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Nikita Scherbak and Michael McCarron are aware that they have a chance to play in the National Hockey League in the fall, but neither player is taking anything for granted.

“I’ll try my best,” Scherbak said Sunday as the Canadiens’ annual development camp began at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard. “I’ll compete hard on and off the ice.”

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Scherbak, who was the Canadiens’ first-round draft choice in 2014, said he is better prepared physically and mentally than he was a year ago.

“It’s a little bit different,” Scherbak said. “I’m older and I don’t feel the same pressure as last year when I stepped on the ice and my hands were shaking, I was really nervous. There were all those people watching me in practice and that never happened before in my life. This year, I feel more comfortable.”

He also feels stronger with 204 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame.

“Last year, I was kind of a kid but I put on 25 pounds,” said Scherbak, who said the weight gain was a combination of more food, more time in the weight room and the natural filling out as he leaves his teen years behind.