Edmonton Oilers
If the Flames don’t pony up with the right offer, it doesn’t mean Anderson isn’t heading to the province of Alberta. The Edmonton Oilers have been desperately searching for the right players to play with Connor McDavid for nearly a decade.
The Oilers finally made a playoff run, but fizzled out in a third round sweep and are almost certain to lose first line winger Evander Kane. Anderson isn’t a perfect Kane replacement, but he plays a similar style with a combination of speed, skill and grit. Kane has more offensive touch but that is why the Oilers can’t afford him.
Enter Anderson. He has the speed and shot that could make him a perfect match with McDavid. The Oilers have the perfect amount of desperation as McDavid enters the second half of his contract and still hasn’t won more than eight playoff games in a single year.
It would take a top prospects like Xavier Bourgault to get the Habs to listen. The Quebec native was a late first round pick in 2021 and just a monster season in the QMJHL. He scored 36 goals and 75 points in 43 games for the Shawinigan Cataractes and then helped them win a championship with 22 points in 16 playoff contests.