The man who benefited most when the Montreal Canadiens made the surprising off-season trade of popular goaltender Jaroslav Halak will suit up for the team's season-opening contest Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Numbers Montreal 2009-10 record: 39-33-10, 88 points

Power play: 21.8 % (2nd)

Goals: 210 (25th) Toronto 2009-10 record: 30-38-14, 74 points

Penalty kill: 74.7 % (30th)

Goals: 210 (25th) 2009-10 head-to-head: Montreal — 3-2-1 Venue: Air Canada Centre, Toronto Time: 7 p.m. ET (CBC, CBCSports.ca)

Carey Price, already burdened with playing the most scrutinized position in the province of Quebec, had been battling the flu but pronounced himself fit to play at Thursday's morning skate. Alex Auld will back up Price.

Price, 23, has the added pressure of following in the large shadow of Halak, whose post-season heroics led Montreal all the way to the Eastern Conference final last season.

But general manager Pierre Gauthier made the stunning move of trading Halak to St. Louis and handing Price the No. 1 job. This angered many Montreal fans, who have jeered Price on more than one occasion.

Price was inconsistent last season and already heard boos during his first pre-season game last week. He added fuel to the fire shortly after his 4-2 loss to Boston when he told fans to "relax [and] chill out."

The Leafs have their own problems.

Prior to last season, general manager Brian Burke made the risky decision of acquiring talented scorer Phil Kessel from the Bruins in exchange for a first- and second-round pick in 2010, along with a first-round selection in 2011. Burke quickly signed Kessel to a five-year, $27-million US deal. After missing the first month because of shoulder surgery, Kessel went on to lead the team with 30 goals.

Unfortunately, the offensively challenged Leafs finished with the second-worst record in the NHL, allowing Boston to snap up talented centre Tyler Seguin of the OHL's Plymouth Whalers. Several scouts tabbed Seguin as the draft's best prospect. With the franchise still lacking in quality front-line players, another bad Leafs season will no doubt land a second top prospect to the Bruins, a scenario Toronto fans would like to avoid.

Players to watch

Brian Gionta — The newly named captain becomes only the second American in franchise history to wear the "C" on his sweater. On the ice, Gionta led the Canadiens with 28 goals last season.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere — If Toronto is to escape another embarrassing season, Giguere will need to step up. After beginning his Leaf tenure last year with back-to-back shutouts, the veteran netminder managed only four wins in his final 13 starts.

Injury update

Montreal — D Andrei Markov (knee) is out; C Mike Cammalleri suspended one game.

Toronto — D Brett Lebda (shoulder) is doubtful.

What they said

"It's obviously quite an honour. I'm real excited about it.… I don't think things will change too much. You guys saw what it was all about last year. I'm more a leader by example." — Brian Gionta on being named Montreal's newest captain

"To me it's irrelevant who plays goal for the other team. Any time you [say] 'Oh boy, we're lucky they're missing Cammalleri, possibly Price or any of these guys,' you set yourself up for failure." — Leafs coach Ron Wilson