Contract buyout expected for Brendan Gallagher? It could be a solid move for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens
Marc Bergevin has left many bad contracts for his successor, Kent Hughes.
One of the deals that absolutely does not provide a return on investment is Brendan Gallagher's. With still four seasons to go at a staggering annual salary of $6.5 million, the 31-year-old player is far from deserving this amount with the offensive performance he has offered over the past three seasons.
We are far from the 30-goal campaigns of Gally, as he has scored only 29 in three years. However, it should be clarified that he has not played almost a full season since 2018-2019, but this is also another element that weighs in the balance of this bad contract extension offered by Bergevin.
The injury history of the spirited forward is very concerning, as he seems incredibly hampered by his style of play. Considering that he will end his contract at the age of 35, it is hard to believe that he will still be healthy enough to play with the club.
Given that he has unfortunately become a financial burden on the Tricolore's payroll, no longer able to keep up to play a role on a top-6, while earning the salary of such a forward, he is also clearly overpaid to play on the bottom two lines. A contract buyout is a solution that could save Kent Hughes many headaches.
Taking into consideration that this would happen in the summer of 2024, the Canadiens would make significant savings for the remaining three years of his current agreement:
In 2025-2026: the Canadiens would save $4.333 million
In 2026-2027: the Canadiens would save $1.833 million
In 2027-2028: the Canadiens would pay $2.166 million
In 2028-2029: the Canadiens would pay $2.166 million
In 2029-2030: the Canadiens would pay $2.166 million
However, as we can see, it would add a salary impact of $2.166 million for the three years following the initial end of his current agreement.
It should also be noted that by then, the NHL salary cap is likely to have risen significantly. If it currently stands at $83.5 million, it would not be surprising if it were around $95 million in 2028.
At present, the Canadiens do not necessarily need the money saved by a buyout of Gallagher's contract. However, this situation could change quickly if the club becomes competitive soon and the management wants to make significant acquisitions.
Each year we delay buying out CH's number 11, the extra penalty becomes less and less significant, which helps fuel management's interest in making it happen.
Credit: Fanadiens.com
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