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Montreal Canadiens Sign Brendan Gallagher To Six-Year Extension

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So much for all of the perceived drama surrounding the Montreal Canadiens adding right wings Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson on long-term contracts while homegrown star winger Brendan Gallagher was entering the final year of his contract. Montreal’s recent moves apparently have nothing to do with their allegiance to Gallagher and reports that “talks had stalled” were clearly overblown. The team has announced that the two sides have agreed to a six-year, $39MM extension that will begin with the 2021-22 season. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that the contract contains a full No-Movement Clause.

Gallagher, 28, was believed to be heading for free agency next summer for the first time in his career after it appeared that he and the Canadiens were not close on a new contract. Instead, the fan favorite will remain with Montreal through the 2026-27 season at an AAV of $6.5MM. The deal represents a sizeable increase over his current $3.75MM AAV, but it has been well earned. Gallagher played all 82 games and topped 50 points in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He missed some time this past season, but still managed to record 43 points in 59 games, a 59-point pace over an 82-game season which would have been a career best. Given the offensive improvements that Montreal has made, not only off-season additions but in bringing up talented prospects as well, Gallagher could have 60+ point upside over much of the term of this new contract. That would result in this contract looking like a very fair value.

One concern that Montreal will have with Gallagher’s new deal is durability. Gallagher’s injury absence last season was due to a concussion and post-concussion symptoms, which is worrisome in its own right, but moving forward his 5’9″, 184-lb. frame may not hold up as well as he gets older. Gallagher plays an aggressive game and does not let his size hold him back, but he could be more of an injury risk down the line. With this extension already compensating him at his ceiling, the team hopes that they will get Gallagher at full strength as much as possible. Fortunately, he set a career high in ice time per game last season and shows no signs of slowing down in the immediate future.

The other note on Gallagher’s future in Montreal is of course the impending 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. While this new contract carries a full No-Movement Clause, the extension will not kick in until after expansion. As a result, Gallagher can still be exposed for Seattle to select next summer. The odds are slim that this will occur, but with so much money and term locked up at right wing, the Canadiens could get out from under Gallagher’s contract before it begins in the case of a poor performance this coming season.

 

Montreal Canadiens Sign Josh Anderson To Seven-Year Extension

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The Montreal Canadiens are all in on new acquisition Josh Anderson. While the Columbus Blue Jackets signed trade counterpart Max Domi for two years at a $5.3MM AAV, the Habs have inked Anderson to a whopping seven-year contract at a $5.5MM AAV. Montreal has announced a $38.5MM pact that will keep the newest addition under contract through the 2026-27 season.

The structure of Anderson’s contract is unique. There are no signing bonuses woven into the deal, with every cent being paid out in salary. However, the salary deviates significantly, to the league maximum in fact, with low salaries in the beginning and end of the deal to help the Canadiens with the current financial crisis as well as with a potential buyout down the road. The exact payout structure is as follows, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger:

Year 1: $4MM
Year 2: $4MMM
Year 3: $7MM
Year 4: $8MM
Year 5: $7MM
Year 6: $5MM
Year 7: $3.5MM

The contract also carries some limited trade protection, per CapFriendly. In years two to four of the deal, Anderson has an eight-team no-trade list. In years five to seven, that protection shrinks to just a five-team no-trade list. It is notable that Anderson does not possess trade protection in his first year, so if things go south right away the Canadiens could move the winger to any interested team.

While any long-term deal carries some risk, this is an especially precarious pact. Anderson played just 26 games this past season with Columbus, missing much of the season due to injury. While there are no concerns remaining in regard to that injury, his durability will be in question until he can prove that his injury issues are behind him. Perhaps even more concerning is his play when he was on the ice for the Blue Jackets; Anderson recorded just four points and his shooting percentage came in under 2%. Of course, the season prior Anderson did total a career-high 27 goals and 47 points. However, it was his only  season with over 20 goals or 30 points in his six-year NHL career. At $5.5MM annually, Montreal is expecting at least 20+ goals and 40+ points in each of the next seven years. They are hoping that 2018-19 Anderson is the real Anderson; if it’s not the team could be in trouble.

With all that said, Canadiens fans should take at least some solace in the fact that the team is so comfortable with their acquisition of Anderson that they were willing to hand out a massive long-term deal before he even donned their jersey. If anything, this contract shows that Montreal is going to give Anderson a major role and expects the big winger to be a core piece for years to come.

