Who is Josh Anderson?
When a player asks for a trade, it's usually a high-profile name, such as Dany Heatley or Chris Pronger. But Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson's request to be moved in the midst of a contract dispute may have left some hockey fans outside of Ohio with no clue why a player they've never heard of wants to be dealt.
Anderson, a restricted free agent, is loaded with potential, but the 23-year-old hasn't gotten the opportunity to let the hockey world know just how good he could be.
Last season, he scored 17 goals in 78 games, and did so while averaging just 12:01 minutes per game. His 1.07 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five was the best on the Blue Jackets, and 29th-best in the entire league. That put him ahead of Brad Marchand, Patrick Kane, and Nikita Kucherov.
Anderson was able to produce without getting any power-play time either, as he was buried in Columbus' bottom-six forward group all year, primarily playing with subpar linemates William Karlsson and Matt Calvert. In fact, he ranked 12th in average time on ice among Blue Jackets forwards who played at least 25 games.
Though the goal-scoring is obviously a major attraction, Anderson's likely drawing interest because he's a rare breed: the prototypical power forward who can set the tone of a game with a bone-crushing hit, and isn't afraid to drop the mitts.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The 6-foot-3, 221-pound winger racked up 89 penalty minutes and 147 hits last season. The pure enforcer role has faded out of the league, making players such as Anderson who can throw haymakers and actually contribute offensively more valuable. It's a big reason why the Oilers gave Milan Lucic a massive contract.
The desirability of this type of player is also a huge reason why the Blue Jackets gave the Vegas Golden Knights a first-round pick in exchange for expansion draft assurances, which reportedly included not selecting the exposed Anderson.
A lot of questions about Anderson still need to be answered, however. Can he sustain his production rates against better competition? Is he capable of playing a defensive role on a shutdown line? With a 14.3 shooting percentage a year ago (league average was 9.01), was he lucky to score 17 goals?
Some of these uncertainties could explain why Anderson's camp and the Blue Jackets have reached a stalemate in their contract negotiations. In what will be his second full season, Anderson will offer a better indication as to exactly what kind of player he can be - especially if he gets his wish and is moved to a team where he can play a larger role. Then, whether or not hockey fans know his name will be up to him.
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