Josh Anderson will not be in the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Martin St-Louis has already filled the opening.
St-Louis said Owen Beck will step in for Anderson, who is out for personal reasons rather than an injury. No additional details have been provided, and his privacy is being respected.
Anderson’s absence is a real loss for Montreal. He has been off to a strong start, piling up 7 goals and 10 points in 16 games while also posting a +8 rating. That kind of production and two-way impact is not easy to replace, especially with an Atlantic Division matchup on deck.
Beck gets the call at a good time for the Canadiens. Montreal has been rolling, and the 22-year-old forward will join a group that has found ways to keep winning. The 33rd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has already played in 5 games this season, putting up 1 goal and 2 assists.
This is another chance for Beck to make his case at the NHL level. He does not need to copy Anderson’s game shift for shift. He just needs to be reliable, bring energy and make his minutes matter.
Montreal enters the night with a 10-3-3 record, good for sixth overall in the NHL and second in the Atlantic Division.
Jacob Fowler will also be back in net, getting the start against Toronto.
Anderson will return when he is ready. For now, Beck has a fresh opportunity to earn more trust from St-Louis.
In Other News...
Canadiens Face A Tough Call On This Defense Trade Target
The market for Simon Edvinsson has been moving for about a week now, and the Detroit Red Wings are making it clear they are not treating this as a simple one-for-one swap. Michael Misa, the 2025 second-overall pick, is part of the conversation with the San Jose Sharks, but Detroit is reportedly looking for additional assets on top of that, which tells you how highly it values the young defenseman and how difficult any deal is going to be to complete.
For the Canadiens, that matters because Edvinsson has emerged as a name worth watching on their blue line wish list, even if the price tag is already shaping up as a major obstacle. Montreal has been linked to the talks, but with Detroit pushing for more than a headline piece in return, the Canadiens may have to decide whether this is the kind of swing worth taking or the kind of pursuit that quickly becomes too rich to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Draft Debate Around Jacob Fowler Looks Even Bigger Now
The Canadiens 2023 draft room had a real goalie decision on its hands, and the choice has only aged better for Montreal. Jacob Fowler was the pick in the third round, and since then he has moved quickly into the kind of prospect status teams hope to find when they spend a mid-round selection on a goalie. He has already become Montreals starting goaltender and picked up some notable NHL accolades along the way, which is exactly why that draft debate still matters now.
Billy Ryan was one of the voices pushing hard for Fowler, and the organization is feeling the benefit of that conviction. The name on the other side of the discussion was Adam Gajan, who went to Chicago as the first goalie taken that year but has spent most of his time in lower leagues and has not reached the NHL yet. For Montreal, it is a reminder that goalie evaluations can swing a lot on one rooms judgment, and this one is looking like a win. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face One Big Kucherov Question Fans Wont Ignore
Nikita Kucherovs request for a trade out of Tampa Bay has instantly become one of the most intriguing names on the market, and the timing only adds to the intrigue with the star winger entering the final year of his contract. For Montreal, the mere mention of his availability is enough to get attention, even if the Canadiens are only one of several teams believed to be in the mix as the situation develops.
The Lightning still control the process, which means this is far from a straight line to any one destination, and the race could quickly turn into a competition among multiple suitors. David Pagnotta has pointed to the Rangers, Blackhawks and Kraken as the teams most likely to drive the pursuit, but Montreal remains part of the conversation as fans wait to see whether the Canadiens can realistically stay in it if the bidding gets serious. [Read more 🡒]