No. 4: Joey Anderson
When Anderson eventually cracks the Leafs everyday roster, fans are going to be laughing at the fact that they were able to acquire him for Andreas Johnsson.
The 23-year-old right-winger is only 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, but he plays bigger than his size would indicate. He’s been known to be a pest at times, and isn’t afraid to throw his body around to hit. He’s a great skater, who can forecheck admirably and would fit perfectly in an energy/grinding role on the third-line.
Anderson doesn’t provide a ton of offense, but his defensive game is one of his bright spots. As a result, he could be someone who helps out on the penalty-kill or plays a shutdown role.
Toronto has a lot of sill, but they don’t have enough players who can shutdown the opponent’s top-line. The Montreal Canadiens did a great job with this against the Toronto Maple Leafs last postseason, so Toronto could learn something from them and create their own defensive shutdown line.
Anderson signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, so Kyle Dubas clearly thinks highly of him and is someone he sees playing in the NHL, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him given an opportunity this year.