Count former Montreal Canadiens teammate Dale Weise among the supporters of P.K. Subban.

Speaking with Amanda Stein of TSN 690, the Philadelphia Flyers forward didn't hold back in his denial that Subban was a distraction for the club.

"I would say no, I might be a bit biased because we are close as friends," Weise explained. "But I never saw (a) problem with it. I think they were looking for an excuse, and I think he was the guy that could be easily targeted as a guy that could be a distraction."

Subban was dealt to the Nashville Predators in a blockbuster trade this offseason that returned blue-liner Shea Weber to the Canadiens.

Related: Subban pumps up crowd at Titans game

"You see his personality, you see who he is," Weise added. "He is who he is all the time. What you see on camera, on the ice, that's PK Subban all the time. He doesn't change. I never saw one guy have a problem with it (in) the locker room.

"I think the team was looking to make an excuse. I think he's an easy scapegoat."

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Defenseman Michal Rozsival will be in the lineup Monday when the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Calgary Flames, the team announced.

Rozsival has been a healthy scratch for all six games this season. The 38-year-old appeared in 51 games with the Blackhawks last year, recording 13 points.

On Saturday, the Blackhawks confirmed that defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk would miss 'about a month' with an upper-body injury.

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The NHL announced its three stars of the week Monday, naming Cam Talbot, Artem Anisimov, and Mike Green as its winners.

Talbot, the starting goalie of the Edmonton Oilers, was named the NHL's first star after winning all three of his starts and posting an outstanding .970 save percentage, allowing just three goals over that stretch. Talbot and the Oilers sit atop the NHL standings, with a 5-1-0 record and 10 points in six games.

Chicago Blackhawks center Anisimov was named the second star following a pair of two-goal performances. Anisimov tallied two goals and two assists against the Philadelphia Flyers, and then scored two more goals versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished the week with seven points in three games.

Green, the Detroit Red Wings blue-liner, was named the NHL's third star after a hat-trick night against the Ottawa Senators, the first by a Detroit defenseman since Nicklas Lidstrom accomplished the same feat in 2010. Green picked up two more points on the week, both assists, finishing with five points in four games.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed veteran winger Milan Michalek on waivers, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Michalek has appeared in all five Leafs games this season, recording a goal and an assist. The 31-year-old carries a $4-million cap hit.

The Maple Leafs also claimed forward Ben Smith on waivers Monday.

Smith has appeared in four games with the Colorado Avalanche this season. He split time last year between the Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

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The Sidney Crosby watch is on, as the Pittsburgh Penguins captain appears to be inching closer to a return to game action.

Crosby participated in full gear Monday, doing away with his no-contact jersey.

Crosby hasn't played this year after suffering a concussion in practice prior to the season. The Penguins have a 3-2-1 record in his absence.

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The Boston Bruins have recalled goalie Malcolm Subban on an emergency basis, the team announced Monday.

Starting goaltender Tuukka Rask did not participate in practice Monday, while backup Anton Khudobin reportedly left practice with an arm injury.

Subban has appeared in four games with the AHL's Providence Bruins this season, posting a 0-3-1 record and .846 save percentage.

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While Calgary Flames goalie Brian Elliott can't buy a win, he hasn't lost the confidence of his former teammates.

Traded to the Flames after spending the past five seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Elliott was on the bench when the Blues rolled into Calgary on Saturday to take on the Flames.

Chad Johnson got the call instead of Elliott, and it's understandable why, as the latter has struggled in the early season, going winless in three starts and owning a dreadful .839 save percentage.

That's a far cry from the league-leading .930 figure he posted last year.

Still, his old Blues teammates have no doubt that their former goalie will bounce back.

"I wouldn't worry one bit. That's just my perspective," Blues goalie Jake Allen told Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald. "He's one of the most competitive people I have ever met, and he will find his game very soon."

Elliott and Allen shared the net in St. Louis for three seasons, with the veteran Elliott often acting as a mentor for 26-year-old Allen.

That timeshare became a little complex, particularly in the playoffs, when Allen often started despite Elliott's strong play.

That finally changed last year, when Elliott got the chance to be the No. 1 netminder after previous years spent backing up Allen and 2014 deadline pickup Ryan Miller. The Blues advanced to the third round thanks in part to Elliott's nine postseason wins and sparkling .921 save percentage.

