Josh Anderson would like to re-sign with the Montreal Canadiens, and the Canadiens would like to re-sign Josh Anderson. However, nothing is likely to move forward on that front while the Habs are still looking to make a blockbuster trade.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Early Trading that with Anderson in the final season of his current contract, there’s curiosity about what happens now. He’s off to a solid start with four goals in seven games, and he could be an extension candidate or a player the Canadiens include in a mid-season or deadline trade.
What Happens With Anderson in Montreal?
“He’s a special player. He’s a power forward…” started Dreger. “When players like this, going into the final year on their contract, have big starts the way Anderson has started in Montreal, guess what happens? Hockey insiders like me start poking around to find out, ok, what’s going to happen here?”
As much as the Canadiens might want to extend Anderson, they have other business to take care of first, namely trying to finalize plans for a big trade. Whether he would be included in said trade or the hestitation is about salary cap space, the Canadiens need to hold off.
That seems to be OK with Anderson, even though he’s open to sticking in Montreal. Anderson is repped by Darren Ferris, and Dreger noted that the hockey agent has a reptulation for taking his clients to July 1 and free agency. “How do you know what the market value is for any player unless that player is willing to go to market?”
What Kind of Trade Are the Canadiens Trying to Make?
Dreger said, “I know that general manager Kent Hughes spoke with Anderson before the start of the season to say, look, we’re focused on trade. We’re trying to bring in pieces to help this team. So don’t take this the wrong way. We just need to wait until later, but we’ll get to you.”
In other words, this trade might not include Anderson. It’s a deal the Habs have been working on for some time and they’ve not given up on it. Perhaps the targeted players have changed, but the desire to upgrade hasn’t.
The Canadiens have been linked to Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies — both of whome went to other landing spots. They’ve also been loosely linked to Dylan Larkin, despite the fact that Larkin hasn’t cleared the Canadiens as a preferred trade destination.
But, if the Canadies aren’t ready to sign Anderson and commit term or money to him, loguc suggests GM Kent Hughes is working on something big. That could mean significant money is involved, and too much to allocate any of that to a 32-year-old veteran forward. At least, not right now.
As for what length of term or dollar figure the Canadiens are comfortable with on Anderson, that much remains unclear. It’s unlikely Hughes would want to give a multi-year deal to a player who would be in his late 30s by the time that deal ends.
Canadiens Focused on Big Trade, Explaining Delay in Josh Anderson Extension