I would personally switch Heinen and Backes but I could see this. Also switch out kevan and mcquaid. Also think Colin Miller has looked solid in training camp and preseason and will get the start next to chara.

I've been impressed with Heinen and Czarnik this preseason and think both will get some solid minutes until Vatrano gets healthy. I'd swap Backes and Pastrnak as that's what Claude's been rolling with and it adds a little more size. Also, need to add one more player to get to 23.

Don't have to get to 23, that's just the max allowed on a roster.

Has anyone ever had fewer than 23?

Usually you keep an extra forward. Usually it's 1 and 1 but the Bruins have been keeping 2D and 1F recently. They'll do the 23 I'm sure.

Wild basically did last year. They had a dead wight 3rd goalie in the pressbox every night until the TDL