The Vancouver Canucks have added a familiar face in Brendan Gallagher, landing the veteran forward from the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations, according to Frank Seravalli on Monday.
Montreal is retaining 50 percent of Gallagher’s remaining salary in the deal. That keeps his cap hit at $3.25 million for both teams, with Gallagher under contract through the end of the 2026-27 season at a $6.5 million cap hit.
The Canadiens will not get anything back in the trade, but Seravalli reported Monday that the organization “wanted to do right by” the well-liked forward after years of service in Montreal.
Gallagher, 34, played 77 games for the Canadiens in the 2025-26 regular season and finished with seven goals and 23 points. He also appeared in just three of Montreal’s 19 games during its run to the 2026 Eastern Conference Final.
Selected by the Canadiens in the fifth round, No. 147 overall, of the 2010 NHL Draft, Gallagher became one of the club’s most recognizable players after arriving from the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. The Edmonton product was a fixture in Montreal through 14 seasons and remains a popular name in Vancouver’s hockey circles from his junior days.
His rise in Montreal started during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, when he established himself as a gritty NHL regular. Two years later, he posted the first of five 20-goal seasons. He reached his peak scoring numbers in back-to-back years, netting 31 goals in 2017-18 and 33 in 2018-19.
Gallagher also played a key role in Montreal’s unexpected trip to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, where the Canadiens fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had two goals and six points in 22 playoff games that spring.
Across 911 career NHL games, all with Montreal, Gallagher has totaled 246 goals and 487 points. In 79 playoff appearances, he has added 14 goals and 34 points.
Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2029 third-round pick. Gallagher should fill the bottom-six spot in Vancouver that Höglander will now vacate.
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Flames Linked To Two Trade Targets Fans Did Not Expect
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The more intriguing of the two is a player viewed as the kind of long-term top-line add that can change a forward groups ceiling, while the other has quickly become a tougher fit after Calgarys recent roster changes. A deal with either team does not appear imminent, and the lingering uncertainty only adds to the sense that the Flames are still sorting out how aggressive they want to be when the market finally opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Why Are The Flames Being Linked To This Veteran Idea
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Flames Just Sent A Clear Message About Which Young Players Matter
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The development camp roster adds another layer to that picture, bringing together recent draft picks and a handful of undrafted invites for a brief but important evaluation window. In a summer where free agency questions are still swirling and nothing major has been confirmed beyond the paperwork in front of them, the message from Calgary is straightforward enough: some young players are being pushed forward, others are being left to find a new path, and the battle to define the next roster cycle is already underway. [Read more 🡒]