There is certainly a lot of initial trepidation headed into next season, given that three big pieces for the Montreal Canadiens will start the year on the Injured Reserve list. Andrew Shaw, Paul Byron, and Shea Weber are all expected to miss some significant time.
Training camp should be very interesting, as there are now a few positions available for the taking. Some 45 NHL-contracted players will arrive at training camp to challenge for roles, but obviously only 23 can make the squad on opening night.
Right off the bat we can select 16 players to make the team (assuming they're all still here):
That would leave seven open spots on the roster to be won in training camp.