Montreal Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw said Monday he is good to go for the Wednesday's opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs despite missing the entire preseason recovering from off-season knee surgery. 

Whether or not he actually plays is a different story, but Shaw told reporters Monday that his knee is fine and his head is clear. 

“The doctors have cleared me, but the NHL protocol is to go through a few practices before you play,” he said.

Heach coach Claude Julien said Shaw, who practiced Monday, will be re-evaluated by the club after Tuesday's skate. A decision on his availability will likely not be made until Wednesday. 

As Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette writes, Shaw's return could mean forwards Jacob De La Rose or Nikita Scherbak are "back on the bubble."

Shaw had surgery on his left knee in April and has not played in a game since March 13 against the Dallas Stars. He also dealt with concussion issues, finishing last year with 10 goals and 10 assists in 51 games. 

“I don’t know if I’m ahead of schedule,” Shaw said. “The doctors said five or six months and Sept. 25 was five months.”

Following their opener with the Leafs in Toronto, the Habs will head to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins in their second game on Saturday.