In light of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent call-up of Joey Anderson, we will take a look at the 24-year-old and his career. Joey and his brother Mikey are both professional hockey players, as his brother plays for the Los Angeles Kings. Although Joey has spent the bulk of his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL), he still has the potential to make the NHL and be a contributor in a bottom-six role.
Anderson’s Junior Career
Anderson’s junior career was spent between two different organizations. He started in 2012-13 with Hill-Murray School in Minnesota, in the United States High School (USHS) league, where he played for two seasons. His rookie season was mediocre, scoring 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points. His second year was much better, as he collected 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points which earned him a spot on the United States National Development Team (USNTDP) in 2014-15. During his time in the USHL, his production was on par with his first season in the USHS, as he scored 44 points over both seasons, 24 in 2014-15, and 20 in 2015-16.
Anderson’s lack of production makes sense when you look at the players that were on his team, as some of his teammates included Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy, Tage Thompson, and Clayton Keller. So, even though he didn’t score 50-plus points per season, he still brought value to the team, and scouts noticed that.
New Jersey Devils
Anderson was drafted by the New Jersey Devils with the 73rd pick in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft. However, he didn’t join the Devils organization right away, as he decided to play with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). He played with the Bulldogs for two seasons from 2016-18, where he was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. In his second year, he helped the Bulldogs win the 2018 NCAA Tournament Championship. He officially joined the Devils in the 2018-19 season after signing his three-year entry-level contract.
Related: Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Anderson didn’t make the team out of camp and started his first pro season with the Devils’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. He was called up to the NHL on Oct. 27, 2018, and played his first NHL game that same day against the Florida Panthers. He ended up recording his first point with the team on Nov. 15, 2018, against the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, on Oct. 10, 2020, Anderson was traded after his second year in the Devils organization to the Maple Leafs for Andreas Johnsson. The Maple Leafs were looking to clear some cap space and acquiring him on his entry-level contract helped with that.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Anderson has been with the Maple Leafs organization since 2020 after signing a three-year extension. However, he has spent the bulk of his time in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. He has seen some time with the Leafs in the NHL but not for an extended period thus far. He has played a total of six games and has never scored a point in any of those games. Although he does has 12 points in 58 NHL games in his career, he has yet to score one in the blue and white.
Anderson is coming off his best season as a pro, scoring 42 points in 2021-22 with the Marlies. Through 21 games so far this season, he has 19 points and sits fourth on the team in points, which justified a call-up to the NHL, especially since the Maple Leafs’ roster has been decimated with injuries. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said about the recent call-up, “He’s a guy we were looking to call up quite soon regardless of injuries. He’s a true leader for the Marlies in all facets”. His production in the AHL has pushed him forward as a candidate to fill a roster spot for the Maple Leafs while their lineup recovers from injuries.
Related: 4 Maple Leafs AHLers to Watch This Season
We will see if he can stay with the team after Pierre Engvall returns from his one-game suspension. Anderson joined the team for their game against the Calgary Flames on Dec. 10. He dressed and was noticeable despite missing the previous practice. In the game, he drew two penalties which helped him earn another chance in the NHL.
The Maple Leafs are to set play against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 13. We will see if Anderson can build on his performance against the Flames and continue to stay in the lineup.