OT: Florida's 2023 1st to dump Gallagher...

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Here's a true solution. Give Gally the best minutes and linemates and cross those fingers that he can produce and raise his value. Then you trade him the **** out.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Whats the point? isnt MTL like rebuilding or something? seems kinda stupid to package a 1st to dump a contract. might as well just play him and what happens happens.
I think this would be a move that would be widely regretted I put money on Gallagher having a bounce back season,
imagine paying a 1st to dump him and he returns to form....

give him a chance to bounce back and if a 1st is the cost wait till you have no choice or figure it out with a 2nd and a prospect or soooomething

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Here's a true solution. Give Gally the best minutes and linemates and cross those fingers that he can produce and raise his value. Then you trade him the **** out.

That contract will age badly, for sure, but it won't be a Cap problem for the Habs, not with the huge chunks of Cap space potentially coming off the books every year for the next four years. This year alone, with contracts ending for Drouin, Byron, Allen and Dadonov, it's 16.775M potentially off the books. Most, if not all of those contracts should be gone by trade deadline.

After next year, it's Hoffman, Pitlick, Edmundson, mount Mambo and Wideman with contracts potentially coming off the books. That's another 10.1M and I'm not even counting Wideman whom is clearly a league minimum deal.

In the 3rd year, it's another 13.05M with Dvorak, Armia, Savard and Evans potentially coming off the books.

After the fourth year, Price's final year on his last NHL contract, IMO, it's another 15.375M potentially coming off the books if you consider Matheson's newly acquired contract.

As long as HuGo keep acquiring talent through then draft, trades and UFA signings, they will have enough leeway to keep improving the team year in and year put without needing to move Gallagher's contract.

The Cap will stay flat for another two years, but should go up again once revenue sharing is evened out with money recouped from the players.

HuGo are not in a bad cap situation for a strong rebuild, including Gallagher's ALBATROSS OF A CONTRACT.

Bettman said the cap will slowly go up in the next two years. It won't stay flat.

 

[sandviper]

Here's a true solution. Give Gally the best minutes and linemates and cross those fingers that he can produce and raise his value. Then you trade him the **** out.

In all seriousness, this is the best solution. Only caveat is he and Dvorak aren’t really compatible play-style wise. I suppose Drouin on the left may help since neither Dvo or Gally can carry the puck for shit, but I guess it depends if we get the engaged and motivated Drouin or the one we’re accustomed to.

 

[Archijerej]

Why are we trying to dump Gallagher in the first place?

 

[BLONG7]

No...........not yet. Thinking he is a proud guy, and rebounds somewhat this year. That said, he would also be breaking down as his contract moves along, and could be a LTIR guy to finish out the contract.

I think the 1st is just too important to us as we move forward.

Think we all know why, MB was crying at the PC when they gave Gally this huge golden handshake, he knew he would get fired soon, and couldn't believe he was this dumb.

Yes, Gally has bled red white and blue for us, but this was just beyond, a bad bad contract......he had almost zero chances of earning this money. Actually, earning this money.....

 

[Habs Halifax]

Why are we trying to dump Gallagher in the first place?

Fans are just doing their thing... He's showing signs of decline and panic mode is setting in. Lets let Gallagher have a long offseason to train and be ready for a new season and see how that goes before we overact and think about trading a 1st to "get rid of him".

It's rebuild years and a lot of contracts expire after this season. Gallagher is a good guy to have around for the kids. No need to go crazy and get into "lets move Gallagher ASAP obsession"

 

[Belial]

Here's a true solution. Give Gally the best minutes and linemates and cross those fingers that he can produce and raise his value. Then you trade him the **** out.

Well, there seemed to be some chemistry with Dvorak and Hoff at the end of the season.

Gallagher finished the season with 10 points in 13 GP after he came back in the lineup.

There's hope!!!

 

[Number 57]

Don't think cap space is much of a concern for us in the next 3-4 years or until guys like Guhle and Slafkovsky need contracts after their ELC and we start actually competing and signing free agents/trading for star players.

But if HuGo can see long term and find a way to minimize Gallagher's cap hit by 2025-26 (either buy out or trade with retention or whatever else), I think they need to consider it.

The cap will rise no doubt, and we have a good enough collection of rookies to have a steady stream of ELC contracts on the roster, but still, money will be needed I believe when we need to replace Price (at least 5-6M) probably acquire a solid top-4 defensemen to shoulder the kids (at least 6-7M) and maybe a top-6 forward eventually to improve on the likes of Hoffman/Drouin/Dadonov (another 5-6M)

 

[A55P2]

Gallagher isn't very good anymore. But he's certainly a great locker room presence and he can be fine as a regular player on the 4th, maybe 3rd line. So there's no point in trading him and loosing a first.

 

[Milhouse40]

If his contract prevent to do something valuable for the future the organization....yes but I'm still protecting that 1st round pick (top 10 protected).....if it's just for the sake of getting mid-level players, then no.

 

[Tuggy]

A team that just finished in last place shouldn't be making moves like this.

 

[26Mats]

...so, pretty simple question here...would you trade the unprotected 2023 1st we got from Florida to dump Gallagher's contract??...

Could be something to consider in the future if there are good players we need the cap space to keep or acquire.

But for now that's not the case. So no need to sacrifice such a good asset as a 2023 unprotected 1st.

 

[BenchBrawl]

I would contemplate it.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Well, there seemed to be some chemistry with Dvorak and Hoff at the end of the season.

Gallagher finished the season with 10 points in 13 GP after he came back in the lineup.

There's hope!!!

There has been a clear trend of our fan base dwelling on the ups/downs of the yearly and monthly rollercoaster ride.

