Brendan Gallagher Still Has Something To Offer Once He Leaves Canadiens
In the wake of the Montreal Canadiens' season ending in the Eastern Conference final, beloved Canadiens right winger Brendan Gallagher spoke about his future in Montreal.
Gallagher made it clear – a return to the Habs next season is not going to happen.
"It's pretty clear, I'll be kind of moving on here," Gallagher told reporters Monday morning during Montreal's dressing room clean-out day, three days after the Canadiens were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Gallagher still has one year left on his contract at $6.5 million. With due respect, acquiring a veteran at that salary who generated only seven goals and 23 points in 77 games this past season isn't something most teams are looking to do.
Why The Canucks Need To Bring Brendan Gallagher Home
Brendan Gallagher would be the perfect addition to the Vancouver Canucks for the 2026-27 season.
Gallagher was born in Alberta, but he considers Vancouver his home. He said Monday Vancouver "would be a great place" to play.
Gallagher is a respected veteran who sets the right culture for a team. When the Canucks are embarking on a full rebuild, having Gallagher in the dressing room could help not just Vancouver's young players but even other veterans, such as center Elias Pettersson.
In the right situation, Gallagher could use his 911 games of regular-season experience and 79 games of playoff experience to help a young team build for the future. That's why the Canucks are being suggested as a potential destination for him beyond just being his home.
It may take Montreal eating some of Gallagher's salary to consummate a trade. Depending on what value could come back in a trade, it may be even better for the Canadiens to buy out the final year of Gallagher's contract, save $2,666,667 next season and pay just $1,333,333 in 2027-28.
But a team like Vancouver could look at Gallagher's accomplishments and want him to come in and set a professional tone for an organization. If he even has a scoring resurgence on a rebuilding team that will give him more minutes, he could be more valuable to a Cup contender by next year's trade deadline as well.
Gallagher doesn't have a Stanley Cup on his resume, and at this point in his career, he isn't looked at as a difference-maker on the ice. But he's not lost all of his value. He knows a change is coming for him, and he must prove wherever he goes that he's an effective depth veteran every team should want.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 11:22 AM.