Plekanec was a healthy scratch for Wednesday's season-opener against the Maple Leafs, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

The soon-to-be 36-year-old Plekanec joined a fellow veteran, 30-year-old defenseman Karl Alzner, in the press box on Opening Night. The roster on ice emphasized youth and speed for a team that figures to be in rebuild mode all year. "You feel a little sympathy for the guys but, in the end, we have to do what's best for the team," said head coach Claude Julien. The youthful Habs held their own against the league's iron, losing 3-2 in overtime, but they won just 41 percent of the faceoffs. That could mean we see Plekanec, a career 50-percent winner at the dot, make his debut Saturday in Pittsburgh.