Columbus, Montreal Swap Josh Anderson, Max Domi

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The Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens have found some common ground, swapping restricted free agent forwards Josh Anderson and Max Domi. The Blue Jackets will also receive a 2020 third-round selection in the trade. Both players are represented by agent Darren Ferris and will need new contracts for 2020-21.

Both Anderson and Domi have had huge success in the past for their respective teams, but needed a change of scenery after some recent struggles.

In Anderson’s case, the relationship with the Blue Jackets has been strained for some time, going back to a contract negotiation in 2017 that saw him miss all of training camp. That was followed by two successful seasons, but the 26-year-old forward managed to score just a single goal in 26 games in 2019-20 while struggling with injury.

The Canadiens are obviously betting that Anderson can rebound and get back to the player who scored 27 goals in 2018-19 and looked like one of the best power forwards in the entire league. A fourth-round pick in 2012, Anderson brings size (6’3″ 220-lbs) and goal scoring to a Montreal team that lacked both this season. He’s also coming off a contract that carried a cap hit of just $1.85MM and requires just a $2.1MM qualifying offer (though is arbitration-eligible).

For Domi, this trade comes just a year after he scored 72 points for the Canadiens, the franchise’s third-highest total in the cap era. That incredible year was followed by a frustrating, 44-point season in 2019-20 however, which saw Domi dropped to the fourth line at times and just never seem to find his true footing in the Montreal lineup.

He also, quite importantly, is coming off a contract that carried a $3.15MM cap hit and will require a $2.9MM qualifying offer. Domi is expected to be looking for a substantial raise on that number, something that the Canadiens may not have felt comfortable with as they start to transition to other young centers.

Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are the future in Montreal, meaning Domi either would have had to play in the bottom-six or move to the wing. That isn’t the case in Columbus, where he can slide in as the team’s second-line center behind Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Perhaps the most interesting part in the deal is the draft pick, which seems like an asset that the Canadiens shouldn’t have had to include in a swap of these two players. Montreal certainly had plenty of capital to spend given they still have ten picks in tonight’s draft, but it is striking to see Anderson actually hold more value than Domi even after losing basically his entire season to injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets Issue Qualifying Offers

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced which restricted free agents will receive qualifying offers, with few surprises. Josh Anderson, Gabriel Carlsson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Vladislav Gavrikov, Matiss Kivlenieks, Ryan MacInnis, Kevin Stenlund and Calvin Thurkauf have all received qualifying offers from the team and will remain in the organization.

That means Devin Shore, Maxime Fortier, Justin Scott, Paul Bittner, Michael Prapavessis and Ryan Collins did not, making them unrestricted free agents on Friday.

The only real surprise is Shore, and only because the Blue Jackets acquired him this season in exchange for Sonny Milano. The 26-year-old Shore has not been particularly effective since the 2017-18 campaign, splitting the last two seasons between three teams and recording just 12 points in 2019-20. Add in the fact that he was due a $2.4MM qualifying offer in order to remain with the Blue Jackets and it’s not hard to see why the team decided to cut bait.

Still, Shore could represent a cheap depth signing for a team this offseason if they think he can be of use to a bottom-six. The 26-year-old forward has experience at center and on the wing and has scored double-digit goals in three different seasons.

Bittner and Collins may also bring a twinge of disappointment to Blue Jackets fans, given they were both second-round selections that never seemed to pan out. Bittner especially was hyped coming off a successful junior career but failed to score much in the AHL. Collins, the 47th pick in 2014, never added any offense to his defensive game and could only rely on his size for so long.

Free Agent Focus: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With free agency now just a couple weeks away, teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. While the Columbus Blue Jackets have no UFA’s of note, they still have their work cut out for them with a laundry list of RFA’s, including several core players.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Pierre-Luc Dubois – Getting Dubois, 22, locked up long-term is the core objective of the Blue Jackets’ off-season. Over the three seasons of his entry-level contract, Dubois totaled 158 points in 234 games, including a 61-point campaign in 2018-19 and a 57-point pace this season. He also wrapped up his contract on a high note, recording ten points in ten playoff games this year. For a team that is lacking in center depth and elite scoring talent, Dubois is critical to the short-term and long-term success of the Blue Jackets.

