Byron: Hard work pays off

BROSSARD - After undergoing shoulder surgery in mid-April, Paul Byron was expected to be sidelined for six months.

That meant that the 29-year-old left-winger was slated to miss the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
On Friday, however, Byron hit the ice at the Bell Sports Complex for the first training camp practice session as a member of Team B, skating alongside Nick Suzuki and Nikita Scherbak.

He later indicated that he expects to be good to go come the season-opener on October 3rd in Toronto, meaning that he would be returning to active duty ahead of schedule.
"It's been a long summer skating by yourself and getting ready for camp. I just got cleared last week to skate with the guys. It's exciting. It's fun. I'm happy I'm not missing a day of camp. It always sucks when you miss time and you're behind the eight ball," mentioned Byron, who is coming off his second straight 20-goal year. "I'm back out there with everybody and I get to battle with the guys and get ready to be at my best for game one of the season."
Byron's shoulder troubles spanned two years, but the father of two managed to play through the pain and continue to be a difference-maker for the Canadiens up front.
That being said, he couldn't be more pleased to put the injury behind him and be completely healthy again.
"My shoulder feels incredible," shared Byron, who is set to begin his fourth full season with the Habs. "It's probably the best its felt in a few years."

Head coach Claude Julien isn't at all surprised to see Byron defy the medical odds in terms of his recovery time.
"Knowing Paul, he worked hard this summer, he was always around. He did a good job and he recovered. We're happy he's here at the start, and it'll give him a better chance of getting ready for the regular season," said Julien. "He's in here the first day of training camp full-tilt, no restrictions. He should be good to go."
Scherbak hoping to impress
Like Byron, Scherbak was chomping at the bit for training camp to get going for real after an extended offseason.
The 22-year-old right-winger is eager to make the most of his fourth season in the pros.
His goal is to earn a roster spot with the big club from the start and stick around for the long haul.
"My goal is to stay with the team. Right away, I want to make an impact and make it to the top nine or the top six and bring some offense," said Scherbak, who registered four goals and six points in 26 games with Julien's contingent last season when he wasn't in uniform for the AHL's Laval Rocket. "I want to get as many opportunities for myself and my linemates and just score as many goals as possible."

In order to light the lamp more often, the Russian sniper is well-aware that he'll have to challenge opposing goaltenders on a more regular basis.
"I have to have more of a shooting mentality when I go in the dangerous areas and use my shot," affirmed Scherbak. "Sometimes, I pass on it and try to make a backdoor pass instead of a simple shot to the net that's going to create an opportunity."
On a personal note, the Canadiens' first-round selection - 26th overall - in 2014, recently got engaged, proposing to his girlfriend, Laurie Legault.
In short, Scherbak admits to being in an excellent frame of mind right now.
"I got engaged a couple of days ago. There have been a lot of emotions. Things in my personal life are good," said the Moscow native. "Hockey is back, so you can't be more excited. That's for sure."
Domi up the middle
Julien featured newcomer Max Domi at center on Friday in between Jonathan Drouin and fellow newcomer Joel Armia.
During his post-practice press conference, the veteran bench boss explained his rationale for the move.
"We know that Jonathan Drouin can play center. I don't need to see him as much as I need to see the new guys. Max is one of those guys we may need there, or maybe he'll play on the wing. That's the thing. I don't think there are any decisions made on that," explained Julien. "We have a lot of centermen at this camp right now. That's the reasoning behind putting guys like Jonathan on the wing. I want to see what Max can do up the middle. You might see it in preseason games or I might reverse it. There are a lot of things we need to discover here, quickly. That's what I'm trying to do."

The latest on Shaw
Andrew Shaw was not on the ice on Friday with the rest of group as he continues to recover from left knee surgery and a concussion.
According to Julien, Shaw is still awaiting the green light from team doctors on both fronts.
"Right now, he hasn't been cleared for both things. He's skating, he's on the ice every day. It's going in the right direction," said Julien. "Also, with the concussion he had at the end of last year, he has no more symptoms. Everything is good there, but he still hasn't been cleared for that as well."