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LAVAL, Que. Bruce Smith Jersey . -- Aside from veteran defenceman Andrei Markov, the players returning from major injuries were all upbeat about the new season as the Montreal Canadiens gathered Wednesday for their annual charity golf tournament. Winger Max Pacioretty, who survived a harrowing crash into a Bell Centre stanchion that left him with a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra, said he feels 100 per cent ready to go. Defenceman Josh Gorges, who missed half the season after blowing out a knee, said he can finally skate without looking like hell fall over after rebuilding his stride in the off-season. And centre Lars Eller said that while post-season shoulder surgery may keep him out of pre-season action, he should be ready when the Canadiens open the campaign Oct. 6 against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. That left Markov as the mystery man. The Canadiens star defenceman played only seven games last season as he went down for a second year in a row with damage to the ACL ligament the same knee. The Team 990 radio reported that water was recently drained from Markovs knee after he developed some swelling, which forced him to take a break from training. He was one of the few veterans not paraded out to the throng of media in front of the clubhouse before the golf began. When asked if Markov would be ready to start the regular season, general manager Pierre Gauthier said "we hope so." "There is no problem with his knee and he will continue his rehab. If the season started tomorrow he wouldnt be able to play, obviously." Gauthier took a chance in June when he signed impending free agent Markov to a three-year contract that will pay him US$5.75 million per season. He didnt try to sign free agent veteran Roman Hamrlik or the rearguards brought in as injury replacements -- James Wisniewski and Brent Sopel -- and will need a full season from his power play quaterback. The Canadiens could match Markov with the gifted P.K. Subban on a top defence pair this season, with Gorges sliding back with his old partner Hal Gill. Veteran Jaroslav Spacek is going into the final year of his contract and may play with either Yannick Weber or one of newcomers Alexei Yemelin and Rafael Diaz. Weber, who has a one-way contract for the first time, is counting on playing defence after being used at times as a forward last season. "I expect Yannick to be a regular performer on our club this year," said coach Jacques Martin. "I see him as a defenceman, but its always an advantage to play another position. "That he is versatile is a plus for him. The fact that well need him on our power play is another way of getting into the lineup." The key off-season addition was free-agent Erik Cole, who gives them the big body they needed for one of their top two lines. The former Carolina Hurricanes winger is expected to play with centre Tomas Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri, while Pacioretty is likely to play left wing with centre Scott Gomez and captain Brian Gionta, a unit that scored regularly until Pacioretty was injured late in the season. That would mean third line work for Andrei Kostitsyn, who Martin said was not in his doghouse despite a quote in a Belarus newspaper in which the winger suggested he was not getting a fair shake from the coach. "Im not concerned with that," said Martin. "Ill talk with Andrei, but hes a big part of our success. Because weve added Cole, we have Pacioretty and with Andrei, now we have three power forwards. At times last year, Andrei was maybe one of our better performers. What we want is a more consistent performance." Kostitsyn, who is going into his final season before free agency, had 20 goals and 45 points in 2010-11, but has the size and skill to produce more. "I never said (anything) bad about Jacques and Im here to have a good season, ready to play," he said. "Ill talk to him about what this Russian newspaper said and I think well be good for the season. Jacques is a good coach." He could find himself on a third line with Eller, who made great strides in every way except goal-scoring last season, and small, play-making forward David Desharnais, who also got a one-way deal after a promising second half. A fourth line could have Mathieu Darche, Travis Moen and Ryan White, while candidates for the extra forward spot would include Aaron Palushaj, Brock Trotter or Andreas Engqvist. Carey Price returns after establishing himself as a No. 1 goalie last year and Peter Budaj replaces Alex Auld as the backup. Gauthier has nearly $4 million in cap space to play with and is likely to hold onto it in case mid-season adjustments are needed, rather than signing another free agent. The Canadiens are banking on getting a much better year from a repentant Gomez, the teams highest-paid player who had only seven goals last season, and from the development of young players Subban, Pacioretty, Desharnais and Eller. Asked if this was a season for redemption, Gomez said: "Im ready to deliver. We dont need to name the season." "I like our team," said Cammalleri. "Its a team thats learned how to play with one another and know what we can do for each other as a team. "Its a real positive thing for me that management wants to move forward with this group and try to win with this group and is also adding to the team. What Erik Cole provides is a big body with speed and a physical presence for us. It addresses a need." Gorges, Eller and Subban were not fit to play golf while Markov, Kostitsyn and Plekanec begged out because they arent golfers. Subban has a minor ailment and will be on the ice for the start of camp. The Canadiens open their pre-season schedule Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars and Wednesday against Buffalo. Five of their eight pre-season games are at home. Bills Jersey . -- The Anaheim Ducks realize theyre in for plenty of tight defensive games in the next seven weeks while the rest of the NHL attempts to catch them atop the standings. Dan Carpenter Jersey . When a few shots broke through that defensive front, Jonathan Quick was there. The Kings won the Stanley Cup two years ago with that basic formula, and they can see it clicking again as they close in on another playoff run.NEW YORK -- Vasek Pospisil is starting to feel like he belongs among the worlds top tennis players. The native of Vernon, B.C., won the first Grand Slam match of his career Wednesday by crushing Lukas Rosol 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the second round of the U.S. Open. Pospisil needed just 82 minutes to dispatch the Czech after converting on seven of 13 break point chances. "This is my second slam, so Im still new to the scene," he said. "It takes a little bit of getting comfortable with these guys. "In the past maybe it wasnt like that for me. But that is changing fast. I feel like I belong out there." Hell face No. 25 seed Feliciano Lopez in the second round. The Spaniard was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in July. "He will be tough, theyre all tough at this level," said Pospisil, who is ranked 143rd in the world. "But Ive been playing well for the llast couple of months so Im looking forward to it. Robert Woods Jersey. Im confident." The 21-year-old is coming off a win over Argentine Juan Chela at the Rogers Cup earlier this month. He exited the Montreal tournament with a second-round loss to Roger Federer. Against Rosol on Wednesday, Popisil piled on 13 aces and 13 winners. The Canadian also fended off six break points. "It was tight at the start but I returned well," he said. "That might have gotten to him -- he saw a lot of his serves coming back. I was serving well and putting more pressure on him and trying to break him down. "I was really feeling my returns today. When I can serve and return well, I can really pressure opponents." Pospisil earned his way into the U.S. Open mens draw by winning all three of his qualifying matches. Hes the lone Canadian singles player left in the tournament. cheap jerseys ' ' '