The 33-year-old defenseman had an arthroscopic procedure to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee June 19 and wasn't expected to return until December. He resumed skating Oct. 11.
"I think the way things are going right now, if everything continues to go in the right direction, I think the medical staff and everybody feels that Tuesday could be a possibility for Shea to come back," coach Claude Julien said after practice in Buffalo on Thursday. "But definitely not on the weekend. This is his first week with some contact, and after being out for a year, he needs to spend that whole week doing certain things. So that's the direction we're going, and again, that's as long as things keep going in the right direction, which so far it has been."
Weber, who was named Canadiens captain Oct. 1, had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 26 games last season. He sustained a season-ending injury to his left foot Dec. 13 and had surgery March 13. He is second among active NHL defensemen with 189 goals, behind Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins (198) and seventh with 501 points.
Montreal is 11-7-4 and has lost its past two games. The Canadiens visit the Buffalo Sabres on Friday (4 p.m. ET; MSG-B, TSN2, RDS, NHL.TV).
"There's no doubt guys are kind of getting excited to see his presence getting closer and closer, and as I said, if everything goes well they'll see him soon," Julien said. "He's the captain of this hockey club. He's the leader on and off the ice, and whenever you miss a guy like that it does make a difference.
"He's not going to be our savior, but he's certainly going to be a big answer to some of the things we're trying to solve right now. So we're looking forward to getting him but we've still got a few games left before that even becomes a possibility."
