Josh Anderson made his intentions clear Monday. He wants a new deal with the Canadiens, and he wants to finish his career in Montreal.
The 32-year-old forward went on BPM Sports radio and didn't hedge. "All I've ever thought about is playing in MTL for my entire career," he said.
He went further than the usual loyalty talk, too. He tied his future directly to where this group is headed.
"Being through the ups & downs and going through the rebuild and now you got a team that's ready to win now. How cool would it be to be a part of that?"
Kent Hughes now has a very public conversation sitting on his desk. And it landed the day before the Canadiens host Buffalo tonight.
He carries a $5,500,000 cap hit, the same number as Phillip Danault. Any new deal gets judged against what a forward looks like at 33, 34 and beyond.
Kent Hughes faces a loyalty test the Canadiens can't dodge
The early production is fine without being loud. Anderson has a goal and two assists through five games, with a +1 rating on a team that keeps leaking chances.
Montreal sits 2-2-1 and has been outscored 19-15. The 1-0 shootout win over Detroit on Saturday was the first time all season they kept the opposition off the board.
Ready to win now? The club is 23rd overall and seventh in its division right now, so the veteran's pitch is running ahead of the standings.
A short extension makes sense. Anything long-term for a forward in his 30s is a bad bet, full stop, and Hughes has young money to protect.
Lane Hutson already carries an $8,850,000 cap hit at 22. Juraj Slafkovsky, also 22, sits at $7,600,000.
Asking for a new deal right now is a bit like a tenant requesting a lease renewal while the landlord is still repainting the building. Everybody likes the tenant.
Nobody wants to sign before seeing the finished floor plan. And the forward group is about to get crowded.
Zachary Bolduc has three goals in five games on a $4,200,000 cap hit. Ivan Demidov isn't expected back from injured reserve until at least Oct. 31.
The schedule won't slow down for contract talk. After tonight, it's a back-to-back in Washington on Wednesday, then the Sabres again Saturday.
So does Hughes reward the guy who stuck around through the rebuild, or wait to see where No. 17 fits once the kids push for top six minutes?
The answer might come before a four-game road trip that opens Oct. 23 in Chicago. Or it might not, and every shift Anderson plays until then becomes part of the negotiation.
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Should Kent Hughes give Josh Anderson the extension he wants to finish his career in Montreal?
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