Speculation: What’s the future hold for Brendan Gallagher ?

[Tripledeke333]

Hopefully we can LTIR him after another season or 2. Gally was a warrior for us, but he is now one of the worst contracts in the league.

 

[Picaroon]

Hopefully he can become a good veteran 3rd-4th liner, PK'er type. Albeit on a shit, immovable contact. But more likely, ltir in 2 years or so.

 

[Draft]

He was as healthy as could be expected this season and he was not useful. What makes you think he has any use? He's too slow, too un-skilled, and prone to too many penalties. He's a terrible linemate for young players and he's not strong or rugged enough to play in an energy role either -- he has no stamina to boot.

I'm genuinely wondering if you have access to some data that supports your argument because I haven't consulted any data but from the eye test I think he's not in NHL shape.

No data, just less drama. He wasn't healthy this year. He was still useful (.4ppg) in much reduced ice time. He's not 30g, best 5v5 line in the league Gallagher and he likely won't ever be again.

What do you expect out of a third line player? His downward trend still puts him as a useful secondary scoring option or complementary player in the bottom of the lineup. He's still engaged, still a pest, still knows where to be on the ice. If we look at him independent of his contract and the player he used to be, he's a serviceable 3rd liner that brings a different look for the team. I'd happily pay a team to take his contract, but if he's a Hab, he's a solid player to have in the bottom-6 and may even be effective (if healthy) doing spot duty in the top-6.

 

[ReHabs]

My word, no. He was a dominant play-driving two-way topline forward on what was possibly the most team-friendly contract in the league outside of the Boston Bruins' players and those on ELCs.

When he should have been earning 6.5, he was taking in 3.5; now that he should been taking in league minimum-to-1.5 million, he's being given 6.5.

Your assessments of players such as Gallagher and Lehkonen are a serious indictment of your ability to judge underlying metrics, basic production, line-matching and zone starts as context, and more, making me question - more than anything else has - my dubious perspective on Slafkovsky.

His contract is irrelevant to the analysis of him as a player and I don't remember if he signed that six-year 3.75m cap hit with any extenuating circumstances such as if he was coming off a major injury or something. I know that is what drove Pacioretty to secure the guaranteed money with his own "under-paying" six year deal.

Look -- sometimes you bet on yourself and come out ahead, sometimes you take the guaranteed money. Gallagher was never going to be a skill player in the NHL and so it would've been prudent to sign away some UFA years until his late 20s and then cash in... best of both worlds. And look -- it worked very well for him and he hedged against a career ending injury.

I've been rather positive toward Lehkonen but if you're referring to the fact that I said he was not a productive player for the Habs, well the proof is in the pudding: he was not a productive player for the Habs. All the other stuff (analytics and pseudo-analytics) comes after. I'm not referring to Lehkonen's effectiveness as a player or his value as one but simply his productivity (or lack thereof). Career high of 31 pts with the Habs and a pending RFA 26 years old -- it would've been nice to keep him but I understand why he was traded. I did, and continue to, like the player. He obviously has a role to play on any winning team but we're not near there.

As for Gallagher, his peak ppg was 0.75ppg (60pt season pace) which he hit in the season 15-16. Which is good enough for a first line player who's supporting stars but we didn't have stars so he didn't look so good to me. You're right I wasn't very charitable with my words but Gallagher's always been skating uphill as far as I'm concerned -- he worked hard to get to where he but since 2020 it's been sharply downhill. I never saw him as a skill player so it's probably hurt my impression of him.

No data, just less drama. He wasn't healthy this year. He was still useful (.4ppg) in much reduced ice time. He's not 30g, best 5v5 line in the league Gallagher and he likely won't ever be again.

What do you expect out of a third line player? His downward trend still puts him as a useful secondary scoring option or complementary player in the bottom of the lineup. He's still engaged, still a pest, still knows where to be on the ice. If we look at him independent of his contract and the player he used to be, he's a serviceable 3rd liner that brings a different look for the team. I'd happily pay a team to take his contract, but if he's a Hab, he's a solid player to have in the bottom-6 and may even be effective (if healthy) doing spot duty in the top-6.

He had all of last off-season to heal and mustered 9 points in 25 games. You're saying now that he suffered from another, under-reported injury?

I'm not sure what you see in him today. Isn't he too slow to be 'serviceable'?

 

[SwiftyHab]

This was the argument last year and he was even worse this year. This isn't Model UN, you don't need to take the other side just for argument's sake. Do you really think a player can improve his skating speed and stamina when he's 31 years old? When have you ever seen that happen?

This is all I got man.

 

[Habsfan18]

Probably a top 5 awful contract in all of hockey. Everyone, and I mean everyone knew (or should have known) that the extension was an absolutely horrendous idea. Yet it wasn’t even a question if it was going to happen or not. Marc loved his guys, and Gally was one of them. He had to have known he wasn't going to be here to see the end of that contract, but he didn’t give a shit. He wanted to pay his boy as a thank you.

No disrespect to Gallagher, he’s a warrior. But he was slowing down before signing that contract for crying out loud and has been completely finished for awhile now. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know a player like that wasn’t going to age well.

He’s at that point now, where I don’t think he brings a single thing of value to the table anymore, other than veteran leadership? I hate to say it, but he’s awful out there.

 

[Draft]

His contract is irrelevant to the analysis of him as a player and I don't remember if he signed that six-year 3.75m cap hit with any extenuating circumstances such as if he was coming off a major injury or something. I know that is what drove Pacioretty to secure the guaranteed money with his own "under-paying" six year deal.

