Player Discussion Brendan Gallagher: all heart, no hands

[The Nightman]

You'd give the Captaincy of The Montreal Canadiens ... to a man who asked to be traded...

Not a bad tank move. Give assistants to Drouin and Armia

 

[DougHarvey]

You'd give the Captaincy of The Montreal Canadiens ... to a man who asked to be traded...

Rather him than Gallagher. If it wasnt for the pandemic , none of this would have happened. As people have stated , he would not have signed here if he didn't like it. The way the pandemic was handled in this province was not ideal.

I dont agree with his wife's opinion but I understand it.

I would love for him to stay and finish out his contract. He's been our best D for the last five years.

 

[Deebs]

Rather him than Gallagher. If it wasnt for the pandemic , none of this would have happened. As people have stated , he would not have signed here if he didn't like it. The way the pandemic was handled in this province was not ideal.

I dont agree with his wife's opinion but I understand it.

I would love for him to stay and finish out his contract. He's been our best D for the last five years.

It's a federal issue and no, he hasn't been our best defenseman over the past five years.

 

[HostileCapSpace]

Not a bad tank move. Give assistants to Drouin and Armia

1. Sign Subban league minimum - give him captaincy,

2. Gallagher retires in disgust - horrible contract off the books.

3. Send PK through waivers.

4. Give captaincy to Suzuki.

 

[ReHabs]

Gallagher has never hit even 60 points so let’s slow down on the “given so much” talk. He played hard and sacrificed his body because that is the only way he could remain in the NHL. I’ve previously called him a Premium or Deluxe Grinder. It’s not like he’s in the NHL for his soft hands and vision.

In return he’s been well compensated, hasn’t he?

So when he doesn’t live up to expectations as a performer (it’s been more than one season that he’s under-produced) and his influence or “intangibles” prove to be intangible/irrelevant… should Habs fans keep warm with fuzzy thoughts of his 2013-2015 seasons?

My strongest impression of Gallagher is of someone who has stewarded the most 4+ game losing streaks in Habs history. It’s remarkable how experienced he is at saying things to the media in a losing streak, world class.

Was I too harsh on Gallagher here?

 

[DougHarvey]

Was I too harsh on Gallagher here?

You hit the nail on the head

 

[dcyhabs]

Gallagher has never hit even 60 points so let’s slow down on the “given so much” talk. He played hard and sacrificed his body because that is the only way he could remain in the NHL. I’ve previously called him a Premium or Deluxe Grinder. It’s not like he’s in the NHL for his soft hands and vision.

In return he’s been well compensated, hasn’t he?

So when he doesn’t live up to expectations as a performer (it’s been more than one season that he’s under-produced) and his influence or “intangibles” prove to be intangible/irrelevant… should Habs fans keep warm with fuzzy thoughts of his 2013-2015 seasons?

My strongest impression of Gallagher is of someone who has stewarded the most 4+ game losing streaks in Habs history. It’s remarkable how experienced he is at saying things to the media in a losing streak, world class.

Gallagher used to do puck retrieval in addition to going to the net. He's not very effective at it the last year or two. The puck retrieval was what made him improve the lines he played on, without it he's not very useful, he's an inefficient volume shooter.

 

[schwang26]

So because he is not what he used to be, people should not be loyal and drop him like a bad shoe and depict him like he's a nobody or worse? No what boggles the mind is the lack of loyalty. Someone that has given so much for us that left it all on the ice every shift. He's been a true Habs and some fans are simply not.

The bottom line is its a business with a cap. If you have an emoyee who can no longer perform and is even detrimental to the business, then yes, you would drop him. Look up James Neal and see where he played last season. The guy is a former 40 goal scorer and he played most of the season in the AHL. Loyalty and bad contracts have created this mess. MB paid Gallagher for what he did in years past, not for what he brings now. You can't deny that Gallagher as he is, is not worth his contract. Even a slightly better year isn't worth 6.5. He's clearly on the decline.

 

[DougHarvey]

It's a federal issue and no, he hasn't been our best defenseman over the past five years.

Who in your opinion was better ?

 

[Miller Time]

Dany Heatley.

massive difference there in a few areas... Heatley was far more skilled, but also had a terrible work ethic and made lifestyle choice that cut his career very short.

Gallagher is the polar opposite, he has had impeccable conditioning and training since his junior days. The physical wear and tear from his style has cost him, for sure, but i'm not sure that his regression last season was symptomatic of a permanent decline vs the combination of a condensed covid season, brutal playoff schedule ultra short offseason and implosion of team effectiveness.

We'll see quite quickly in camp/pre-season, but i would not be surprised to see him look far more like the 2016-2019 version of himself than the 2021-22 version as far as his physical capacity.

that he would decline quickly in his 30's due to injuries/wear and tear seemed clear from before he signed his contract, but how sharply and quickly he regressed last season seems excessive for an athlete with his professionalism and commitment to conditioning.

