Josh Anderson is back, and we know he adds quantifiable value to the team.
29 Points
In his first full year as a National Hockey League player, a 22-year-old Anderson contributed 17 goals and 12 assists for a total of 29 points to the Blue Jackets attack. He did this at a rate of one point for approximately every 32 minutes on-ice, an efficiency that ranked seventh-best on the team in 2016-17. With a complete season now under his belt, odds are these numbers will likely improve.
17 Goals at Even Strength
While Anderson's 17 goals were sixth on the team, he didn't score a single one of them on the power play or shorthanded. All of his goals were even-strength tallies. That number ranked third on the club.
What's astounding is that Anderson managed 17 even-strength goals in just 12:01 of average ice time. For comparison, no other Blue Jackets player last season with average TOI of less than 16:00 scored more than 11 even strength goals. Anderson brings a unique scoring threat on the wing, whether he's on the Blue Jackets' second or third line.
89 Minutes Worth of Penalties
Not all statistics are flattering, but for a rough-and-tumble kid like Anderson, may penalty minutes are part of the package. His 89 penalty minutes last season were second-most on the team, and he was in the penalty box one minute for roughly every 10:30 he was actually on the ice.
Now, it should also be noted that 25 of those 89 minutes were due to fights (Anderson was tied for the team lead in fights last year with five, per hockeyfights.com), but Anderson's 64 non-fight-related penalty minutes would still rank second on the team.
$1.85 Million Annual Salary
Salary is often a the best indicator of a player's worth. The team investment speaks louder than any words. Typically, the more a team is willing to pay a player, the more value they feel the player adds. The Blue Jackets organization gave Anderson $1.85 million in annual salary, making him the team's 12th-highest paid player.
Statistics are courtesy of hockey-reference.com, unless otherwise stated.
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