Canadiens Training Camp: Intense Competition, Decisions Ahead

Over three weeks, and six preseason games, the Montreal Canadiens' managers and coaches will make some crucial roster decisions, and the players won't make it easy.

The Montreal Canadiens opened training camp on Wednesday morning with media availabilities by general manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis. Breaking news was discussed, such as Tuesday's trade to acquire forward Tanner Pearson, and the revelation that Christian Dvorak will likely not be healthy enough to play until at least November.

Thursday, players took to the ice for the first time, in a pair of scrimmages, as the full force of training camp officially got underway. With it came the news that Chris Wideman will be out indefinitely with a back injury.

With 72 players invited to camp, this year's preseason promises to bring intense competition with no time to take even a single shift off for any player looking to earn a roster spot. There's a lot to focus on, even for the most die-hard fans!

So this week, I've selected six key topics which I believe are some of the most important areas to follow during this preseason. Want to hear my full analysis...including my thoughts on the Pearson trade? Just click the following link to watch this week's episode of Habs Hockey Report on YouTube: Six KEY Things To Watch at Habs Training Camp