Major and Immediate Decision by Martin St-Louis: The head coach of the Canadiens might choose to scratch Josh Anderson
To say that Josh Anderson is having a disastrous start to the season is far from an exaggeration. In 22 games, the power forward has managed two assists, despite playing over 76 minutes in total on the power play and being paired with the team's top offensive players.
While Martin St-Louis may be criticized for not taking action and continuing to give him every opportunity, Anderson is still playing decent hockey. He is highly involved, draws penalties through his work, and creates space for his teammates.
Furthermore, number 17 makes solid defensive plays. In short, it is often said that if a player cannot help the team, they must ensure not to harm it, and Anderson meets this criterion quite well.
In a recent column on 98.5 FM, Martin McGuire mentioned that Martin St-Louis might eventually be forced to bench the forward. The effort is there and consistent, but at some point, results must come.
Of course, there have been changes since this statement. Josh has not produced any more in those two games, but Alex Newhook's injury changes things. Nevertheless, Mitchell Stephens is a player capable of providing offense, and Michael Pezzetta can be inserted into the lineup, allowing Anderson to watch a game from the press box.
Sometimes, seeing the game from a different perspective helps players understand what they need to do. Hopefully, Josh scores quickly and doesn't reach that point, but if not, sooner or later, Martin St-Louis will have to make that decision.
If Patrik Laine was benched in Columbus, I don't see why Anderson couldn't take his turn as well.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Martin St-Louis should scratch Anderson for a game? | ||
| Yes | 119 | 42.8 % |
| No | 159 | 57.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
