Where Will Craig Anderson Finish the Season?
It’s Weekly Question time!
Craig Anderson is unquestionably the greatest goaltender in Ottawa Senators history. The franchise’s all-time leader in games played, wins, and soon-to-be shutouts, he has been the undisputed starter since he arrived in 2011. For almost nine years, Andy has been a consummate pro, and the backbone of the Ottawa Senators.
Even when his wife, Nicholle, was diagnosed with throat cancer in late 2016, Anderson returned to the team to lead them to the Eastern Conference Final. His performance during that season was nothing short of heroic, and left fans with many emotional moments.
Today, Craig Anderson is 38 years old. The Ottawa Senators are likely two years away from being a competitive team, at minimum, and younger goaltenders like Anders Nilsson and Marcus Hogberg are making their respective cases to stay in Ottawa long-term.
Couple this with the fact that The Athletic’s CJ Stevenson reported that Anderson would likely waive his no-trade clause if asked, and things get interesting.
.@CJ_Stevenson just said that Craig Anderson told him he would most likely waive his no-trade clause if asked. I love Andy, best goalie in Sens history, but if I'm Pierre Dorion I'm working the phones like crazy. See what you can get, let Andy try to win a Cup, give Hoggy a look.
— Brandon Maki (@BrandonMaki6) December 5, 2019
As it currently stands, there are many NHL teams in desperate need of goaltending. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, all are starving for consistency between the pipes, and are only a few of the teams that may be wiling to part with a decent haul to acquire Andy’s services.
That said, trading a Senators legend like Anderson would likely be a tough pill to swallow for fans, and his $4.75M cap hit may be an obstacle for some teams.
With all this in mind, this edition of the Weekly Question is simple:
Will Craig Anderson end the season in Ottawa?
| Yes | 100 |
| No (specify where in the comments) | 170 |