Josh Anderson Wants To Extend With Canadiens

Veteran winger Josh Anderson hopes the 2026-27 season won’t be his last with the Montreal Canadiens. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Anderson wants to sign an extension with the Canadiens sooner rather than later. He is in the final year of a seven-year, $38.5MM ($5.5MM AAV) contract.

Dreger noted that General Manager Kent Hughes met with Anderson before the season, and both parties are interested in an extension. Montreal has a few roster additions it’d like to make first, but it doesn’t sound like Anderson will prompt a difficult negotiation.

However, although Anderson will likely extend with the Canadiens, it’s worth mentioning that Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris of Quartexx Management, isn’t keen on signing extensions early. According to PuckPedia, his top highest-earning clients like Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, and Nazem Kadri all nearly waited until the buzzer to sign an extension, or left via free agency.

Still, Ferris also represents defenseman Philip Broberg, who signed a six-year, $48MM ($8MM AAV) extension with the St. Louis Blues last January. Ferris may suggest Anderson hold out until the last possible moment, but if Anderson is set on remaining in Montreal, there’s no point in waiting.

Anderson has had an up-and-down tenure with the Canadiens. He may not have rediscovered his offensive ceiling, but he has quickly become a leader in the locker room for Montreal’s up-and-comers.

Since the Canadiens acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anderson has scored 99 goals and 164 points in 428 games with a -63 rating. That averages out to 14 goals and 23 points in 61 games per season over the past seven years. Anderson has also averaged 131 hits a year, showing his physical value.