Projecting Josh Anderson extension with Montreal

Anderson scored at a 25-goal pace over the first three years of the contract, but then struggled to the tune of nine goals and 20 points in 78 games in the 2023-24 season. Over the past two seasons, he has reinvented himself as a fourth-line winger who sticks to a simple game of forechecking, winning battles for pucks in corners and trying to force turnovers with his speed and size. He did also snipe 14 goals in 72 games last season, while becoming a key contributor on the team’s penalty killing unit, but he is not leaned on for offensive production at this point in his career.

With one year left on his contract, Anderson is now eligible for an extension that would kick in for the 2027-28 season. But what does it cost to sign a veteran winger with size, speed and some scoring touch from the fourth line?

Josh Anderson’s Comparables

A.J. Greer is a fourth-line winger who hit unrestricted free agency this summer. He scored 17 goals and 32 points for the Florida Panthers last season and subsequently signed with the Anaheim Ducks for four years at a cap hit of $4.5 million per season. He is 29 years old and has won two Stanley Cups with the Panthers. Being a couple of years younger than Anderson and having won a pair of championships would make him a more valuable player than Anderson on the open market.

Michael McCarron is another large forward who plays at the bottom of the lineup. Like Anderson, he also averaged about two minutes per game of shorthanded ice time over the past two seasons while not being used on the power play at all. McCarron is familiar to Canadiens fans as he was drafted by the team in the first round of the 2013 Draft. The 6-foot-6 centre scored less than Anderson last season, finishing with eight goals and 17 points in 79 games split between the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild. The Wild signed the 31-year-old to a six-year contract with a cap hit of $3.33 million per season. Anderson is a much better skater and puts up more offence and is just one year older than McCarron.

Anderson’s Next Contract

Anderson’s next contract should land somewhere between McCarron and Greer’s new deals. With the salary cap now at $104 million and teams eligible to carry a 23-man roster, the average salary in the NHL is approaching $4.5 million. Anderson may not bring the best version of himself to the rink every single regular season game, but he has proven on numerous occasions to be an above-average value player during the playoffs when it matters the most.

An extension for Anderson right now would have to be a four-year contract with a cap hit of $4 million. He has proven to be a more valuable player than McCarron and would need a higher salary to offset less term on the contract.

Players like Anderson do not grow on trees, especially since he has started frequently playing shorthanded minutes over the past two seasons. The Canadiens can run the risk of letting him go to free agency and hope that a young player like Florian Xhekaj can turn into the next Anderson and take his place on the roster.

However, it is unlikely a young player can step into a playoff series and have the same impact Anderson does over the next few seasons. That is why it would make sense for the Canadiens to get him signed to a contract extension before training camp even begins. A cap hit of $4 million is a small pay cut for Anderson, but with salaries skyrocketing in the NHL, that will be what it takes to keep a trusted veteran, leader, penalty killer and proven playoff performer on the roster.