BY WEB STAFF
sportsnet.ca

Andrei Markov's return from a knee injury appears ahead of schedule, his agent told Sportsnet's Louis Jean.

Markov's agent, Don Meehan, told Sportsnet that the defenceman has begun skating as he continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Markov suffered the injury on April 30 during Game 1 of the team's second-round playoff series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Markov had surgery later in May and was expected to be out six months.

The 31-year-old has a history of quick recovery. This past season, he returned two months ahead of schedule after breaking his ankle in the Canadiens' first game of the season.

That time he was originally expected to be out until February, but returned in December.