 

[Habs13]

massive difference there in a few areas... Heatley was far more skilled, but also had a terrible work ethic and made lifestyle choice that cut his career very short.

Gallagher is the polar opposite, he has had impeccable conditioning and training since his junior days. The physical wear and tear from his style has cost him, for sure, but i'm not sure that his regression last season was symptomatic of a permanent decline vs the combination of a condensed covid season, brutal playoff schedule ultra short offseason and implosion of team effectiveness.

We'll see quite quickly in camp/pre-season, but i would not be surprised to see him look far more like the 2016-2019 version of himself than the 2021-22 version as far as his physical capacity.

that he would decline quickly in his 30's due to injuries/wear and tear seemed clear from before he signed his contract, but how sharply and quickly he regressed last season seems excessive for an athlete with his professionalism and commitment to conditioning.

You're right on all accounts, especially regarding Heatley. But, why was it only Gallagher who was effected and not anyone else on the Habs OR Tampa Bay? That's the part I find odd. Anyway, as you said, we'll see soon enough.

Gallagher's complaints to the refs has amped up too, and now no call ever goes his way. To me, that's also a sign of decline or at least severe frustration.

 

[Miller Time]

You're right on all accounts, especially regarding Heatley. But, why was it only Gallagher who was effected and not anyone else on the Habs OR Tampa Bay? That's the part I find odd. Anyway, as you said, we'll see soon enough.

Gallagher's complaints to the refs has amped up too, and now no call ever goes his way. To me, that's also a sign of decline or at least severe frustration.

Ummm Petry? Hoffman? Drouin? Armia?... All had down years.

Anderson and DVO weren't "down" vs career averages, but certainly played and produced well below expectations.

CC pre-MSL...

Suzuki, Evans and post-MSL CC were the only fwds that weren't major letdowns.

But yeah, the un-ending complaining Gally showed was a problem & reeked of frustration getting the best of him. Understable but disappointing from a guy paid to be a leader.

& You're right, Tampa didn't suffer nearly the same let down although I think their regular season was a bit affected by the short summer.

The Ducharme/MB factor has a lot to do with it as well imo... Bas leadership from the top down can really accelerate downward spirals, both individually & collectively

 

[ottawa]

I find it absolutely insane this guy has 5 more years left, what a brutal contract.

I would buy him out in 2024

Cap Hit Calculations​

SEASON	INITIAL BASE SALARY	INITIAL CAP HIT	SIGNING BONUS	BUYOUT COST	POST-BUYOUT EARNINGS	SAVINGS	CAP HIT ( MTL)
2023-24	$8,000,000	$6,500,000	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	$5,708,333	$791,667
2024-25	$9,000,000	$6,500,000	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	$6,708,333	-$208,333
2025-26	$6,500,000	$6,500,000	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	$4,208,333	$2,291,667
2026-27	$4,000,000	$6,500,000	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	$1,708,333	$4,791,667
2027-28	$0	$0	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	-$2,291,667	$2,291,667
2028-29	$0	$0	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	-$2,291,667	$2,291,667
2029-30	$0	$0	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	-$2,291,667	$2,291,667
2030-31	$0	$0	$0	$2,291,667	$2,291,667	-$2,291,667	$2,291,667
TOTAL	$27,500,000	$26,000,000	$0	$18,333,333	$18,333,333	$9,166,667	$16,833,336

2026-27 will suck but the 2.3m penalty is worth it if we want to go after PLD and extend Caufield next year to a long deal rather than a bridge.

 

[sansabri]

i'd give Gally a sabbatical year to heal up some more. we don't need him on the ice, anyway

 

[the]

Was I too harsh on Gallagher here?

It was perfect, beautiful post.

 

[ottawa]

i'd give Gally a sabbatical year to heal up some more. we don't need him on the ice, anyway

He helps the tank, play him 20+ minutes a night.

 

[sampollock]

He is a
Bad contract, will hurt the use of cap

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

1. Sign Subban league minimum - give him captaincy,

2. Gallagher retires in disgust - horrible contract off the books.

3. Send PK through waivers.

4. Give captaincy to Suzuki.

Someone give this guy Hugues phone number

 

[Mrb1p]

You play him and hope he gets better, the wear and tear will do easy work, hes not seeing the end of that contract.

 

[BenchBrawl]

I find it absolutely insane this guy has 5 more years left, what a brutal contract.