Gallagher may not live up to that contract but he's going to be better this season. People counting out Gallagher are the herd of sheep concept. Always moving with the herd and think because they are in a popular group, they are right. That's just not true and Gallagher has proved fans wrong before. He's 30 now so it's different but he's going to be better. Betting against Gallagher is not something I'm willing to do at this stage.

I would contemplate it.

For what? To save cap space we don't really need? To be "big spenders" next off season and overpay UFA during rebuild years?

Adding a 1st to unload Gallagher is way more dumb than trading a 1st and Kidney to get Dubois. Not even close

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Team seems possibly ok cap wise for the season.

 

[BenchBrawl]

There has been a clear trend of our fan base dwelling on the ups/downs of the yearly and monthly rollercoaster ride.

Gallagher may not live up to that contract but he's going to be better this season. People counting out Gallagher are the herd of sheep concept. Always moving with the herd and think because they are in a popular group, they are right. That's just not true and Gallagher has proved fans wrong before. He's 30 now so it's different but he's going to be better. Betting against Gallagher is not something I'm willing to do at this stage.



For what? To save cap space we don't really need? To be "big spenders" next off season and overpay UFA during rebuild years?

Adding a 1st to unload Gallagher is way more dumb than trading a 1st and Kidney to get Dubois. Not even close

To save cap space in the last few years of his contract, which is when we'll be contenders, and need cap space to sign extra players to push us over the top.

 

[Habs Halifax]

To save cap space in the last few years of his contract, which is when we'll be contenders, and need cap space to sign extra players to push us over the top.

We won't be contenders in the next 3 years. We need Slaf to be 22/23+ as well as the others in the pool and that's 5 years away. We might move up the standings in the next 5 years yeah but that's not contenders. Wait to make moves like the Sens did. Didn't cost them a 1st to trade Murray which is a worse contract than Gallagher based on what you get on the ice. Things will change over the next 12 months.

Better to keep Gallagher on our roster while we rebuild and the cap space comes with expiring contracts to Drouin, Dadonov, Byron and possibly Allen. Then there are more to come with Hoffman, Armia, Savard, Eddy.

Adding a 1st to try to move Gallagher now is not something I consider smart. At least wait for him to play another full season after the disaster last year. Even someone like Armia will look better.

 

[BenchBrawl]

We won't be contenders in the next 3 years. We need Slaf to be 22/23+ as well as the others in the pool and that's 5 years away.

Better to keep Gallagher on our roster while we rebuild and the cap space comes with expiring contracts to Drouin, Dadonov, Byron and possibly Allen. Then there are more to come with Hoffman, Armia, Savard, Eddy.

Adding a 1st to try to move Gallagher now is not something I consider smart. At least wait for him to play another full season after the disaster last year. Even someone like Armia will look better.

A 1st is just a 1st. Especially from 15th down, which is what this one is likely to be. Who cares?

 

[Treb]

I don't see why we should pay to trade him away now, we are not competing next year.

Also, might as well just buy him out instead.

The 2026-2027 would be rough at 4.5 or so million, but the rest is not too bad.

 

[Treb]

A 1st is just a 1st. Especially from 15th down, which is what this one is likely to be. Who cares?

6.5M cap space is just 6.5M cap space. If we don't need it why spend a 1st for it?

Having that cap space this year changes nothing. Revisit in 2024 or later.

 

[Habs Halifax]

A 1st is just a 1st. Especially from 15th down, which is what this one is likely to be. Who cares?

Nah... I get that a 15-32 range 1st can bust but the way you are describing it is like it's a spare part. NO WAY am in getting obsessive with Gallagher's (and the Habs) bad season last year.

Bookmark this. The narrative will change in 12 months. Guys like Gallagher, Armia, Hoffman will rebound and look better when maybe a guy like Savard don't look as good cause we are leaning on him too much.

We always have a target in Habs land.

I don't see why we should pay to trade him away now, we are not competing next year.

Also, might as well just buy him out instead.

The 2026-2027 would be rough at 4.5 or so million, but the rest is not too bad.

Trading a 1st to unload Gallaher now is very bad asset management and a horrible idea based on our current circumstances.

I feel like puking this idea out of my stomach

 

[Adam Michaels]

It's a no from me.

While it would be good to get rid of the $6.5M for the next 5 years, I would look to trade other players with term before I do Gallagher (Hoffman, Dvorak & Armia).

I'm not willing to pay an asset like a 1st round pick simply to get rid of someone.

Even if you make the pick Top-10 protected. I'd rather have another 1st round pick in 2023 than I do simply ridding myself of Gallagher's contract, even if it's a late 1st.

Remember when Leafs shipped Marleau's contract to Carolina and attached a 1st round pick to it? That pick was Top-10 protected, but it ended up being the 13th overall pick. Hurrricanes took Seth Jarvis with that pick.

I don't want that to happen.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm going to remember this one. Bump it forward in 12 months so be careful with what you say today boys and girls.

Seriously, you would add a 1st to "get rid of Gallagher". Lets see how this ages

 

[Saundies]

I don't really understand the narrative sometimes. We want to tank for Bedard/Michkov, etc, but we also want to move out the guys who got us to 1st overall this year? And to get rid of 1st rounds picks to do it? It doesn't make any sense. Run it back, suck again, and let natural contracts come off the books. We legit have no need to be trying to get rid of guys right now. We're not looking to compete.

Gallagher's played one year on his extension, and yeah, it was a stinker. As much as I'm not a huge fan of the offensive style of game he plays (shoot everything, disregard all passing) he's not exactly going to be a guy that says "eh, I got my money. Who cares?" He'll work his ass off in the offseason. If he sucks again, then it's a huge red flag. Sometimes guys have bad years, and this was his first one.