Columbus Blue Jackets: Josh Anderson – New Age Enforcer
By William Espy
The Columbus Blue Jackets forward is the definition of a power forward, but also a new age enforcer.
Josh Anderson is one of the top scorers on the Columbus Blue Jackets. However there is something that separates him from Cam Atkinson and Anthony Duclair.
Anderson’s physicality is in line with the enforcers of days gone by, without the consistent fighting that has been taken out of the NHL for the most part. Jody Shelley and Jared Boll are synonymous with the role of an enforcer in Columbus. While Anderson doesn’t fight nearly as much, he plays very similarly on the forecheck and backcheck.
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Instead of going for the fancy and more technical stick play, Anderson plays the body instead. He goes for big hits, whether it be along the boards on in open ice.
As he proved in the second and final game against Dallas of the season, Anderson isn’t afraid to drop the gloves either. He dropped them against Dallas captain Jamie Benn in a heavyweight bout that made the NHL world applaud.
Anderson isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates or himself if he needs to, which is important with players like Tom Wilson running freely around the NHL.
On top of that, Anderson is currently tied for second on the team in goals with Anthony Duclair with seven goals. He trails only Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson who have both scored eight.
Anderson’s style of play is fairly similar to the man who he fought in Dallas, Jamie Benn. It goes without saying that Anderson isn’t nearly as good as Benn, as Benn is arguably a top 20 player in the NHL while Anderson is a second or third liner on a majority of NHL teams. The only issue with Anderson is his struggle to record assists which brings his point totals down.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have a rising star in Josh Anderson. He takes aspects of Jody Shelley’s power game and mixes it with Cam Atkinson’s goal scoring prowess. If he can record some assists, then Anderson’s point totals could be near elite levels.