Martin St-Louis spoke to the media on day 1 of training camp in Brossard on Wednesday and he did have some interesting things to say: The Montreal Canadiens' training camp opened on Wednesday, but there were no on-ice sessions scheduled, unlike past years, and thanks to the new CBA players didn't have to go through tough physical tests. All they had to do on Wednesday was undergo medical tests. While doing that, head coach Martin St-Louis was back in the conference room answering questions from the media. 

The bench boss made it clear he's glad the camp is shorter and won't last as long as it did prior; St-Louis wants to get things underway. 

We will see from the get-go, the 57 players invited to camp will be divided into three teams: A, B, and C. On Thursday, Team A will take to the ice first at 10:30 a.m. and will feature the players who will face the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Team B, who'll skate at 11:50 a.m. will be comprised of the players who will face the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday evening. As for Team C, it will take to the ice at 1 p.m. 

So where will everyone put their focus?

While the coach was very candid last season in explaining to the media that Kirby Dach would be starting camp as the second-line centre, he made no such proclamation this time around. St-Louis played it safe, saying his team has some good depth and some options. He didn't go as far as naming those options, but we can only imagine Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook are likely part of the bunch. 

Despite how last season's playoffs came to an end, it would be surprising if they considered Jake Evans. 

What is the pilot looking for in a second-line centre?

That he was willing to share: You have to be pretty good on draws. 

Guys who play centre usually need a good computer and to complement other players; there's not just one thing. 

Suzuki is our first centre; there's no debate on that, but looking at the other spots in the lineup, I don't see it as: this is the first line, this is the second line, this is the third line. I don't see it that way. I think we have a lot of depth, and of course some lines have more opportunities to provide offence, while others are relied on more to contribute defensively, but that doesn't mean they don't play offensively and our top guys don't play defensively. So, you ask me what I want from a centre who perhaps plays with more offensive players: I want him to have a balanced game, to be able to do pretty much everything on the ice. 

Given how short the camp is, the first player that the Habs try in that position may very well be the one St-Louis sees as the frontrunner right now. 

We'll see when the three groups hit the ice on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, St-Louis was also asked about the possibility of playing Arber Xhekaj as a forward, and you could tell that's not his first choice. He said he wouldn't be afraid to do it, especially if Xhekaj wasn't going to play as a defenseman on a given night and the Habs had injuries up front, but he added that he's first and foremost a defenseman and could still improve in that role. 

As things stand, the Habs are set to practice at the CN Sports complex in Brossard on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Monday, Team A will be practising in Trois-Rivires, while Teams B and C will be in Brossard. The players will have a day off on Tuesday, then return to practice in Brossard on Wednesday the 23rd, Thursday the 24th, Friday the 25th, and Saturday the 26th.

Written by

Lakshya