The Chicago Blackhawks have placed forward Joey Anderson on waivers per Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Anderson hasn’t played since November 23rd.
Anderson played in the first 12 games of Chicago’s season and rotated throughout the lineup – playing as little as 11 minutes or as much as 19 minutes through the start of the year. Despite the fluxing role, Anderson only recorded one assist, nine hits, and 13 shots.
It is Anderson’s second full season with the Chicago organization. He started last year in the minor leagues but earned a quick call-up after scoring 16 points in his first 14 games. He spent the rest of the season on the Blackhawks roster, stepping into 55 games and scoring 17 points. It was the longest he’s spent on an NHL roster in his seven-year pro career.
The New Jersey Devils originally drafted Anderson in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He followed the draft with two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he scored 64 points in 77 games before signing his first pro contract in 2018-19. Anderson scored six points in his first 13 AHL games – enough to earn a quick call-up, though he wasn’t able to cement an NHL role. That’s since become a tendency, with Anderson producing well in the minors but failing to find footing at the top flight. It’s one that’s persisted through a 2020 move to Toronto, and a 2023 move to Chicago. History seems to be repeating itself once again, with Anderson set to return to the AHL, should he pass through waivers unclaimed.