The problem is balancing Dubois’ long-term potential and dollar value with the team’s limited cap space for next season With no unrestricted free agents departing the lineup, the Blue Jackets have limited funds to work with against the flat cap. Yet, they also don’t want to settle for a more affordable short-term contract and risk Dubois continuing to improve and increasing his price on a new contract. Negotiations are already underway and the goal stated by both sides is to stick with a lengthy term and to get the deal done before free agency opens to provide the club with some cap clarity.

If a long-term extension can be reached, don’t be surprised to see an AAV of upwards of $8MM or more. If the two sides instead opt for a short-term deal given the fiscal constraints of the current NHL economy, Dubois is still likely set to make $6.5MM or more against the cap on his next deal.

F Josh Anderson – It’s difficult to know where the status quo lies between the Blue Jackets and Anderson. The last time that these two sides sat down to negotiate a contract, it was a contentious affair that ended in a late-summer, below-market contract that left Anderson unhappy and fueled trade rumors. Those flames were stoked by a 27-goal, 47-point season for Andersson in 2018-19 in which the young power forward greatly outplayed his contract. Yet, the tables turned again this season, as Anderson missed much of the year due to injury and was unproductive even when active. The season tanked Anderson’s trade value and at least some of his bargaining power and left his future with Columbus up in the air.

The latest twist in this saga was Anderson’s recent proclamation that he hopes to sign long-term in Columbus. This runs counter to his previous sentiment, but could end up working in the Blue Jackets’ favor. Given their cap crunch this off-season, the team could benefit from deflating the AAV on an Andersson extension by extending the term. Anderson could also return to form and again be a bargain for the club. The risk of course is that his injury troubles persist or he is unable to rediscover his scoring touch. Given the uncertainty of this off-season and Andersson’s health and performance, this seems like a case that is more likely to be settled in salary arbitration than with a long-term deal. While a one-year arbitrator’s decision might risk Andersson leaving as an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Blue Jackets would likely be happy to get an affordable deal done for Anderson and to have another year to consider whether they want to re-sign or trade the big winger.

D Vladislav Gavrikov – Since joining Columbus in the 2019 playoffs, Gavrikov has done nothing but prove that he is a solid two-way defenseman. While his lack of NHL experience makes it difficult to project his long-term value, Gavrikov has at least earned a raise and some security in his next contract. It’s unclear what the expectations are for Gavrikov’s new deal, but the Blue Jackets have all of the leverage. Due to his limited experience, Gavrikov falls under Section 10.2(c) of the CBA as a restricted free agent who is not eligible to sign an offer sheet. Barring a trade, Columbus is the only NHL team that Gavrikov can play for and they can more or less dictate the terms of the next contract. With that said, Gavrikov has proven to be a reliable top-four defenseman and the Blue Jackets are not going to play games. Expect the team to work out a short-term deal with Gavrikov and potentially trade one of their other seven one-way defensemen to cement his role as a core piece on the blue line.

Other RFAs: F Paul Bittner, F Marko Dano, F Maxime Fortier, F Jakob Lilja, F Ryan MacInnis, F Justin Scott, F Devin Shore, F Kole Sherwood, F Calvin Thurkauf, D Gabriel Carlsson, D Ryan Collins, D Michael Prapavessis, G Matiss Kivlenieks

UFAs: D Dillon Simpson, D Doyle Somerby

Projected Cap Space

CapFriendly lists the Blue Jackets as having 22 of 23 roster spots already filled for next season, including 19 one-way contracts. As a result, it should not be a surprise that their cap space is limited, with CapFriendly projecting just over $7MM to spare. The concern though is that Dubois and Gavrikov – at the very least – will be on the roster and should combine for well over $7MM. And that is not even including any free agent or trade additions for a team that has vowed to be active on the forward market. Fortunately, the team will get a bit of a break in the form of Brandon Dubinsky, who is not healthy enough to play again. Dubinsky’s $5.85MM cap hit will be wiped out, bringing Columbus’ true cap space total to around $13MM. While most of that will still be taken up by RFA signings, it will give the club some more flexibility to change up the roster if they so desire.

