Number: 77
Age: 25
Birth date: May 7, 1994
Birthplace:Burlington, Ont.
Height, weight:6-3, 2222
Stats: 26 GP, 1-3-4, minus-0.4 point shares, 54.97 xGF% at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick
Contract:Restricted free agent (arbitration eligible)
Perhaps the biggest individual question facing the Blue Jackets this offseason surrounds Anderson.
Will the standout winger, one of the unicorns of the NHL thanks to his unique blend of size, speed and scoring ability, be back as he enters the offseason without a contract? And if he does come back, which Anderson will the team get -- the one who looked like one of the most intimidating players in the league his first three seasons in the league, or the one who couldn't get things on track during the 2019-20 campaign, just when he was being counted on to be a major scorer?
To be fair, injuries were a major limiting factor for Anderson, who had consistently been healthy throughout his first three seasons despite a physical style that's nearly unmatched in the NHL. But this past year, with just a single goal and three assists in 26 games, was a disappointing one when it came to production as Anderson entered what was essentially a contract year with his deal expiring.
When he's healthy and going, Anderson is unlike almost any other player in the league, as he and Alex Ovechkin were the only NHL players in 2018-19 to score at least 25 goals and place among the top 25 in hits in the league. It will make for an interesting negotiation between Anderson and the Blue Jackets, or he could end up as one of the most intriguing pieces available on the trade market this offseason if he and Columbus can't come to a long-term deal.
Entering the season:After seeing a number of forwards leave the team in free agency during the offseason, the Blue Jackets expected Anderson to be one of the team's key drivers of offensive production. He got better and better as the first three seasons went on, going from 17 goals in 2016-17 to 19 a year later to 27 in 2018-19. Anderson was also expected to be a key part of the team's physical identity after coming off a season in which posted 214 hits.
Season recap: Instead, it was one of the most frustrating campaigns imaginable for Anderson, and it all started from the beginning of the campaign.
Anderson admitted when he came to camp that a left shoulder injury suffered during the team's playoff run the previous April still hadn't fully healed. He played just two games before the shoulder was hurt again, taking him out of the lineup for six games.
Anderson returned in late October but never could get the offensive game going. While he still registered as a physical presence -- Anderson had 2.61 hits per game this season, the same number he had per game in 2018-19 -- the goals and assists just didn't come.
His advanced numbers were still solid, though, as according to Natural Stat Trick, Anderson was second on the team in expected goals percentage at 5-on-5 of any players who skated in at least 25 games, even though he was minus-8. The Blue Jackets averaged 11.5 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes when he was on the ice, tops on the team.
But for whatever reason, the points didn't follow, and Anderson's last game of the year came Dec. 14 in Ottawa. Sonny Milano took a hard hit from Mark Borowiecki early in the game, and Anderson stepped up to fight the Senators defenseman moments later. During the fight, Anderson suffered a right shoulder injury, and while he rehabbed the next two and a half months in an effort to rejoin the team for the stretch run, Anderson eventually in early March made the decision to undergo surgery that turned out to be season ending.
