Montreal Canadiens Rumor: Josh Anderson Popping Up In Trade Talks?

The Montreal Canadiens inch toward the trade deadline and are likely to be going to attract some interest from contending teams over the next few days.

General Manager Kent Hughes will be busy working the phones leading up to Friday's trade deadline. He has his work cut out for him though, as most of his veterans do not have a ton of trade value beacuse of their large cap hits and low point totals.

Still, players like David Savard, Joel Armia and Jake Allen will be of some interest to others teams, but it remains to be seen if a trade can be worked out. It sounds like another veteran is getting talked about in trade calls once again as well.

Josh Anderson was the center of attention leading up to last year's trade deadline as well as the NHL Draft. He had been scoring at a 20-25 goal pace for the past two seasons and brings an element of speed and size that is difficult to find in one player. He was attracting contending teams last season but his $5.5 million cap hit that does not expire until 2017 was not ideal.

So, he remained in Montreal. Considering his lengthy scoring slumps this season, and the fact he now sits at eight goals and 17 points in 57 games would led you to believe interest has cooled on the 29 year old winger.

However, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports Anderson's name has popped up in trade rumors and he is certainly available once again. He does also note that Anderson's play and cap hit make a trade unlikely to materialize.

You would have to think Anderson's value is at an all time low right now. Getting a deal done that would move out his cap hit would be great news for the Canadiens who are paying him $8 million this season, which puts him in the Scott Gomez territory of one million dollars per goal scored on the season.

There was a time when Anderson had some value, but don't hold your breath waiting on this deal to come together.