Josh Anderson is the Canadiens' Masterton Selection
I love the Masterton Trophy and as a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, that's our Trophy. We vote on many others but that's the one and we have tried to emphasize it over the years. Josh Anderson has had a lot of ups and downs, injuries and yet, he's still out there playing the game he loves.
Anderson has had a good season. He's given the Canadiens' a little bit of everything. His 15 goals is a surprise for me. After the nine he posted last season, I wasn't sure if he could bounce back. But he has and he will be a valuable player going forward and he does have playoff experience. 43 games of it, and that will matter as a good voice in the room.
Anderson gets 25% defensive zone starts and averages 1:47 on their penalty kill according to InStat. That's very valuable. Here's the valuable statistic going forward. He's winning 56% of his puck battles. He averages 1.38 hits per game. That's a lot. Players like Anderson make the job of some of the other players much easier and that's a role he plays well when healthy.
I will get to vote on this award and will consider Anderson. There are too many worthy candidates every season. Players have told me they appreciate this award because of what it signifies. It's nice to get that feedback because these guys put it all out there every night, every shift, and that's admirable.
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