Montreal Canadiens: Josh Anderson Needs To Be Banned From Fighting
Montreal Canadiens gritty right winger Josh Anderson has proven to be a very valuable member of the team.
His acquisition caused a bit of controversy around Montreal. Anderson scored just one goal in 26 games last season and he was traded for Max Domi, who had scored 17 goals and 44 points in a down season.
It didn’t take long for Anderson to convince everyone in Montreal that the deal was a steal.
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He scored two goals on opening night against the Toronto Maple Leafs and is now third on the team in goals with 11. He plays on the team’s top line with Jonathan Drouin and Nick Suzuki and they regularly dominate the opposition in possession. Anderson’s combination of speed, skill and power makes him difficult for opponent’s to handle.
Anderson has proven last season was a mirage as he was playing injured and his one goal and four points in 26 games didn’t actually represent his true value. His true value, when healthy, is sky high.
That’s why he needs to take a few precautions to ensure he does stay healthy. Anderson was injured last season because he fought Mark Borowiecki of the Ottawa Senators. It was revenge for a nasty hit Borowiecki threw on Sonny Milano, but it ruined Anderson’s season.
We saw the Canadiens lose one of their top minute men this season when Ben Chiarot broke his hand in a fight.
That’s why, when Josh Anderson decided to fight William Lagesson, every Montreal Canadiens fan in the world cringed.
Yes, Anderson is pretty good at throwing punches, and he usually does it to stand up for a teammate which is quite noble.
However, it isn’t worth the risk. Anderson had most of last season wiped out by an injury he tried to play through but could never battle back from. The Habs can’t lose him for several months because he wanted to punch some guy from the Edmonton Oilers that no one has head of before.
It’s only Anderson’s second fight of the season, but his first was only a few games ago against Milan Lucic. Instead of allowing these couple of fights turn into a trend, Dominique Ducharme needs to sit down with Anderson and tell him he can not be fighting anymore.
It’s great to stand up for teammates, and let other teams know they can’t take out Habs players with no consequence, but having Anderson playing the role of policing the team is far too risky as he is too valuable to lose to shoulder surgery.
Next. NCAA free agents for Habs to consider. dark
Hopefully we have seen Anderson’s last fight for a long time.