Who’s your pick at 5?

[MadMslm]

We keep hearing about Anderson's progression. He defends a bit better and now plays a style of game designed to keep him in the lineup.
That's it. His playmaking and vision haven't changed and it doesn't seem like he is poised to hit career bests anytime soon. For me his performance as a whole is lukewarm at best.

There’s clearly a progression with the puck on his stick. He has moments where he’ll show better hands in tight spaces instead of just losing the puck. It came in handy a few times during the season where it helped him create some space and not lose it immediately on the boards.

Other than that, I don’t see much progression. I still wish he was better on the boards, with his size and strength he should be one of the best player in the league to win battles and cycle the puck, which he isn’t able to do consistently (although there was progression because he seems to use his hands more). Defensively, there’s maybe a little progression but defending on the Pk is widely different than a 5v5 setting where he still runs around too much.


Unless someone is ready to overpay, they should keep him. There’s not a lot of bulls like him in the league, speed is great, he can score some goals, he’s a leader on the team and without him that forward group is way too soft.

 

[26Mats]

That would be a career high and he would be very hard pressed to do that on a third line.

Yep it would be a career high, but if he is progressing, as he produced as if he was, I'd expect him to hit career highs...

And yes, it's hard to hit those numbers on a 3rd line. But I'd be more concerned about who his center is than what lone he's on. If Monahan were his center that increases his chances.

And, although I see him long term on the 3rd line, maybe before Dubois and Michkov/Smith arrive, he and RHP get time with Suzuki and Dach...