Josh Anderson Re-Focused On Long-Term Extension With Blue Jackets

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When Josh Anderson failed to return to the Blue Jackets lineup this postseason, as he continued to rehab from a major shoulder surgery this spring, it was fair to question whether he had already played his final game for Columbus. Anderson is an impending restricted free agent this off-season who went through a long, contentious negotiation with his club three years ago when he was last seeking a new contract. The two sides finally agreed to a below-market three-year, $5.5MM pact that reportedly left Anderson unhappy and led many to speculate that he could be traded before the two sides had a chance to ever return to the negotiating table. Adding fuel to that fire – on both sides – was Anderson playing well above his price tag for the first two years of his contract, then struggling with injury and inconsistency this year. Anderson’s market value is now murkier than it has ever been and many have felt that it could be in the best interests of both sides to get a fresh start.

For whatever reason, that status quo has now changed dramatically. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline relays word from Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, that the 26-year-old power forward’s priority is now to sign a long-term extension to remain in Columbus. Although Anderson has not played this calendar year, and during that time he was nearly traded at the deadline, he has changed his position on the club and now sees a long-term fit. The reasoning remains unclear, but Ferris did clarify that the recent changes in the Blue Jackets’ front office, with Bill Zito departing for the Florida Panthers and Josh Flynn replacing him at the negotiating table, are not a factor. Anderson simply has decided that he would like to stay with the club.

GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also interested in a renewed commitment to Anderson, he tells Portzline. However, the experienced executive is already setting the table for what could be another difficult negotiation, stating “we’ll make every effort to get him signed, but it has to be something that makes sense for both sides.” With a flat cap, Kekalainen could be setting Anderson up for another underwhelming offer, based more on his disappointing platform season than his impressive two seasons prior.

The one piece of leverage that Ferris holds this off-season that he didn’t the last time around is salary arbitration. While it isn’t the long-term solution that Anderson is hoping for, and could in fact end up forcing a trade, arbitration rights could help Anderson to finally find fair market value, as cap space cannot be considered in an award. As always, both sides will try to avoid arbitration, but the looming threat of that option could put Anderson on the winning side of contract talks this time, whether he gets his long-term deal or a short-term pact.

Columbus Blue Jackets Eyeing Big Splash This Off-Season

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Last off-season, no team took a bigger hit than the Columbus Blue Jackets. The club lost two of their franchise stars in forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to free agency, along with expensive rental forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel. Panarin, Bobrovsky, and Duchene were in fact the three largest UFA contracts handed out last summer. No one expected the Blue Jackets to be able to rebound from those losses, but one year later the team knocked out a talented Toronto Maple Leafs team in the qualifying round and gave the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of the NHL’s best, a run for their money in the the first round.

Columbus showed that they still have what it takes to be a contender even with last year’s major losses. The team has discovered not one but two reliable options in net, has one of the top defensive pairs in the league and solid depth behind them, and a mix of youth, experience, skill, and grit up front. If there is one thing that the Blue Jackets still lack, it is what they lost in Panarin and Duchene: elite top-six forwards. While the team has a number of young players who may grow into that role, the club does not appear content to sit in wait, instead hoping to take action this off-season. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that whispers out of the organization is that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is preparing to add at least one if not two high-skill forwards this off-season, with a bona fide top-six center as the priority.

On the surface, this plan makes perfect sense. Portzline notes the Blue Jackets ranked second-to-last in forward scoring this season, which undoubtedly was partially the result of a rash of injuries up front but is still an indictment of the forward corps’ ability to produce. The team also has roughly $68MM committed to 20 players who were regular players this season with just a few restricted free agents to take care of, so there could be cap space to spare on the free agent market.

However, adding impact forwards will be easier said than done. While Columbus has approximately $13.5MM in cap space, should they opt for long-term contracts for budding top-six center Pierre-Luc Dubois and solid young defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, much of that space could be eaten up. On top of that, the team will have to make decisions on re-signing RFA forwards Josh Anderson and Devin Shore as well. If both return, the team will be right up against the cap ceiling without even touching the free agent market. They will also be facing a roster crunch with 17 players already signed to one-way contracts worth $1.6MM or more, including recent KHL import Mikhail Grigorenko but not any of the aforementioned RFA’s.

Even if the team does have space to explore the top names on the open market, they may find that no one fits their top-six center criteria. While the team will surely kick the tires on big names like Taylor Hall, Tyler Toffoli, Mike Hoffman, and Evgenii Dadonov, none of that group is a solution down the middle. The second tier also only offers players that are not necessarily natural centers: Mikael Granlund, Carl Soderberg, or even old friend Derick Brassard. Columbus’ best bet may be to target a younger, more moldable player with some center experience, such as Vladislav Namestnikov, Erik Haula, or Alex Galchenyuk. However, there really isn’t an ideal target to sure up the center position in the top six.

