On this subject, columnist Tony Marinaro recently gave his take on BPM Radio, and while there's no surprise regarding the first line (Suzuki, Caufield, and Slafkovsky), he did have a surprise for the team's second line.
Here are his exact words:
If a large part of Canadiens fans would have preferred Alex Newhook over Josh Anderson, Marinaro is still aware that Anderson has been given many chances and hasn't delivered the expected results. He simply isn't worth the $5.5 million per year contract given by Marc Bergevin.
However, putting two players who had rough patches last season on the same line could be psychologically interesting. Both players have everything to prove to Martin St-Louis. They could motivate each other in a dynamic where they aim to contribute to the team's success.
The player who once scored 27 goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets only netted nine goals with the Canadiens in 78 games during the 2023-2024 regular season.
Josh Anderson is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 224 pounds. Kirby Dach is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 217 pounds, and Patrik Laine is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. This would be one of the most physical lines in the NHL, with three big players who can skate well and have powerful shots.
What do you think of a line with Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach, and Josh Anderson?
Source: HABSolumentFanTony Marinaro place Josh Anderson sur le deuxième trio pour débuter la saison
POLL | ||
8 SEPTEMBRE | 196 ANSWERS Tony Marinaro speculates on the identity of Patrik Laine's linemates for the first Habs game Which player is most likely to play on the same line as Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach in 2024-2025? | ||
Alex Newhook | 125 | 63.8 % |
Josh Anderson | 38 | 19.4 % |
Brendan Gallagher | 7 | 3.6 % |
Joshua Roy | 26 | 13.3 % |
List of polls |