Josh Anderson: if he continues like this, Martin St-Louis will have to let him go

The Habs have had three goalkeepers so far this season. This inevitably affects the depth of the rest of the club.

Why? Because with a 23-man roster, that leaves only 20 skaters. And if two of them are in bad shape, but don’t need to go on the injured list because of it, that hurts the depth, which becomes downright non-existent.

But hey. Right now, the injured are on the injured list and the club’s extras are healthy. This gives Martin St-Louis a bit of flexibility to build his line-up and create an internal battle.

And if yesterday’s training session is anything to go by, things could get a little shaky.

As Martin McGuire said on the radio (98.5 FM) last night, it’s conceivable that the Canadiens’ bottom-6 could change a little in preparation for tonight’s game in Columbus.

Here’s Saturday’s line-up, for reference.

Today’s lineup

Today’s lineup#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/b0vlersCoe

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) November 25, 2023

What could change in this bottom-6 , which is anything but dominant? If yesterday’s practice is anything to go by, Martin St-Louis will be keen to give Joel Armia, who was recently recalled, some playing time.

Yesterday, he practiced on the third line, in place of (invisible) veteran Tanner Pearson. Pearson was on the fourth, and Jesse Ylönen wasn’t exactly a regular starter.

Will this change really happen? Could Mattias Norlinder take the place of a guy like Gustav Lindstrom? That remains to be seen… but before Arber Xhekaj’s return, which isn’t expected today, now’s the time to do it.

But aside from the fact that it potentially injects new blood into the line-up because guys deserve to play, it also has the effect of sending a message to everyone: don’t take your place for granted.

After all, it’s easy to send Ylönen (who’s been playing less and less in the third period for a while now) and Lindstrom into the stands, but it’s a different matter if Martin St-Louis did it with a veteran.

And Martin McGuire rightly suggested Josh Anderson as a candidate. He mentioned that he had a feeling (so no info on that) that if the forward plays poorly tonight and tomorrow, he could get the axe.

The CH’s next two opponents are tailor-made for Josh Anderson, according to @mmcguirehockey:

“Josh Anderson has two games to make sparks fly. If not, maybe Saturday against Detroit he’ll skip his turn!”

Live at from @LangloisMario pic.twitter.com/C8LUGnXkOo

– 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) November 29, 2023

Obviously, we know it’s not easy for Anderson, who isn’t dragging his feet on the ice right now. He’s not scoring and he has to hold his stick pretty tight.

And that’s normal.

But the way McGuire sees it, tonight and tomorrow, he’ll be facing teams that are “tailor-made” for him. Why is that? Because he’s already played for the Blue Jackets, and because the Panthers are tough.

That’s why the CH radio play-by-play announcer believes that, while he doesn’t have to score, he does have to create something when he’s sent out on the ice.

Josh Anderson has two games to make a splash. If not, maybe he’ll skip his turn against Detroit on Saturday. – Martin McGuire

At some point, the guys are accountable for their results and the way Anderson is playing, he has to be a candidate to be sent to the stands, at some point.

Plus, it might help him.

At the start of the season, the Canadiens sent Joel Armia to the waivers. The latter served as a message to the others, but it’s safe to say that the guys forgot that message.

Sending Anderson to the press gallery could have the same effect.

In a flurry

– It was expected.

– Many people know what happened, then.

– Really?

– He’s on the ice.

– Not crazy.