Canadiens: Anderson Must Be Signed To A New Contract, But It Can’t Be A Big One

Granted, one good game doesn't make a season, but Anderson picked up right where he left off in the playoffs with gritty, physical play. The winger landed four hits, more than anyone else on the team. Watching him play, Jeff Gorton's words from the third episode of the rebuild came back to me: "This is why we'll never trade Andy." The executive said that in a game against the Boston Bruins , when the big winger set the tone by dropping the gloves early against Tanner Jeannot . The Habs eventually won that December 23 game 6-2.

As things stand, the power forward is in the final year of a 7-year deal with a $5.5 million cap hit. When Marc Bergevin signed him to that deal, he hoped Anderson would be a 30-goal-per-year scorer; that didn't happen. Early in his contract, and during the rebuild, there were rumblings that he should be moved; his name was in a lot of rumors, and he absolutely hated being asked about the possibility. He was clear about his intentions back in 2022:

We're in a tough situation right now, but I think that we have the right people to make this thing work. I love it here in Montreal; I signed a long-term deal for a reason: to stay in Montreal and to win here. So, I'm obviously very excited about that, and like I said, I think we have the right people to make that happen.