"You couldn't take him out of the net because he was playing so good," added former teammate Jay Bouwmeester. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that anytime he's dealt with that adversity, he's always been really good. This is no different."

There's certainly pressure on Elliott, who at 31 has an opportunity to be the full-time starter after previous stints with the Blues, Ottawa Senators, and Colorado Avalanche often saw him split duties.

Furthermore, the Flames faithful are hungry for a strong hand in goal after watching the leaky performances of Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo last season.

The Flames and Blues reconnect Tuesday in St. Louis, and while it's not yet known if Elliott will be between the pipes, he would surely enjoy the opportunity to face off against his one-time allies, telling Gilbertson, "You want to play good against your old teams."

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All seven Canadian teams missed the postseason last year - the first such occurrence since 1970 - so it's an odd feeling Monday to see two of Canada's clubs atop the NHL, and three in the top four. While it's better times ahead for many, here are three teams who made noise this week, for better or worse:

Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers sit first overall, and not in the draft lottery standings. Through the team's first six games, they've posted a 5-1-0 record, and had a strong bounce back following that 6-2 stinker to the Buffalo Sabres, going 3-0 since and allowing just three goals.

Has the future finally arrived for the Oilers? After a series of first overall picks that only amounted to more high picks, the Oilers are off to the franchise's best start since 1985-86.

McDavid has tallied nine points along the way, placing him first in the NHL scoring race, tied with Brent Burns and Brad Marchand. The Oilers made a number of roster bolstering moves leading up to the season, particularly the ousting of Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov, and the early returns seem to have paid off.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens started last season 9-0-0, and with Carey Price now back in the lineup, the team hasn't skipped a beat. With nine points in five games, the Atlantic-leading Habs remain undefeated in regulation.

Canadiens fans held their breath as Price was sidelined with the flu for the first three games of the season, but he has responded well since returning, grabbing a pair of wins and posting a .920 save percentage.

Backup Al Montoya was an admirable fill-in in Price's absence, going 2-0-1 with an astounding .962 save percentage.

Calgary Flames

Goaltending dragged down the Calgary Flames last season, and this year has not fared much better, despite the team bringing in two new netminders. The Flames have gotten off to an awful start, with one win in six games.

Calgary has allowed an NHL-worst 27 goals, and this summer's big addition, goaltender Brian Elliott, has struggled to find his way so far. Elliott's .930 save percentage led the NHL last season, but that number has sagged to .839 this year.

Meanwhile, the Flames could have an early goaltending controversy on their hands, as backup Chad Johnson has already seen three games, recording the team's lone win, and a respectable .901 save percentage.

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By this time next year, only two Canadian franchises won't have hosted an outdoor game: the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens.

Both the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs take it outside this year, leaving the Habs and Sens in the cold.

Either would be a good choice to host the next Heritage Classic regardless of the opponent, but a match between the two in Ottawa would be ideal. Here's why:

Location matters

As much as the Canadiens, the NHL's most historic franchise with 24 Stanley Cups, would play an excellent host, that's simply not possible given the logistics.

The fact remains that Montreal doesn't have a suitable, safe, and open-roof facility to host an outdoor game.

The best option, Olympic Stadium, is more than 40 years old, and its lack of a retractable roof makes it a no-go, leaving no other viable venue options.

Which takes us to Ottawa. The easy answer is TD Place Stadium, home of the CFL's Redblacks, which seats 24,000.

But if Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has his way, the game would be played before Canada's national parliament, as a celebration of not only the national pastime, but also the 150th anniversary of Canada.

The matchup

The good news is the Senators need an opponent, and the Canadiens are a terrific option. Since 2013, the Sens and Habs have met twice in the playoffs, and the two have developed a natural, and nasty, rivalry.

That's a ratings seller alone, but the Senators and Canadiens also boast two of the NHL's top players worth showcasing: goaltender Carey Price and defenseman Erik Karlsson, who are arguably the league's best at their respective positions.

A 2017 game would no doubt offer the two sides an opportunity to renew that rivalry, only from an outdoor rink and before a crowd of thousands.

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