Brendan Gallagher's name in a troubling post

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Carl Vaillancourt
May 26, 2024 (8:15 PM)

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With three years remaining on his contract with the Canadiens, Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher is among a list of eight names most likely to have their contracts bought out during the offseason.

Even though the impact of a possible buyout seems surprising, Gallagher's contract includes an annual salary of $6.5 million until 2027. The small forward had a good end to the regular season, and his statistics suggest a supporting role that could be valuable to Martin St-Louis next season.

During the day, the reputable source CapFriendly published a list of players most at risk of having their contracts bought out.

List of the most likely buyout candidates among NHL players: Brendan Gallagher and Jesperi Kotkaniemi involved

There are several other well-known names on the list of players most likely to have their contracts bought out.

«The NHL's first buyout period will open on June 15 or 48 hours after the end of the Stanley Cup final, whichever is later.

Here are the most popular buyouts:

J. Kotkaniemi
I. Mikheyev
J. Campbell
D. Nurse
J. Skinner
V. Nichushkin
C. Atkinson
B. Gallagher»
CapFriendly

The costs associated with his buyout would be catastrophic for the organization's future. With Juraj Slafkovsky's and Kaiden Guhle's contracts increasing significantly next season, the penalties related to the buyout could mean that the Canadiens would have to give up a talented player in the top-6 forwards or the top-4 defensemen.

In short, the buyout cost would reduce Kent Hughes' flexibility by an annual amount of $2,166,667 until the 2029-2030 season. This means that the Canadiens would have to pay 13 of the $19.5 million of Brendan Gallagher's contract over six years, even though he only has three years left on his contract. This would be a significant setback for someone who has been seen as a leader of the organization since 2010.

It is certain that Brendan Gallagher can occupy a useful role in the organization, as Martin St-Louis often mentions.

At 32 years old, Brendan Gallagher has recorded 426 points, including 218 goals, in 752 NHL games. This is an impressive career for a player who was selected in the fifth round of the NHL draft in 2010.

In the team's last eight games, number 11 of the Canadiens has accumulated 10 points, including 5 goals! This is very solid and allows for a bit more optimism for the upcoming season.

Source GoNordiques:
A publication seems to indicate the end of Brendan Gallagher in Montreal