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The NHL’s 10 biggest disappointments of 2023-24 season (Anderson @ 8th)



The NHL’s 10 biggest disappointments of 2023-24 season (Anderson @ 8th)

by JacP123

5 Comments

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  2. From the article:

    >During his first three years in Montreal, everybody knew exactly what Anderson was and wasn’t.

    >Anderson was a lightning-quick straight-line scorer blended with a heavy frame and some physicality sprinkled on top. He wasn’t a talented playmaker, a smart decision-maker or a particularly reliable defensive player. You could live with those warts, however, because he was such a physical specimen and had scored 57 goals in 190 games in those three years, which translates to a 24 goals per 82 games pace.

    >Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis has worked hard to evolve Anderson into a more well-rounded player. It seems to have had the opposite effect because the 29-year-old winger’s confidence looks shot and his results across the board are very disappointing.

    >Anderson has scored just eight goals and 10 assists in 60 games, including just two goals in his last 26 games. On top of that, he’s continued to be a huge drag on his teammates’ two-way results, according to Evolving-Hockey’s RAPM model.

    >[*Graphic via Evolving-Hockey*](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/03/11143417/Screen-Shot-2024-03-10-at-4.17.53-PM.png)

    >Right now, it’s as if you’re getting all of the usual warts of Anderson’s game without any of the usual positives. With another three years left after this at a $5.5 million cap hit, Anderson looks like he may have one of the league’s most inefficient contracts

  3. I know he gets paid millions to play a game, but when it’s also your job, and you aren’t able to meet expectations… That can’t be easy for anyone.

    Hopefully there’s a team out there who thinks they can salvage something out of him, because I don’t think he can do it in Montreal. Like the article alludes to, he’s one of the few players who Marty hasn’t been able to reach, so a change of scenery might do him some good.

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