Canadiens and Blue Jackets Swap RFA’s

A few hours before the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was set to get underway the @Columbus Blue Jackets and @Montreal Canadiens agreed to trade two of their pending restricted free agents.

Montreal acquired rugged winger @Josh Anderson from Columbus for @Max Domi and a 2020 third-round pick (No.78 overall).

Many teams were reportedly interested in acquiring Anderson because of his hard-nosed style of play and goal-scoring ability he flashed in 2019. Anderson missed most of 2020 with shoulder issues and that limited him to just four points (1G / 3A) in 26 games. However, he is just two years removed from a 27-goal, 20-assist season where he also ranked 14th in the NHL among forwards with 214 hits. Anderson can play all over your lineup and will be a candidate to skate with either @Nick Suzuki or @Jesperi Kotkaniemi once the 2021 season gets underway.

As for Domi, the Canadiens had a plethora of centre options, so moving him for a winger makes a lot of sense for Montreal. From a Columbus perspective, there are rumours that they are looking to buyout @Alexander Wennberg, which creates a spot for Domi to centre their second or third line. When Anderson as hurt, young wingers like @Alexandre Texier and @Liam Foudy stepped up and Columbus feel comfortable enough with them moving forward.

Domi’s second year in Montreal wasn’t nearly as good as his first but he still managed to post 17 goals with 27 assists (44 points) in 71 games–that would have ranked him second on the Blue Jackets in points.

Contract Details

Per PuckPedia Domi is two years away from UFA status while Anderson is just one. PuckPedia teamed up with The Hockey Code to create Free Agency Contract Projections this year and these are the projected terms for both RFA’s.

• – Domi (CBJ) — 3 years, $5.38M AAV ($16.14M Total)

  – Anderson (MTL) — 4 years, $2.65M AAV ($10.6M Total)

Projected  Lineups