2016-17 Stats
Games played: 78
Goals: 17
Assists: 12
Points: 29
Time on ice: 12:01
Penalty Minutes: 89
Corsi For (even strength): 46.9%
Josh Anderson has been in the mix for a few years now, but really cemented himself as a full-time NHLer this past season when he broke out for 17 goals (all at even strength), good for fifth on the team.
This production is notable because Anderson mostly played a bottom six role, averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game- second only to Lukas Sedlak among the regulars.
Anderson doesn’t really have a distinct playing style. When he has the puck on his stick skating up the wing, he reminds me of Rick Nash. He can muck and grind with the best of the them, and has an agitating element to his game that he backs up with an overwhelming willingness to drop the mitts, as required. The goals are just gravy, as far as I’m concerned.
His play this past season has no doubt put him on Vegas’ radar. We’ve been convincing ourselves that the Jackets are going to either lose a goalie in Korpisalo or Forsberg, or a young defensive PKing center in William Karlsson, but at this point barring a change in the status of Scott Hartnell Anderson will likely be available should the Knights be interested. At this point you have to think the Jackets’ brass are looking at ways of eliminating Hartnell from their protected list so that Anderson can be safe.
(There’s always the option that in a bad draft year the Jackets can flip a mid-round pick in George McPhee’s direction so that he doesn’t take Anderson)
Will Anderson hit 17 goals again? Maybe. He shot 14.3% this past season. If he can continue to be a physical presence, show an ability to contribute on special teams and consistently pot 10-15 goals, he’ll be a fixture on this team in the coming years.
HIGHLIGHTS
Anderson is great at getting under the skin of the opposition, and in this case he goes for #8 on Washington:
He’s a classic garbage man, doing some of his finest work around the net: