Canadiens Preview: More New Lines And Pairings Versus Senators

The Montreal Canadiens are set to face the Ottawa Senators in Quebec City, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.

Unlike their matchup in the same arena last preseason, the Quebec government did not pay either team to attend this particular game.

There are still some decisions left to be made, but Montreal’s roster is relatively close to what we’re expecting once the regular-season opens on October 8.

The top line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky will not make the trip, which leaves Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and veteran Brendan Gallagher as the top trio. Alex Newhook will take over Oliver Kapanen’s centre duties, with Ivan Demidov serving as the third member of the line. Jake Evans is set to play with Florian Xhekaj and Josh Anderson on the third line, while Owen Beck will anchor the fourth line between Joe Veleno and Patrik Laine.

Interestingly, Arber Xhekaj is set to play alongside Lane Hutson, a little insurance in case the match-up turns ugly, which is almost always the case when these two rivals meet.

Jakub Dobes will serve as Montreal’s starter, and he’s expected to play the entire game unless things go terribly wrong.

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As for the Senators, they’re sending a lineup that lacks high-end talent, especially among the forwards. It’s worth noting the teams will also face each other in the final preseason game, set for Saturday, October 4.

Of course, the discrepancy in lineup talent does not guarantee a win, evidenced by the recent home-and-away games versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs blew the Habs out of the water with their C team on Thursday, while the Canadiens’ rookies stole the show on Saturday versus a strong Toronto lineup.

Such is life in preseason hockey.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

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Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup

Perron – Cozens – Zetterlund

Cousins – Pinto – Amadio

Lycksell – Halliday – Kaliyev

MacEwen – Jenik – Hodgson

Sanderson – Zub

Chabot – Yakemchuk

Kleven – Jensen

Merilainen

How to Watch The Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators, Tuesday, September 30, 2025

The Canadiens’ preseason game versus the Senators will be aired on TSN2, TSN5, and RDS.

Once the game is over, an instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Montreal Hockey Now.

By Marc Dumont

Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont