COL at MTL
Colorado Avalanche at Montréal Canadiens. Preview from the model, the licensed feeds and last season's measures. Nothing here is a betting recommendation.
- Model now
- Expected score
- Market
- —
- Venue
- Centre Bell
What the model says now
Lineups not yet published: each club's usual lineup assumed. Starting goalie not confirmed: goaltending held at league average. This estimate moves until the ledger freezes it before puck drop.
Source: CapOrCup game model (derived from club ratings, rest and starters)
What the schedule did to each side
Nights off, back-to-backs, third games in four nights, road-trip position and travel since the last game, from the statistical schedule. Shown as facts; rest is in the price, travel is not.
1 night off · game 3 of a road trip
1 night off
In goal
The league names no starter before puck drop. First on each club's depth chart, from the licensed feed, is the expected starter.
Mackenzie Blackwood
Jacob Fowler
Expected lines
What each club intends per the feed's depth chart, with each forward's shooter rating (Elo, against the goalies faced last season). A listing is the club's statement, not a game sheet.
Colorado Avalanche
L1 Artturi Lehkonen (below the league middle) · Nathan MacKinnon (above the league middle) · Nazem Kadri (bottom tenth of the league)
L2 Gabriel Landeskog (below the league middle) · Brock Nelson (above the league middle) · Martin Necas (top tenth of the league)
L3 Jaden Schwartz (above the league middle) · Fedor Svechkov (below the league middle) · T.J. Hughes
D1 Devon Toews (below the league middle) · Cale Makar (above the league middle)
D2 Brett Kulak (below the league middle) · Noah Juulsen
PP1 T.J. Hughes · Nazem Kadri (bottom tenth of the league) · Nathan MacKinnon (above the league middle) · Martin Necas (top tenth of the league) · Cale Makar (above the league middle)
Montréal Canadiens
L1 Cole Caufield (top tenth of the league) · Nick Suzuki (above the league middle) · Juraj Slafkovský (above the league middle)
L2 Chris Kreider (below the league middle) · Alex Newhook (top tenth of the league) · Josh Anderson (below the league middle)
L3 Zachary Bolduc (below the league middle) · Phillip Danault (bottom tenth of the league) · Alexandre Texier (above the league middle)
D1 Lane Hutson (above the league middle) · Noah Dobson (above the league middle)
D2 Mike Matheson (above the league middle) · Kaiden Guhle (below the league middle)
PP1 Chris Kreider (below the league middle) · Nick Suzuki (above the league middle) · Juraj Slafkovský (above the league middle) · Cole Caufield (top tenth of the league) · Lane Hutson (above the league middle)
Who the clubs list as out
Club-announced listings relayed by the licensed feed. No cause is inferred; Day To Day players are shown but not counted as out.
Colorado Avalanche
Georgii Merkulov (C): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-28
Logan O'Connor (RW): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-25
Nicolas Roy (C): Out (lower body), listed since 2026-10-14, expected back 2026-10-23
Zachary L'Heureux (LW): Out (upper body), listed since 2026-10-13, expected back 2026-10-23
Montréal Canadiens
Mike Matheson (D): Day To Day (lower-body), listed since 2026-10-13, expected back 2026-10-17
Bryce Pickford (D): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-29, expected back 2026-10-31
Florian Xhekaj (LW): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-10-10, expected back 2026-10-31
Ivan Demidov (RW): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-10-03, expected back 2026-10-31
Lucas Condotta (LW): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-30, expected back 2026-10-31
Samuel Montembeault (G): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-10-07, expected back 2026-10-20
Who has the whistle
Named by the league, usually near puck drop. Each referee's record is from last season's play-by-play penalties; ranks are distance from league norms.