For both internal and external reasons, Kekalainen seems likely to explore the trade market in his efforts to add at least one of his target top-six forwards and most likely at center. Portzline also opines that this is a likely route and that the team could deal from their depth at forward or defense to make a deal. On the blue line in particular, the team will have eight experienced NHL defenseman once Gavrikov is re-signed and will likely have to thin that group. Portzline believes that David Savard would be the easiest to move, while talented but oft-injured Ryan Murray or useful Markus Nutivaara could also draw interest. Up front, the rights to Anderson or Shore could certainly be dealt and the team will likely dangle Alexander Wennberg again this off-season. The real question is whether the team would give up on a top young prospect like Emil Bemstrom, Alexandre Texier, or Liam Foudy. Portzline also believes that teams could come calling on goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, but dealing either one could just create another hole in the lineup.

With plenty of trade chips, the Blue Jackets could cash in on a desperate market. Given both the flat salary cap and the looming threat of the 2021 Expansion Draft, there will likely be many teams open to moving established forwards this off-season and Columbus has a much better chance of finding a true top-six center – and perhaps even another top forward – via trade. One way or another, the club has been inspired by its playoff run and has its sights set on improving immediately, so don’t be surprised to see the Blue Jackets make a big splash this summer.

Metropolitan Notes: Crosby, Anderson, Buchnevich, Voracek

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been dealing with quite a few absences so far in training camp, but the team were without a big name as star Sidney Crosby missed practice Sunday after leaving the ice during the second period of Saturday’s team scrimmage. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan declined after the scrimmage to comment on Crosby’s status due to the NHL’s new rules on withholding a player’s medical information during the coronavirus. However, TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh writes that a team source said Crosby was being held out for precautionary measures due to an undisclosed ailment.

The team is already without a number of players for various reasons, including Patric Hornqvist, Anthony Angello, Adam Johnson, Sam Militec, Samuel Poulin, Phil Varone, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Juuso Riikola and Alex D’Orio.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they have placed forward Josh Anderson on the team’s 34-man roster. The 26-year-old Anderson, who had 27 goals in the 2018-19 season, has been recovering from a shoulder injury in December and subsequent surgery in March, but with the delay in the season, could potentially return at some point during the playoffs if Columbus can stay in the playoffs for a bit. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that Anderson is expected to be left behind when the team travels to Toronto for the tournament, but Anderson could join them at some point.
  • The New York Rangers were without forward Pavel Buchnevich for Sunday’s scrimmage after he left practice on Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello. No word on the reason for the absence as the team is not allowed to disclose injury information. Rookie Kaapo Kakko took Buchnevich’s place alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
  • Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ed Barkowitz writes that the Philadelphia Flyers got a boost Sunday when forward Jakub Voracek returned to practice after being held out. The 30-year-old forward sat out of practice Saturday. However, Voracek, returned to his usual spot on the first line during practice alongside Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The winger led the team in assists this season with 44. NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer reports that Voracek admitted that he was held out due to a inconclusive test report, which later came back negative.

Snapshots: Anderson, Kaprizov, Pelech, Cizikas, Petan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 33 players on their training camp roster, which will force them to cut two players. However, one roster spot may already be claimed by a player not even on the training camp roster in Josh Anderson. The forward has been out with a left shoulder injury since December and had surgery on March 2. While he was deemed to be out for the season in March, that could change if Columbus can make a playoff run, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required).

Anderson was given a four to six-month recovery period after his surgery. It’s already been four months and six months should hit in early September, so there is a chance the 26-year-old could be fully healthy any time before then. The team could use the winger’s grit. He scored 27 goals and recorded 214 hits in 2018-19, but struggled before his injury posting just one goal in 26 games along with 68 hits. Regardless, he could be a valuable addition to a team hoping to pull off more upsets like it did a year ago.

