{"id":546151,"date":"2026-04-07T20:06:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T20:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/546151\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T20:06:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T20:06:29","slug":"canadiens-preview-returning-injured-players-potential-new-lines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/546151\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadiens Preview: Returning Injured Players, Potential New Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens<\/a> (45-22-10) will face the Florida Panthers (37-37-3) on Tuesday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.<\/p>\n

This will be the third and final time these teams meet this year, with the Canadiens currently holding a 2-0 edge in games won. They beat the Panthers 3-2 in late December, as well as 6-2 in early January, however, it should be noted that veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault started both games.<\/p>\n

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He\u2019s no longer considered a starter in Montreal, having been usurped by the much more encouraging play of rookie netminders Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes.<\/p>\n

Seeing as Fowler started Sunday night\u2019s game versus the New Jersey Devils, we\u2019re expecting to see his counterpart face the Panthers on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

Dobes, 24, is in the midst of a five-game winning streak, with his last loss coming on March 19, versus the Detroit Red Wings. It\u2019s also worth noting he\u2019s stopped 171 of the 179 shots sent his way in the last five games.<\/p>\n

As for the Panthers, they\u2019ll have to do without Matthew Tkachuk<\/a>, who will be with his wife as they await the birth of their child.<\/p>\n

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Lineup Changes<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a chance we\u2019ll see some significant lineup changes for the Canadiens, as both Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier are very close to a return to play. According to Anthony Martineau, they will be in uniform, which would force head coach Martin St-Louis to make a few important roster decisions prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n

Dach had played on the first line for a spell, but it\u2019s unlikely that St-Louis would want to rip apart one of the best trios in the NHL, again. There is a legitimate possibility he will place Dach on the second line, though it remains to be seen whether it would be on the wing or at centre.<\/p>\n

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If St-Louis wants to use Dach as a winger, there\u2019s a chance Alex Newhook could be demoted from the second line, though that would be a difficult decision to accept given that he\u2019s played quite well since recovering from his ankle injury.<\/p>\n

As for Texier, if he plays, he\u2019s likely to slot into a bottom-six role, with Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher serving as the players who would probably make way for his presence.<\/p>\n

Ideally, the Zach Bolduc and Jake Evans duo remains intact, as it\u2019s been one of Montreal\u2019s best combinations<\/a> during their push for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

We will update the projected Canadiens lineup with new information as it becomes available.<\/p>\n

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Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup<\/p>\n

Cole Caufield<\/a> \u2013 Nick Suzuki<\/a> \u2013 Juraj Slafkovsky<\/a><\/p>\n

Alex Newhook* \u2013 Oliver Kapanen \u2013 Ivan Demidov<\/a><\/p>\n

Zach Bolduc \u2013 Jake Evans \u2013 Josh Anderson<\/p>\n

Joe Veleno* \u2013 Phillip Danault \u2013 Brendan Gallagher*<\/p>\n

Mike Matheson \u2013 Noah Dobson<\/p>\n

Jayden Struble- Lane Hutson<\/p>\n

Kaiden Guhle \u2013 Arber Xhekaj<\/p>\n

Jakub Dobes<\/p>\n

Florida Panthers Projected Lineup<\/p>\n

Carter Verhaeghe \u2013 Sam Bennett \u2013 Matthew Tkachuk*<\/p>\n

Mackie Samoskevich \u2013 Eetu Luostarinen \u2013 A.J. Greer<\/p>\n

Noah Gregor \u2013 Tomas Nosek \u2013 Jesper Boqvist<\/p>\n

Cole Reinhardt \u2013 Luke Kunin \u2013 Cole Schwindt<\/p>\n

Gustav Forsling \u2013 Seth Jones<\/p>\n

Donovan Sebrango \u2013 Mike Benning<\/p>\n

Tobias Bjornfot \u2013 Mikulas Hovorka<\/p>\n

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Daniil Tarasov<\/p>\n

How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Panthers<\/p>\n

The Montreal Canadiens versus the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, will be aired<\/a> on TSN2 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut<\/a> as soon as the final whistle blows.<\/p>\n

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