Canadiens’ Anderson Doesn’t Want To Go Anywhere

On Monday, BPM Sport’s Greg Lanctot interviewed Montreal Canadiens alternate captain Josh Anderson, the man former NHLer and radio show host Georges Laraque calls Thorn. It was a fun-filled 10-minute chat, but the main takeaway was simple: Anderson doesn’t want to go anywhere, and it’s not even something he’s considered, even if his contract is coming to an end this season:

It's something, you know, in the summer, I’ve had a lot of time with my family to think about, and obviously, those are discussions that are going to come up. I've been so fortunate to be here; this is my seventh year, like you said, and for it to be coming to an end is not something I've thought about. The only thing that I’ve thought about is playing in MTL for my entire career. I'm a big believer in everything is going to work itself out. Being through the ups & downs, going to the finals the first year, then going through the rebuild, and now you’re back in it, and you've got a team that's ready to win now. How cool would it be to be a part of that?

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That last part makes it clear that Anderson will follow the trend set by the younger players and agree to a team-friendly deal. He’s been through the trials and tribulations of a rebuild, and he doesn’t want to leave when the goal is in sight. In fact, he never even wanted to leave.

When the Habs were entering the rebuild and chatter suggested he might be used as trade bait, he even got annoyed with the media for asking about the rumours. Even back then, he shut them down, saying he had signed a seven-year deal to play in Montreal during those seven years, which made sense. But not every player wants to stay through a rebuild; Anderson didn’t mind, and since then, he’s created a life for his family here in Montreal.

He’s seen the players around him grow and improve by leaps and bounds; he knows they’re on the right path, and he’s not about to jump off a train that's steaming ahead to big opportunities. It really feels like once Kent Hughes decides it’s time to extend the veteran, a deal will come together easily.

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