Training Camp Notebook - Sept. 30

MONTREAL -- The Canadiens were back at work at the Bell Sports Complex on Friday.

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Here are a few key storylines from training camp:
Suzuki rejoins his teammates
Captain Nick Suzuki returned to practice after recovering from a lower-body injury sustained just prior to the start of camp.
The 23-year-old London, ON native was sporting a no-contact jersey during the on-ice session, but it appears that things are definitely trending in the right direction in his case.

"The trainers have been happy with my progression, and I think I'm a little bit ahead of schedule, so it's always nice to hear," said Suzuki, who was skating in between Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson.
The three-year NHL veteran eventually detailed how the injury occurred.
"It was just a Monday practice, a couple of days before camp, just doing like a regular game that we always do, and me and Eddy [Joel Edmundson] got tangled up and he just came down on me," described Suzuki. "It was just a fluke accident, and hopefully both of us can start the season pretty good."

Watching from the sidelines has given the former OHL standout a chance to observe some of the club's prospects at work, and several caught his eye.
Some of the names Suzuki mentioned shouldn't come as a surprise.
"Filip Mesar has been really impressive to me. He definitely plays a good pro game. He's had a lot of flashes," praised Suzuki. "Owen Beck has also looked good. He's definitely a reliable two-way center. He plays another pro-style game. He had a chance to play with a couple of NHL guys and has done a really good job. I think he'll have a bright future."

Anderson: 'The scariest part was not knowing what happened'
Like Suzuki, Anderson is hoping to make his first preseason appearance soon.
The 28-year-old winger was recently dealing with a rather unusual hand injury that prevented him from practicing.
"To be honest, I don't know what I got bit by. They're saying that it's a spider bite that got infected. I just came in one morning and my hand was really swollen and it blew up. I couldn't really move it for a couple of days, and then they had me on antibiotics. It was just a weird incident," explained Anderson. "It's only a finger, but the medical staff has their precautions. I was just trying to stay in shape as much as I could, but it's nice to be back with the group."

The gritty forward was a little taken aback by the seriousness of the injury.
He couldn't pinpoint when exactly the bite occurred.
"The scariest part was not knowing what happened, just waking up in excruciating pain, and my hand looking like it was broken. After three days, the swelling went down, but it just looked like nothing I've ever seen before," detailed Anderson. "That was the scariest part, letting the antibiotics kick in and do their job."
Expect to see the Canadiens' No. 17 flying down the wing in the near future.
"I feel great right now. If they wanted to stick me into the game Saturday, I'd be able to play, absolutely," insisted Anderson." Probably one more practice and then I'll be good to go after that."
Adam Nicholas has a loyal fan base
Director of Hockey Development Adam Nicholas continues to draw praise from his students.
Both Suzuki and Anderson spoke glowingly about Nicholas' efforts to help their respective games.
"I worked with him all summer. I got to see him a lot. He's been really good. Different mindset, different energy. You can tell. He definitely brightens up the room and gets the guys going in the morning. It seems like he drinks three coffees before coming to see us. He's just ready to go," praised Suzuki. "His mind for the game is definitely really bright and he brings a lot of new ideas and new drills to us, which is fun."

Anderson, meanwhile, was equally complimentary.
"He's been amazing, not only for the guys on the team, but me personally. I haven't really had anybody teach me that side of the game. I've always been a north-south player, but him and Marty [head coach Martin St-Louis] are working together and showing you different ideas to really make you smarter on the ice," explained Anderson. "He shows me clips of other NHL players, what to look for, what to see. It's been very interesting working with him."
Nicholas was hired in March after previously working with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a skills development consultant since 2019.