  • The Minnesota Wild are expected to burn the first year of Russian prospect Kirill Kaprizov’s entry-level contract, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Teams have a 53-hour window, starting tomorrow, to sign their prospects to a 2019-20 deal, which would burn that first year. Russo writes that general manager Bill Guerin indicated the team is willing to agree to that if they can get the 23-year-old to sign on the dotted line. Kaprizov, considered to be one of the top players playing outside the NHL, would not be allowed to play in this year’s playoffs. However, Guerin said that he would want to bring him over and get him acclimated and he would be allowed to practice with the team during Phases 3 & 4.. Kaprizov scored 33 goals in 57 games with CSKA Moscow of the KHL this year. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple followed Russo’s report up with the same sentiments for New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
  • The New York Islanders and head coach Barry Trotz are expecting to get back two injured players for the 24-team tournament. NHL.com’s Sasha Kandrach writes that defenseman Adam Pelech and center Casey Cizikas are both expected to be healthy for training camp. “I don’t get to see them a whole lot if at all,” Trotz said. “But I did get a peek or two of them when heading to our meeting site — they seem like they’re in really good shape. With Adam’s injury and the length of time, he might be in the best shape. He’s had to rehab right through the summer and had to be on the ice. Same with Casey in getting back.” Pelech has been recovering from surgery to his Achilles Tendon since Jan. 2, while Cizikas has been out since Feb. 12 after suffering a leg laceration. Pelech averaged heavy minutes on New York’s blueline with 21:01 of ATOI, while Cizikas has been the center for their fourth-line checking line.
  • Not long after the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t include forward Nic Petan on its training camp roster, general manager Kyle Dubas announced that Petan is now fit to play and is expected to be placed on the roster with forward Mac Hollowell being removed, according to NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. Petan was left off the intitial roster that the Maple Leafs released and should be a solid depth option for Toronto after the 25-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Maple Leafs.

Columbus’ Josh Anderson Will Not Be Ready To Begin Postseason

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The Columbus Blue Jackets announced back in early March that forward Josh Anderson had undergone labrum surgery in his left shoulder and would need four-to-six months to recover. At the time, that meant that Anderson’s 2019-20 season was over. However, given the lengthy pause in the NHL season due to COVID-19, a number of players – including some Blue Jackets – who otherwise would have been done for the year are now looking likely for the delayed postseason. Anderson though is not so lucky.

The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline relays from a team source that Anderson will not be ready for the beginning of the playoffs, widely expected to start up in early August. Hope is not lost that he could return at some point, but it would require a significant run from the Blue Jackets. Portzline writes that Anderson is not expected to be ready for game action until September at the earliest.

As a result, for Anderson to play again this season the Blue Jackets would first need to win their knockout round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs and then would need to upset a top-four seed in the first round of the playoffs. In fact, if the Blue Jackets are the only lower seed to win in the knockout round, they would face the No. 1 seed next. Fortunately, Columbus does have some experience with this accomplishment, shocking the world in 2019 by sweeping the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lighting in Round One. They also went six games with the Boston Bruins, the eventual Eastern Conference champs and the 2019-20 President’s Trophy winners, in the second round. Few would argue that the current version of the Blue Jackets is more talented than last year’s squad, but at least the majority of the roster has experience with facing stiff competition and coming out victorious. They also have recent playoff experience against top-four seeds in Tampa and Boston and went 4-0-2 against the Bruins, Bolts, and Washington Capitals this season.

If the Blue Jackets are indeed alive when Anderson is back at full strength, he could be a difference-maker for the team. The 6’3”, 220-lb. power forward is build for the physical, high-intensity playoff game and provides the size and aggression that Columbus sometimes lacks up front. Though Anderson struggled offensively this season while batting injury, recording just four point in 26 games, he notched 27 goals and 47 points last year and added another three points in ten playoff games. If Anderson is truly healthy, he could be an x-factor for a Blue Jackets team that would already have to be hot at the point of his return.

If Columbus does not stay alive long enough for Anderson to return, there is some question as to whether we have already seen the last of him in a Blue Jackets uniform, or at the very least playing for the team in the postseason. An impending restricted free agent, Anderson is heading into his final off-season under team control barring a long-term extension. Given his previous contractual battles with the organization, his arbitration rights, and the questions surrounding his health and performance this season, a multi-year deal this summer seems like a long shot. The team had previously been rumored to be shopping Anderson at the trade deadline this season and could resume trade talks in the off-season. If he does indeed re-sign, it will almost certainly be a one-year deal via arbitration of qualifying offer. Thus an impending UFA in 2021, Anderson would likely be back on the block next season, especially if the Blue Jackets do not look like they are headed for the postseason.

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