Josh Anderson done in Montreal? Major statement emerges

Indeed, after scoring 21 goals in 69 games last year, expectations were high for the 29-year-old forward, who was considered an important element in the Tricolore's lineup. Unfortunately, number 17 has never been able to find his stride, becoming a lamentable burden for the organization.

Moreover, with only nine goals and ten assists, Josh Anderson is on track to have his worst season since entering the NHL. Considering he has a salary of $5.5 million per year until 2026-2027, his performance is clearly not living up to his lucrative contract.

Once again, the plans of the Blue-Blanc-Rouge's general manager are hindered by the poor decisions made by his predecessor, Marc Bergevin. The former GM of the CH left him with several bad deals, a reality that greatly affects the team's salary cap and potential acquisitions in the free agent market.

Appearing on TVA Sports, Tony Marinaro and Jean-Charles Lajoie discussed the options available to Kent Hughes to finally end the association between Josh Anderson and the Montreal Canadiens. Although the two journalists would use different strategies, the conclusion is the same: the management needs to get rid of the right winger.

For his part, JiC believes that the Canadiens must retain 50% of his contract to find him a new destination via the trade market. However, if such an avenue cannot be realized, he suggests that Kent Hughes buy out Josh Anderson to allow the organization to move on.

As for Tony Marinaro, JiC's solution does not really appeal to him, as it would have a significant financial impact. According to him, Kent Hughes should consider the strategy used with Joel Armia, namely demoting Josh Anderson to the American League to send a serious message.

Even though I'm tired of seeing number 17 deliver disappointing performances night after night, I tend to side with Tony Marinaro. A contract buyout would have repercussions on the team's salary cap for six seasons, which is far too long. In my opinion, the best possible scenario is to hope for a revival of the forward next year in order to potentially trade him at a discount at the trade deadline.

Certainly, it will be interesting to see how Kent Hughes wishes to navigate this thorny issue.