The Montreal Canadiens ran new lines at practice on Monday, giving us a few clues as to their opening-night roster intentions.

Given there are still two preseason games left on the docket, there’s still time for head coach Martin St-Louis to make some modifications, connoting that nothing is set in stone.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the new lines.

Montreal Canadiens Potential Lines

Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky

At the very least, St-Louis can count on having one established line in the mix, and to make matters more interesting, the trio clearly has elite potential. It’s also worth pointing out they had fantastic numbers in the preseason, but we won’t delve into the specifics, as preseason stats hold very little predictive value.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens First Line Poised To Be Elite

Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov

I’ll be perfectly honest, this line’s composition is questionable to say the least. Kapanen’s underlying numbers last season in the NHL were awful, and he’s yet to show that he can produce in a situation that does not involve prime minutes, such as the first-line and first powerplay unit usage he received while playing in Sweden.

As for Newhook, his speed is always a plus, but he too struggles to maintain decent underlying stats, especially when it comes to his defensive results. At 24 years old, there’s still some room for improvement, but nothing in the numbers point to a potential resurgence in his defensive prowess.

Demidov, while talented, is not particularly adept at retrieving pucks through board battles or on the forecheck. It’s simply not his modus operandi. That’s not to say he’s awful defensively, but I’m not sure the Habs want their most important rookie to be delving into physical altercations on a regular basis.

I could be wrong, but this is the type of line that raises a lot of red flags on paper.

Patrik Laine – Kirby Dach – Zachary Bolduc

Even though the Canadiens listed the Dach, Laine, and Bolduc combination as their third line, I would not be surprised if they end up earning more ice time than Newhook, Kapanen, and Demidov.

Bolduc will work hard, and push the pace, but at the risk of repeating myself, this is a line that has more answers than questions when evaluated on paper.

Of course, things could change once they hit the ice, but Laine and Dach have failed to show any semblance of chemistry when playing together. While most will point to Laine as the issue on the line, and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest he’s having a hard time at 5v5, I’d like to remind fans that Dach has also struggled to put together reasonable 5v5 numbers in the last two seasons, a situation that will take some time to rectify due to his long list of injuries.

Brendan Gallagher – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson

Cap hits aside, there’s a lot to like about the Gallagher, Evans, and Anderson line. They can offer an honest effort every night, and also have the potential to bring precious tertiary offence to the table. Again, changes are possible, but if the Habs do run this as their fourth line, they will be in good shape.

It’s also a positive to have at least one line brimming with NHL experience. St-Louis has done a reasonably good job offering his young players ice time throughout the rebuild, but there’s a point of diminishing returns when focusing solely on the future while also attempting to qualify for the playoffs, especially down the final stretch of the year.

Florian Xhekaj – Joe Veleno – Owen Beck (extra: Samuel Blais)

Admittedly, I’d have Beck in the lineup well before considering Kapanen, but I get the sense that the Canadiens do not share my opinion.

Either way, Beck’s versatility is not in dispute. He may not have the inside track on earning an NHL job out of camp, but he’s one of the few players in the lineup that could immediately anchor the penalty kill, while also playing on the third or fourth line, as a winger or a centre. He can also help the team deal with the loss of Emil Heineman and Michael Pezzetta, the players who led the Montreal Canadiens in hits per 60 last season.

If he does not make the team, expect Beck, as well as Florian Xhekaj, to play a very important role for the Rocket. Xhekaj must prove that his rookie season was not a fluke, while Beck will be pressed to establish himself as the team’s first call-up option among forwards.