Canadiens' Josh Anderson Feels Montreal Will Breakout Next Season

While the Montreal Canadiens may be disappointed with getting eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, the future is very bright, and forward Josh Anderson knows it.

Anderson played a major role in the first-round matchup against the Washington Capitals, going head to head with Tom Wilson on numerous occasions, and while it's not the result they wanted this year, Anderson feels the team is very close to being a contender. 

“The pain that we’ve gone through over the last couple years, and seeing the growth of everybody in our locker room… we have come a long way,” Anderson said in a media scrum. “I think that we’re in good hands right now with everybody here and how things lining up. The fanbase has a lot to be excited for in the next couple years and I think we’re just getting started. We’re going to be a team that’s on the map. Then we got to repeat it again next year and go from there.”

“I think we’ve shown that we’re kind of a little bit over (rebuilding) right now. We’ve been through some growing pains over the last couple years. But I think that we’ve built something that we’re ready to win with.” Anderson had a decent season, with some ups and downs, finishing the year with 15 goals and 27 points in 81 games. If the Canadiens are going to take a big step forward, he'll need to elevate his game, considering he's on the books for $5.5 million AAV.

Some roster changes worth keeping an eye on is moving Patrik Laine. The polarizing forward was called out multiple times for his effort level during the playoffs, and if the Habs are going to take a leap forward, they'll have to figure out how to upgrade their lineup, and moving Laine could be a start.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images