Canadiens vs. Kraken: Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch

Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Kraken

How to watch

Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet East/Pacific (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the U.S.: NHL Network
In the Kraken region: ROOT Northwest
Streaming: ESPN+, NHL Live, Sportsnet Now

More than eight months since Joel Edmundson shook hands with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, the defenceman is set to play his first game of the 2021-22 season. The Canadiens have sorely missed one of their steadiest blue-liners from the playoff run, and the club should look significantly different in the final 25 games with him than the first 57 without.

The question is how long it will take him to get into game shape, but the fact that the Habs are playing one of the weakest teams in the NHL tonight (and another one tomorrow) will help him ramp up his play.

The transition will be further eased by playing third-line minutes, as Edmundson is drawing into the spot Kale Clague had been occupying next to Chris Wideman. Edmundson will be dropped right back into his previous role, playing alongside Jeff Petry on the pairing that was together for much of the 2020-21 season. The other change to the lineup is Laurent Dauphin making way for Michael Pezzetta. The Habs have won the last six games Pezzetta has dressed for, and Martin St. Louis hopes that trend can continue in front of a full Bell Centre crowd.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Seattle Kraken projected lineup