Canadiens acquire Anderson from Blue Jackets for Domi, third-round pick

Sportsnet Staff @SportsnetOctober 06, 2020 - 5:29pm

Tim and Sid look at the trade between the Canadiens and Blue Jackets that saw Max Domi sent to Columbus in return for Josh Anderson.

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Josh Anderson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Max Domi and a 2020 third-round pick.

Canadiens acquire forward Josh Anderson in return for Max Domi and a third-round pick in 2020 (78th overall).
#GoHabsGo | @RONAinc pic.twitter.com/oxqHvOGrd6

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 6, 2020

Both forwards are arbitration-eligible restricted free agents this off-season, with each player coming off short-term bridge deals following the expiration of their respective entry-level deals.

Anderson just finished the final season of a three-year deal with Columbus, the team that drafted him in the fourth round (95th overall) in 2012, and carried a $1.85-million cap hit. Domi’s expiring two-year contract, which he signed upon landing with the Canadiens in June 2018, carried a cap hit of $3.15 million.

Domi had a breakout season in 2018-19, his first year in Montreal after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Alex Galchenyuk. That season, he registered career-highs in goals (28), assists (44) and points (72) through 82 games to lead the club in scoring. Those numbers dropped in 2019-20, which saw him tally 17 goals and 44 points through 71 contests.

Like Domi, the 2018-19 campaign brought career-highs across the board for Anderson, too: 27 goals, 20 assists and 47 points. Anderson, 26, was limited to just 26 games in 2019-20 as he suffered a left shoulder injury on Dec. 14 against the Ottawa Senators. Attempts to rehabilitate the injury without surgery proved unsuccessful, forcing him to be shut down for the remainder of the season — including the return-to-play in the summer — following a surgical procedure that saw him sidelined for four to six months.

For #Canadiens fans wondering about Josh Anderson’s health … #CBJ GM Jarmo Kekalainen told The Athletic last month that Anderson would have played in the second round of the playoff had the Blue Jackets gotten past #TBLightning.

He should be good to go.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) October 6, 2020

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