Anderson: 'I'm coming into this year fresh'

MONTREAL - Nearly 13 months have passed since newcomer Josh Anderson last played an NHL game, but he won't have to wait much longer with the start of the season just one week away.

Back at full strength after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury in December 2019 while still a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 27-year-old right-winger is gearing up for what he hopes will be a productive year in a fresh environment.
So far so good for Anderson through three on-ice sessions at the Bell Sports Complex. Playing alongside a familiar face in Jonathan Drouin and sophomore sniper Nick Suzuki has him feeling confident already.
"I got the opportunity to play with Drou in the World Juniors. You can just see the skill on him. He's just so smooth and silky and I'm excited to play with him," praised Anderson, who boasts 65 goals and 115 points in 267 career NHL games. "With Suzuki, you could just see the speed and the work ethic. He's a pretty quick player and works hard at both ends of the ice. He's really smart, too. He makes some nice plays, so I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play with both of those guys. It should be a good line."

The former fourth-round selection is impressed with every aspect of the group he now finds himself a part of after the Canadiens acquired his services from Columbus this past October. He's fired up for things to finally get going against the Maple Leafs on January 13 in Toronto, and with good reason.
"I think you could just see on paper, with the additions that we made, the depth that we have on the Canadiens is so strong. I think anybody can play anywhere on each and every line. That's pretty impressive. Especially with our goaltending, two great goaltenders, so that's huge," explained Anderson. "They've also treated me great from day one. They look like they're a tight group and they were really friendly with me as soon as I got here. It's just nice to come in and feel comfortable right away."
As much as Anderson is eager to get back into the groove that helped him amass a career-high 27 goals and 47 points in 82 games in 2018-19, he isn't putting any extra pressure on himself to storm out of the gates offensively.
Joining forces with the likes of Drouin and Suzuki should give him a significant boost in that department, though, so he'll be fun to watch.
"I think you've got to take it one game at a time. I'm a pretty confident player and I know the abilities that I bring to the game. You can't really worry about the offense too much. That's the little things that will come if you are playing the right way," mentioned Anderson, who signed a seven-year contract just days after joining the Original Six franchise. "I'm coming into this year fresh. I'm taking last year out. and not even thinking about it, so I'm coming in with full confidence and taking it day by day and seeing where it goes from there."

Speaking of confidence, head coach Claude Julien wholeheartedly believes that Anderson can be a difference-maker for his hockey club in more ways than one.
At 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds, the two-time OHL champion and Calder Cup winner certainly has the size element the veteran bench boss was hoping would be added to his roster during the offseason. But Anderson is fast as well, so the possibilities to put him to good use are endless.
"Before his injury, he scored a lot on the rush, just coming down the wing, using his speed and using his shot. We knew what we were getting. But when you see him every day, it's fun and exciting to see how well he skates and how he uses his speed to the outside when he brings pucks to the net," said Julien. "That's something we've wanted to have for a while and we've encouraged our team to do more of. Hopefully that becomes contagious."
There was no denying Anderson's enthusiasm when he fielded questions from reporters following Wednesday's practice on the South Shore, especially with a scrimmage on the horizon on Thursday.
To say that the Burlington, ON native is enjoying his new digs is an understatement.
"You can see the confidence on the guys. Everybody is joking around off the ice, and then when you get on the ice guys are smiling, scoring goals, having fun," said Anderson. "I think you can just see the chemistry building on the team and we're looking forward to really getting started and doing some good things here."