Well, I sure saw this coming from a mile away. Craig Anderson, who displayed many different signs of frustration over the last few months, was traded to the Ottawa Senators for Brian Elliott this morning. On the surface, the Avalanche get a well-rounded and technically sound butterfly goaltender with a strong work ethic and an upbeat attitude. The Senators get a big goaltender with the ability to be a solid workhorse, meaning he could fetch a decent contract to be their starter next season.

I hope some of you took the time to read the post I wrote yesterday on Anderson’s struggles here in Colorado. I think it points to a lot of the reasons why he was finally shipped to another team. Simply put, he didn’t seem happy at all being in this situation. I think he was unhappy with some of the coaching decisions, unhappy with the lack of support, and extremely frustrated with his own lack of success. It became a downward spiral of sorts, and a trade was made.

To me, the Avalanche benefit from this deal for a couple of reasons. First of all, Anderson was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. So for them to find a willing trade partner and get another quality, well-rounded goalie in return, is much better than just letting him walk and getting nothing in return.

Second of all, Elliott is a very capable goalie that I think will create a healthy competition between he and Peter Budaj. This is a great situation for a young team, as the chemistry and competitiveness forces both goalies to work even harder in practices and in games on a day-to-day basis. That’s already a huge benefit that the Avalanche get with this trade.

For the Senators, they get a big goaltender that is capable of being a workhorse and will thrive in a new situation. Anderson brings some intimidation to the crease and if he can revive his intensity and work ethic, this will also be a huge win for the Senators. Health might be a concern since Anderson has struggled to regain his form from last season, but overall I think he’s the type of goalie that thrives on being desperate and unconventional, and therefore could be a great fit in Ottawa.

Overall, I look at this trade as a win-win situation for both teams. The Avalanche move a guy who was clearly unhappy and receive an upbeat and capable goaltender in return. The Senators get a bigger goaltender that is capable of logging heavy minutes and injecting the team with some attitude and intensity. He’ll be “the man” in Ottawa, that’s for sure.

In fact, I am kind of reminded of Ray Emery’s time in Ottawa. He was a big goalie that logged heavy minutes and brought a fierce attitude to the crease. And it was a very positive situation for that team at that time. If you look at Anderson’s impact on the Avalanche last season, then relate it to what Emery brought to Ottawa, there are a lot of similarities in that regard.

So again, I think Anderson was definitely a victim of some very frustrating circumstances here in Colorado. He was simply not happy. I can only speculate on things like clashing with the coaching staff and needing to take a personal leave for a few days. But in the end, his demeanor, his body language and his overall lack of a strong work ethic (compared to last season) really showed. And because of that, I think he really wanted a change.

I’ll have more insight and analysis on this trade on Twitter and on Mile High Sports Radio, AM 1510.

Related posts:

  1. Colorado Trades Craig Anderson To Ottawa
  2. Anderson, Cumiskey, Galiardi Out – Holøs In For Slumping Avs
  3. Duchene, Anderson Lead Avs to Victory
  4. Craig Anderson Back At Practice
  5. Cumiskey Concussed; Anderson Skating