Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is going to be extremely busy this off-season with several of his players garnering interest from teams across the National Hockey League.
Jeff Petry and Josh Anderson are two names that have been in the rumour mill over the last little while, and according to The Fourth Period, you can add Mike Hoffman's name to that list.
Hoffman, 32, is under contract for two more years with a cap hit of $4.5 million. A team looking to contend next season may be interested in Hoffman for a middle-six forward role, with the Canadiens likely to retain a portion of his salary. He finished the season with 35 points (fifteen goals, 20 assists) in 67 games.
On the Josh Anderson front, nothing is imminent according to Kent Hughes. But as we saw the the Shea Weber trade last week, things can materialize fairly quickly, so in the weeks leading up to the NHL Entry Draft, Anderson is one name people should keep their eyes on.
The Fourth Period went on to add that one of the teams believed to have interest in Josh Anderson is the New Jersey Devils, who hold the second overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft next month. Before Habs fans get their hopes up, don't expect the Canadiens to receive that pick in a Josh Anderson trade until there is much more going the Devils' way.
Anderson, a native of Burlington (Ontario), has five more years remaining on his contract with a $5.5 million cap hit. In 69 games this season, Anderson recorded 32 points (nineteen goals, thirteen assists), 65 penalty minutes and was a minus-25.
Source:
The Fourth Period.
