Most disappointing Montreal Canada

Montreal Canadiens fan favorite Josh Anderson has the physical tools and speed to be an absolute weapon for the team.

But for one reason or another, it looks like a dull pair of safety scissors. Things that scare him have rarely come up this season. Anderson is still 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, but he's played a lot less.

It's sad to see him play and his performance with it. He may think that his faith must be fragile. Watching him play was a picture worth a thousand words – like watching paint dry.

He doesn't play the simple, hard-hitting, dirty areas of hockey that he's been so successful with for so long. Sure, he's not playing injured, but something has to give during the worst production period of his career. At what point does he hurt the team more than he helps?

You won't see #17 on the ice during penalty kicks. The Habs also beat a dead horse — testing Anderson on the power play. Simply put, Anderson's 20-goal season is a thing of the past.

The 29-year-old has played 46 games for the Canadiens this season, posting a 7-6-13 statline. At this point, it will take a significant hot streak for Anderson to match his production over the past two seasons. After back-to-back 32-point seasons, Anderson is matching his 24-point season in 52 games since his first campaign in Montreal in 2020-21.

His $5.5 million cap hit extends beyond this season for three more seasons. He cannot become a free agent until he is 33 years old. Thank you very much for the contract, Marc Bergevin.

The sad thing is, we all know how effective Anderson can be. His speed makes a huge difference and his combination of size and strength should make him a matchup nightmare. Joel Armia and Juraj Slafkovsky successfully used their physical tools – Anderson did not.

It cannot be bought and cannot be sought in the trade. Even if Hughes keeps some of his salary, his game has rotted and that will handcuff the Canadiens. In the sense that the most likely time for a club to buy a free agent is two to three years from now – paying for Anderson still doesn't make sense.

I think sending it to Laval might be most helpful, if not impossible. Maybe the playoffs can make “The Powerhorse” run again.

Anderson has played so poorly it's about how far he's fallen.