Jonathan Drouin a healthy scratch for Canadiens’ season opener

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The Canadiens’ Jonathan Drouin had one goal going into the new NHL season.

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“Staying healthy and playing as many games as I can,” Drouin said before the Canadiens played a Kraft Hockeyville preseason game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in Bouctouche, N.B. “These past two, three years have been tough for me on that point, where I’ve had good starts to the season and injuries completely ruined my season. So I’m really focused on taking care of my body and making sure I’m healthy for 82 games.”

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Drouin won’t play 82 games this season because he was made a healthy scratch for the season opener Wednesday at the Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Drouin wasn’t made available to the media after the morning skate at the Bell Centre.

The 27-year-old forward is heading into the final season of the six-year, US$33-million contract with a US$5.5 million salary-cap hit that former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin signed Drouin to after acquiring him from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenceman Mikhail Sergachev.

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While Drouin has struggled in Montreal and dealt with numerous injuries, the 24-year-old Sergachev has won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning and was rewarded with an eight-year, US$68-million contract extension that kicks in next year.

At this point, it seems…