Alzner will skate on the second defensive pairing alongside Jeff Petry when he makes his debut for Montreal on Thursday against Buffalo, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alzner's received very little attention during training camp, as most of the ink and bytes have focused on 19-year-old defenseman Victor Mete, the Canadiens' habitual lack of goal-scoring, and the loss of significant pieces from last season's squad. Two of those gone from the team are defensemen Andrei Markov (21:50 ATOI) and Alexei Emelin (21:19). Alzner, a nine-year veteran who posted 3-10-13 totals and was plus-23 with the Capitals last season, plays a simple, but effective game on the blue line. He won't replace Markov's offense, but should quietly improve the defense in front of Carey Price.