!
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 17 | 947 ANSWERS Projected Canadiens Lineup Sparks Buzz With Two Unexpected Surprises That Have Fans Excited In your opinion, who is the biggest surprise in this projected Montreal Canadiens lineup? | ||
| Florian Xhekaj in the lineup | 623 | 65.8 % |
| Demidov on the 1st line | 166 | 17.5 % |
| Slafkovsky on the 2nd line | 100 | 10.6 % |
| Other | 58 | 6.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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