Josh Anderson, former 4th round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, made 12 appearances for the big club last season, registering 1-3-4 in his time with the Jackets. His willingness to go into the corners and his lack of fear from his first shift in Columbus drew rave reviews. He registered 18-21-39 with the Cleveland Monsters in the regular season, as well as 7-5-12 in helping the team to the Calder Cup.
The question now becomes: what is Anderson’s ceiling? His body type and paying style seems to make him a fit for a bottom six role (along with perhaps some minutes on the penalty kill). He could one day develop into a logical replacement for Matt Calvert in the bottom six with the Blue Jackets.
Outlook for 2016-17
Anderson will be with the big club all through the preseason, though he will likely start the season with the Cleveland Monsters. After his performances last season, expect him to be one of the first players called up as an injury replacement. Anderson has the size and drive to compete in the NHL- can he add the scoring to complement those (especially if some of the veterans find their way out of town)?