P.K. Subban is back in the Montreal Canadiens lineup, although it's not clear if he'll play Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.
The defenseman missed training camp and the first six games of the NHL regular season while negotiating a new two-year contract. He received a crash course in new coach Michel Therrien's system Friday in practice.
''You can practice game situations, but being in a game is different,'' Therrien said. ''You can't just say 'He's a good athlete, let's throw him out there.' It doesn't happen like that.
''We'll make the decision on what's best for the team and what's best for the return of a defenseman.''
The Canadiens play two afternoon games at home this weekend against Buffalo and Ottawa.
Subban skated on the third defensive pair with Francis Bouillon.
Also, Max Pacioretty skated a full practice just six days after having an emergency appendectomy. He was expected to be out three-to-four weeks, but it appears he will make an earlier return.
He's not expected to play this weekend.
''The doctor told me I can't really make it any worse and it's part of my competitive nature to go out and push it as far as I can,'' he said. ''So when I'm playing, I'll be ready.''
