Could Brendan Gallagher play one final season in Montreal? This has just been brought up and it's causing a lot of reaction

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Elias Edmonson
June 7, 2023 (3:38 PM)

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Just before being fired by the Canadiens, Marc Bergevin offered a massive contract extension to Brendan Gallagher. Indeed, the 31-year-old forward signed a six-year deal worth $39 million (6.5 million per season) which will end in 2027.

Even though Gally continues to play with impeccable intensity and remains an undisputed leader in the organization, his numerous injuries have significantly impacted his offensive output which has been on a steep decline over the last two seasons. Indeed, the small forward has only scored 15 goals and 23 assists in his last 93 games (2021-2022 and 2022-2023).

While he is a very important member of the organization, his contract is becoming a huge burden for Kent Hughes who can't use this significant sum to try to acquire new players. The discussion would be completely different if Gallagher was pocketing 3 or 4 million dollars per season, but this is unfortunately not the case currently.

It would be surprising if the Habs wanted to buy out his contract this summer, as the team is not aiming to win the Stanley Cup next year. Moreover, at the time of writing this, a contract buyout would have a significant impact on the Canadiens' salary cap until 2031.

However, in a column recently published in the Journal de Montréal, Yvon Pedneault confirmed that the Canadiens' general manager is considering the possibility of buying out his contract at the end of the next season.

"Brendan Gallagher? An observer told me this week: 'They will study this possibility in 2024, for now, it would be too high a financial commitment, and the Canadiens have no chance of winning the Stanley Cup next year'. Therefore, it's better to wait, and Hughes and Gorton can take refuge under the rule of a long-term absence, which does not affect the daily management of the salary cap."

The last time Brendan Gallagher played a full season was in 2018-2019 when he collected 52 points (including 33 goals) in 82 games. However, it is hard to believe that with the numerous injuries he has suffered over the last few years, the forward will be able to justify his annual salary of 6.5 million dollars in the coming seasons.

Kent Hughes might therefore consider buying out the contract to get more flexibility under the salary cap to build a team ready to fight for a playoff spot in 2024-2025.

Would you be sad to see our warrior leave the organization?