Overview
- year-old Matt Poitras has been promoted to centering the second line between Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie.
- Former second-line center Charlie Coyle has moved back to centering the third line.
- Jake DeBrusk replaces James van Riemsdyk on the first line next to Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak.
- The fourth line of Milan Lucic, Johnny Beecher, and Jakub Lauko remains unchanged.
- Coach Jim Montgomery made the changes to find more offensive chemistry, feeling Poitras' playmaking could better complement Marchand.