Look -- sometimes you bet on yourself and come out ahead, sometimes you take the guaranteed money. Gallagher was never going to be a skill player in the NHL and so it would've been prudent to sign away some UFA years until his late 20s and then cash in... best of both worlds. And look -- it worked very well for him and he hedged against a career ending injury.

I've been rather positive toward Lehkonen but if you're referring to the fact that I said he was not a productive player for the Habs, well the proof is in the pudding: he was not a productive player for the Habs. All the other stuff (analytics and pseudo-analytics) comes after. I'm not referring to Lehkonen's effectiveness as a player or his value as one but simply his productivity (or lack thereof). Career high of 31 pts with the Habs and a pending RFA 26 years old -- it would've been nice to keep him but I understand why he was traded. I did, and continue to, like the player. He obviously has a role to play on any winning team but we're not near there.

As for Gallagher, his peak ppg was 0.75ppg (60pt season pace) which he hit in the season 15-16. Which is good enough for a first line player who's supporting stars but we didn't have stars so he didn't look so good to me. You're right I wasn't very charitable with my words but Gallagher's always been skating uphill as far as I'm concerned -- he worked hard to get to where he but since 2020 it's been sharply downhill. I never saw him as a skill player so it's probably hurt my impression of him.


He had all of last off-season to heal and mustered 9 points in 25 games. You're saying now that he suffered from another, under-reported injury?

I'm not sure what you see in him today. Isn't he too slow to be 'serviceable'?

Based on the performance of the Habs medical team, I wouldn't be surprised if Gallagher actually just has stumps for hands and they tape his stumps to his stick before each game. The multiple LBIs having him in and out of the lineup would pretty convincingly indicate that he has ongoing medical issues. We've heard since he was 16-17 that Gallagher is an absolute gym nut and there's no indication to say that that's changed. All of a sudden he has no strength or stamina and appears to be struggling to maintain his level of play? Really a mystery what that could be.

He's not too slow to be serviceable. Corey Perry still plays in the NHL.

 

[Scintillating10]

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

 

[CoopersFalls]

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

He doesn't need a wake-up call. His effort level is 110% at all times. The fact he is worn by age and injury will not be remedied by a trip to Laval.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

He has a NMC. That’s not an option. Even if it was, I doubt the coach or GM would move a player whose viewed as a leader down. I think a lot of Gallagher’s issues are physical as well so I don’t think there’s any part of him that could be woken up. He is what he is at this point.

 

[japhi]

Send him down? He's been one of the teams better forwards, on pace for 20/20. I get that he isn't worth his salary but he's been skating well, stirring shit up, blocking shots in the d zone and producing. As good this year as we could have hoped for and IMO a really good example for our younger guys.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

Send him down to Laval for a month or two. Act as a wakeup call

Ridiculous post is ridiculous.
Wake him up for what? For him to become a 40 goal scorer? He ain't playing bad this season and he has a NMC.
I also suspect that move would be very unpopular in the dressing room. Demoting him to Laval would be a stupid move all around.

 

[salbutera]

No one likes excuses but Gallagher’s mother has apparently been battling brain cancer for a while…

 

[dinodebino]

No one likes excuses but Gallagher’s mother has apparently been battling brain cancer for a while…

Yeah, read that. Doesn’t stand much chance, apparently.

 

[salbutera]

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Yeah, read that. Doesn’t stand much chance, apparently.

Probably not. My friend and my neighbours son both died form a brain tumour. They were able to shrink the tumour but it grew back.

 

[Ezpz]

Well that is a shitty situation. They should just let Gally take a leave of absence to be honest. We're not even playing meaningful games. Google prognosis is it takes you in under a year. Gally's done a lot for the team and should be given the choice. Leave a spot for him next year no matter how bad he's become as a player. I'm sure this has affected his play and preparation as it should since hockey's just a game.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Hopefully we can LTIR him after another season or 2. Gally was a warrior for us, but he is now one of the worst contracts in the league.

When I was trying to add him in trades at the start of the season we he was playing well the mob here tried to scream me down like usual saying that he is worth the contract when he is healthy lol. I would ask where are they now but I know where they are....on my IL

 

[The Great Weal]

No one likes excuses but Gallagher’s mother has apparently been battling brain cancer for a while…

Wow that's f***ing awful news, they should grant him a leave of absence. He'd still get paid and more importantly, he gets to be with his family during this.

 

[therocket9]

Of course you buy Gallagher out this summer he will be on the books for 6 years but u open up a roster spot same way Canucks bought out OEL with a much bigger contract.

 

[CHwest]

No one likes excuses but Gallagher’s mother has apparently been battling brain cancer for a while…

That's a tough one.

 

[tazsub3]

Highest paid strength and fitness assistance coach in the world history

 

[windycity]

More hair loss

 

[Tyson]

Probably not. My friend and my neighbours son both died form a brain tumour. They were able to shrink the tumour but it grew back.

My brother had brain surgery couple of days ago to shrink the tumors. Hard stuff to watch to a loved one.

 

[Canadienna]

In my opinion he's rounded out some of the issues in his game this year. I don't think he's going to give us 6.5m of value for any of his remaining years, but he may still be a somewhat relevant middle 6 guy.

I also had no idea about his mother battling brain cancer. That can absolutely affect your game. And he's not stupid, he will know that putting up 20-25 points while making 6.5m is a letdown. It would wear on anyone.

Overall, if he can remain a somewhat useful player who pitches in on the 3rd or 4th line, it's at least SOME value. Maybe he gets moved in his final year to a team looking for a gritty workhorse for the playoffs.