Brendan Gallagher’s first few games with the Vancouver Canucks have already sparked a harsh reaction from some fans, and the early numbers aren’t doing him any favors.
The veteran forward, dealt by the Montreal Canadiens in June, has gone four games without a point and is sitting at a minus-1 rating. His usage has been minimal, too: he’s been slotted on the fourth line, and in his most recent game he logged just 7:34 of ice time.
Montreal moved Gallagher to Vancouver for future considerations and retained 50% of his salary to make the deal happen.
That limited role has some people in Vancouver wondering whether he should be moved to the press box or even placed on waivers, according to DLC.
It’s a rough spot for a player who was expected to bring energy, especially with the Canucks in the middle of a rebuild. Vancouver is 2-2-0 and giving up 4.5 goals per game, so the environment hasn’t exactly been easy for anyone trying to settle in.
Gallagher turns 35 in May, and the source article notes it wouldn’t be surprising to see him hang up his skates. Martin St-Louis, it adds, wasn’t wrong to pull him out of the lineup.
If things don’t turn quickly, his ice time in Vancouver could stay very limited.
The Canadiens and Canucks won’t have to wait long to see Gallagher again. Montreal visits Vancouver on February 1, then the teams meet again on March 6 in Montreal. By then, there should be a clearer picture of whether the veteran has found his game again.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A New Lineup Concern Beyond Demidov
The Canadiens lineup picture has taken on a little more haze heading into a busy stretch against the Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings. Demidov is already out with an injury, and Oliver Kapanen has also been missing from several practices, leaving head coach Martin St-Louis with more uncertainty than he likely wanted at this point in the schedule.
Kapanens absence has added another layer of intrigue because the Canadiens have not offered much to explain it, and the timing matters with games coming up quickly. St-Louis now has to keep sorting out combinations and depth options while trying to cover for Demidovs absence, and the clubs next few days may say a lot about how flexible the roster really is. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Found The Answer To A Big Top-Line Debate
Juraj Slafkovskys place in the Montreal Canadiens lineup has been one of the more interesting debates around the clubs recent stretch, and it took a twist when he was shifted onto the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The move came with Ivan Demidov sidelined, forcing the Canadiens to adjust their forward combinations and giving Slafkovsky a chance to show how he fits beside the teams two most established finishers.
The appeal is obvious: Slafkovskys size, puck protection and improving play can help drive a line that already has skill to burn, while the alternative is sending him back down to a second unit where he might carry more of the puck and the playmaking load. Montreal now has a decision to make about whether the experiment is a short-term fix or something worth keeping in place once the roster is back closer to full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Goalie Decision They Didn't Expect
A routine practice took an unwelcome turn for the Canadiens when Sam Montembeault went down with a non-contact right leg injury, and the team is expected to update his status later. For a club that had not exactly planned on revisiting its crease chart this way, the timing matters, especially with the goaltending picture still being shaped by what Jakub Dobe does with his opportunities.
Jacob Fowler is the name that naturally enters the conversation if Montreal needs help from Laval, where the young netminder has already made a strong impression in limited looks at both the NHL and AHL levels. If Montembeault is sidelined, the Canadiens could be looking at more than a short-term patch, with a possible extended evaluation in the crease depending on how Dobe holds up in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]