Josh Anderson versus Ryan Graves: Bleacher Report’s (strange) idea (2024)

When you look at the salary situation at the Habs right now, you get the feeling that things are starting to pick up after some difficult years. The bad contracts of the Marc Bergevin era are slowly leaving the books, while those negotiated by Kent Hughes are looking better.

Things can change (especially for long-term contracts)… but right now, things are looking promising.

Among the pacts that are likely to bug the Habs for some time to come, however, is that of Josh Anderson. The forward, who will earn $5.5 million a year for the next three seasons, has the potential to bounce back… but right now, he’s not playing up to his salary.

That’s why some hope to see him bounce back this season… but others don’t really believe in it, and would prefer to trade him.

Writing for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz takes a stab at coming up with realistic trade proposals for the league’s worst contracts… and his idea for Anderson’s is for the Habs to trade him to Pittsburgh. In return, Ryan Graves would head to Montreal.

We’re talking about a guy who got thrown under the bus by Kyle Dubas at the end of last season.

For those less familiar with him, Graves is a 29-year-old player who, prior to arriving in Pittsburgh last year, enjoyed good years in Colorado and New Jersey. His annual salary ($4.5 million) is lower than Anderson’s… but he still has five years left on his contract.

Ah, the important detail to mention is that Graves is a defenseman, and a left-handed one at that.

In reality, trading Anderson wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Habs, and such a trade would provide some immediate salary flexibility. That said, the Habs aren’t at the point where they need to free up $1 million annually… especially if it means spending two more years with a bad contract on the books.

It’s mainly around 2026-27, when Anderson’s contract expires, that the Habs will need money. And with such a deal, they’d have $4.5 million to pay until 2028-29.

The author explains his point by saying that the Habs need help on defense, and that a change of scenery could do Graves some good. The problem is that the “defensive help” the Habs are looking for will ideally come with the progression of their youth group.

Going after Graves, who would take a spot on an already congested defensive brigade (especially on the left side), would be a disaster for the development of some youngsters. The young forwards aren’t growing yet: it’s the young defenders who are.

For the Penguins, it’s a deal that makes a lot of sense. But for the Habs, it’s nothing more than a slight financial relief at a time when the club doesn’t need it, and would have a detrimental effect on the development of the young core.

And no, trading Anderson isn’t that high a priority.

In Overtime

– News from Joshua Roy.