Vancouver Canucks fans are already turning up the heat on Brendan Gallagher after a rough opening stretch, with some calling for the veteran forward to be sent to the press box or put on waivers.
That would be a brutal ending for a player whose career has been built on grit and persistence.
Gallagher, 34, arrived in Vancouver in June in a deal for future considerations. Montreal retained 50% of his salary to get the move done, a generous step that also let him get closer to his family.
The Canucks brought him in looking for a veteran presence who could help set a winning tone. Instead, the patience from the fan base appears to be wearing thin fast, with some supporters convinced he has nothing left.
His usage hasn’t helped calm that talk. Gallagher has been parked on the fourth line with very little ice time, and he has already been a healthy scratch once this season.
Head coach Manny Malhotra, who took over in June, has bigger issues on his plate for now. Still, the question is hanging there: does he wait until the pressure builds even more, or does he make the call himself and pull Gallagher from the lineup?
Retirement has started to creep into the conversation, even though Gallagher says he is not thinking about it. If he does keep playing beyond this season, any new deal would almost certainly mean a steep pay cut.
For his part, Gallagher still believes he has something left to give. He has made it clear he wants to prove Vancouver was right to bring him in, and he’ll soon get that chance on the ice.
Some are even wondering whether Martin St. Louis, who scratched Gallagher during his time in Montreal, saw this coming all along. But nobody wants to see a player known for his character and toughness finish like this.
Gallagher gave 14 years to the Canadiens, and he deserves the chance to finish his career with dignity.
In Other News...
Kirby Dachs Late Scratch Puts Canadiens Fans On Edge Again
Illness forced another lineup shuffle for the Canadiens, and Kirby Dach was the latest regular to get pulled from the mix just before game time. Montreal had to adjust on the fly, with Owen Beck stepping into the fourth-line role as the club tried to keep its forward group intact during a stretch where every available body matters.
The good news for the Canadiens is that Dachs absence is not expected to linger, with a return on the horizon as soon as Tuesday against the Jets. For a team already managing the usual wear and tear of the season, even a short-term scratch can feel like a reminder of how quickly the depth chart can change, especially when the margins are this thin. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Loom In Dylan Larkin Trade Drama
Dylan Larkins situation has quickly become one of the most watched trade stories around the league, and Montreal has now been mentioned as a possible late entry into the mix. The Red Wings captain has removed himself from the lineup while he pursues a move out of Detroit, and several teams have already been tied to the discussions, including Minnesota, Washington, New Jersey and Carolina.
For the Canadiens, the intrigue is obvious because a player of Larkins caliber would reshape the conversation around their roster in a hurry. The idea gaining traction is that Montreal could help move the process along if it becomes part of the trade picture, but for now it remains only speculation. The situation is still fluid, and the next step depends on how the market develops from here. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Still Need One Bold Move From Kent Hughes
Kent Hughes has already shown he is willing to keep pushing for a meaningful upgrade, and the latest wrinkle around Montreals search for scoring help says plenty about how aggressive the Canadiens are trying to be. According to reports, the general manager explored a three-team framework with Pittsburgh in an effort to land Kirill Marchenko, with Rickard Rakell part of the broader conversation, a sign that Montreal is still hunting for a forward who can change the look of its top six rather than simply add depth.
The deal never came together, and the reason helps explain why these bigger swings are so hard to finish. Columbus was looking for a more established player, the kind of piece Montreal was not prepared to include, and Toronto ended up getting that type of return in Matthew Knies instead. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has signaled a willingness to move a veteran for draft picks, which keeps Rakell in the mix as a name worth watching if Hughes decides the Canadiens still need one more bold move. [Read more 🡒]