Nikita Scherbak is still just 22 years old and certainly has some offensive upside but he’s on the outside looking in at a lineup spot and that doesn’t appear like it’s going to change anytime soon.

With a tough schedule to start the season, not much was expected from the Habs. However, they put forth very strong performances in both games and while they fell just short in their opener, they got a much better result to end their week.

The Habs were looking to start of 2018-19 on a much better note than they finished the previous year. While they put up a very strong effort, they still fell 3-2 to Toronto in overtime on Wednesday night.

Montreal has made another move to shore up their defensive depth, acquiring defenceman Gustav Olofsson from Minnesota in exchange for forward Will Bitten.

There will be growing pains for the Habs in 2018-19 but there is cause for some optimism given some recent additions both on and off the ice.

In the days leading up to the regular season in past years, the Habs have been active making minor moves and this season is no exception. Montreal has acquired defenceman Brett Kulak from Calgary in exchange for blueliners Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina.

The Habs will have a new captain entering the 2018-19 season as the team announced that Shea Weber will replace Max Pacioretty in that capacity.

The Habs made a trio of roster cuts on Sunday as they work their way towards finalizing their season-opening roster. Charlie Lindgren was assigned to Laval while Michael Chaput and Kenny Agostino are on waivers.

Saturday night’s last preseason game was a hard 3-0 loss to the Sens which had to be a reality check for many. After such a strong camp, many players were fighting their jobs on this night but they collectively laid an egg.

Paul Byron’s extension over the weekend caught many by surprise. Instead of being potential trade bait, he’s now a part of Montreal’s long-term core. Our writers weigh in on the four-year, $13.6M contract.