Primeau will make his first start of 2024 on Wednesday when the Canadiens visit the Philadelphia Flyers. In his last outing, Primeau allowed four goals on 30 shots (.867 SV%) in a 5-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers have struggled lately, losing five of their last six (1-3-2) and are coming off a one-side 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.

Heineman was reassigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL last week but has been recalled by the Canadiens on an emergency basis. In 10 games with Laval, Heineman has six points (2G / 4A) and a -7 plus/minus rating.

Dvorak will undergo surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle on Friday and will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Before his injury, Dvorak had two points (2G / 0A) in his last 10 games, playing predominantly alongside Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky.

Andersen has been battling an undisclosed injury after playing 15:18 time-on-ice on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars but will not miss any game action as he is expected to play on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Anderson only has six goals through 37 games this season but has six points (5G / 1A) in his last eight.

Montembeault has only started one of the last four games for the Canadiens but will return to the crease for the second consecutive game on Tuesday when they visit the Dallas Stars. Montemneault has unquestionably been the most reliable netminder between the pipes for the Canadiens but has struggled lately, allowing four goals in each of his last two games (0-1-1), posting a subpar .818 SV%. The Canadiens are significant +244 road underdogs against a Stars team that has outscored their opposition 13-5 in their last two games (2-0-0).

Caufield has four points during his current four-game point streak (1G / 3A) and will play on Thursday after not partaking in the morning skate on Thursday. The talented winger has one goal in his last 11 games but still produces a high shot volume, averaging 3.4 shots per game.

Heineman made his NHL debut in two consecutive games before the Christmas break, recording two hits and a +1 plus/minus. However, he will be loaned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL, where he has four points (1G / 3A) in seven games.

Caufield has four points during his current four-game point streak (1G / 3A) and will likely be a game-time decision after not partaking in the morning skate on Thursday. The talented winger has one goal in his last 11 games but still produces a high shot volume, averaging 3.4 shots per game.

Primeau played well in the Canadiens' final game before the Christmas break, saving 19 of 21 shots (.905 SV%) in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, and will play in their first game back from the break on Thursday. Primeau has won three of his last four contests (3-1-0), allowing two goals or fewer in three, posting a .916 SV%, but will be hard-pressed to continue his strong play in an unfavourable matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes played last night, a commanding 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, but are still sizeable -253 home favourites against the Canadiens.

Primeau will start for only the second time this month and the first time since December 9th, a sensational performance where he saved 46 of 48 shots (.958 SV%) in a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Despite seeing very limited action between the pipes, Primeau has played pretty well when called upon, allowing nine goals across his last three starts, boasting a .918 SV%. That said, the Canadiens had to travel last night after a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild and are +104 road underdogs against a Chicago Blackhawks team that surprisingly ended a four-game losing skid with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

Emil Heineman will make his NHL debut on Thursday as Pezzetta will watch from the press box as a healthy scratch. Pezzetta had played four straight games for the Canadiens, recording one point (0G / 1A), three shots, and 15 hits.

Michael Pezzetta will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Heineman to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Heineman was the 43rd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2020 NHL Draft and has four points (1G / 3A) in seven games with the Laval Rocket this season.

Montembeault will start for the third time in the last four games for the Canadiens on Thursday when they face off against the Minnesota Wild. Over his last nine appearances, Montembeault has recorded a save percentage of .900 or better in each contest, posting a combined .921 SV% and 5-2-1 record. The Canadiens, looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season, will be hard-pressed for a victory against a Minnesota team that defeated them 5-2 on October 17th when Montembeault allowed five goals on 35 shots (.857 SV%).

Laine was seemingly turning the corner on what had already been a disappointing season, scoring five points (3G / 2A) in his last six games, but will instead be sidelined for the next several weeks with a clavicle fracture. Laine had already missed 12 games this season due to injuries, which is becoming a regularity for the Finnish forward. He has only played more than 60 games in a season once since the 2019-20 season.