I would buy him out in 2024

Cap Hit Calculations​

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]SEASON[/TD]
[TD]INITIAL BASE SALARY[/TD]
[TD]INITIAL CAP HIT[/TD]
[TD]SIGNING BONUS[/TD]
[TD]BUYOUT COST[/TD]
[TD]POST-BUYOUT EARNINGS[/TD]
[TD]SAVINGS[/TD]
[TD]CAP HIT (

MTL)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2023-24[/TD]
[TD]$8,000,000[/TD]
[TD]$6,500,000[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$5,708,333[/TD]
[TD]$791,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2024-25[/TD]
[TD]$9,000,000[/TD]
[TD]$6,500,000[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$6,708,333[/TD]
[TD]-$208,333[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2025-26[/TD]
[TD]$6,500,000[/TD]
[TD]$6,500,000[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$4,208,333[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2026-27[/TD]
[TD]$4,000,000[/TD]
[TD]$6,500,000[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$1,708,333[/TD]
[TD]$4,791,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2027-28[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]-$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2028-29[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]-$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2029-30[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]-$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2030-31[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]-$2,291,667[/TD]
[TD]$2,291,667[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]TOTAL[/TD]
[TD]$27,500,000[/TD]
[TD]$26,000,000[/TD]
[TD]$0[/TD]
[TD]$18,333,333[/TD]
[TD]$18,333,333[/TD]
[TD]$9,166,667[/TD]
[TD]$16,833,336[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


2026-27 will suck but the 2.3m penalty is worth it if we want to go after PLD and extend Caufield next year to a long deal rather than a bridge.

I'd do it in 2025, maybe 2026. We won't compete before that anyway.

 

[ottawa]

I'd do it in 2025, maybe 2026. We won't compete before that anyway.

We should be competing for the playoffs after the summer of 2024 (so the 2024-25 season) at the very least imo, that will be year 3 and I imagine some of our young rookies will be starting to make an impact and we'll be rising away from the league basement naturally.

Suzuki will be 25 at the start of the season, Caufield 23, Slaf will still be just 20 but hopefully on the top line.

If we're not adding UFAs that summer I'll be disappointed, the only things that might be preventing us is contracts like Price (if he's still trying to play at that time) and Gallaghers.

I get 3 years of rebuilding is a rushed one, but I think our prospect pool is good enough to prevent us from being at the bottom of the standings in 3 years. But time will tell I guess, let's see how some of these new kids do in D+1

 

[BenchBrawl]

We should be competing for the playoffs after the summer of 2024 (so the 2024-25 season) at the very least imo, that will be year 3 and I imagine some of our young rookies will be starting to make an impact and we'll be rising away from the league basement naturally.

Suzuki will be 25 at the start of the season, Caufield 23, Slaf will still be just 20 but hopefully on the top line.

If we're not adding UFAs that summer I'll be disappointed, the only things that might be preventing us is contracts like Price (if he's still trying to play at that time) and Gallaghers.

I get 3 years of rebuilding is a rushed one, but I think our prospect pool is good enough to prevent us from being at the bottom of the standings in 3 years. But time will tell I guess, let's see how some of these new kids do in D+1

When I said 2025, I meant 2024-2025. So that's one year later than you suggested we buy out Gallagher's contract, unless I misunderstood your table.

We still have to see how the Price contract will hurt us.

Even if we compete for the playoff in 2025, that doesn't mean we need to sign big time free agents.

Gallagher could also bounce back and be a pesty 20 goals scorer, which may be worth keeping around.

 

[Habs13]

Ummm Petry? Hoffman? Drouin? Armia?... All had down years.

Anderson and DVO weren't "down" vs career averages, but certainly played and produced well below expectations.

CC pre-MSL...

Suzuki, Evans and post-MSL CC were the only fwds that weren't major letdowns.

But yeah, the un-ending complaining Gally showed was a problem & reeked of frustration getting the best of him. Understable but disappointing from a guy paid to be a leader.

& You're right, Tampa didn't suffer nearly the same let down although I think their regular season was a bit affected by the short summer.

The Ducharme/MB factor has a lot to do with it as well imo... Bas leadership from the top down can really accelerate downward spirals, both individually & collectively

Did Drouin or Armia really have down years? Or... did they have the same seasons they've become known for?

 

[Miller Time]

Did Drouin or Armia really have down years? Or... did they have the same seasons they've become known for?

Armia had the least productive season of his career... In year 1 of the largest contract of his career.

Drouin was healthy and returning from an extended layoff.

Both are in what should be the prime of their careers & have had much more productive seasons previously.

So no, I don't think the organization, or themselves, would have viewed their performance last season as "expected"

 

[ReHabs]

You play him and hope he gets better, the wear and tear will do easy work, hes not seeing the end of that contract.

The current trend is definitely LTIR instead of buy-out or retirement. I can see Hughes riding Gallagher until Gallagher breaks down. Awful contract for a bad player. Hope the cap goes up, and fast.