According to the latest NHL trade rumors, Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher could be on the trade block. Which teams would make sense for him?
The Montreal Canadiens have made some big moves this offseason. So far, they’ve traded for Jake Allen and Josh Anderson, plus they signed Tyler Toffoli in free agency. Even though the Habs did have to give up Max Domi to get Anderson, it’s not a stretch to say Montreal’s better today than they were at the start of the offseason. But according to the latest NHL trade rumors, there’s some drama brewing.
Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher is the engine that makes the Habs go. Shea Weber might be the captain, but Gallagher’s the heart and soul of the Canadiens. He has one year left on his deal. As recently as two weeks ago, the two sides were negotiating.
But according to TSN, those negotiations have gone south. This has sparked some trade speculation.
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If Gallagher hits the market, he’ll be a sought after asset for several reasons. First of all, he’s a very good player. He’s hit at least 40 points in six of his last seven seasons. In two of those seasons, Gallagher hit 50 points. Gallagher is one of the NHL’s most consistent and prolific play drivers, especially on offense.
Secondly, his contract is ridiculously good. While Gallagher only has one year left on his contract, his $3.75 million cap hit is dirt cheap. And it gets better – he’s only due $1 million of salary for the 2020-21 season.
The Canadiens probably won’t trade Gallagher. After all, general manager Marc Bergevin‘s job very well might depend on how the Habs do this season. But if he’s on the market, expect a lot of teams to show interest in him.
Here are the three teams who would make the most sense for Gallagher should he be traded.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks have to replace Tyler Toffoli in their top-six forward group. Gallagher would be a very nice fit. Reportedly, the Canucks would like to make one more big splash after trading for Nate Schmidt and Gallagher would make quite a bit of sense for them.