TSN: TSN1040 Vancouver: Contract talks with Gallagher have stalled and broken off

[Treb]

If we are going to keep Gallagher..offer him:
1st year of contract...$7 million.
2nd year....$6 million
3rd year...$5 million
4th year....$4 million
5the year...$3 million
6th year...$2 million
7th year...$1 million

He's not going to take a 28 million 7 year contract, especially not one that would maximize his loss of money due to escrow.

 

[phillytennis]

5 seasons at 6,750 M $ should be reasonable.

Too expensive...

 

[JoelWarlord]

Also just gonna say there is always the option of trading Drouin for a conditional 7th and just keeping Gallagher and shifting Toffoli to LW. That's entirely an option too and it's ridiculous we're all just resigned to the fact taht we can't move a defensive black hole who can't outscore Lehkonen at even strength.

 

[Zorba]

Covid (hopefully) won't last forever.

The cap ramifications will last a long time

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I think term will be the sticking point. When was the last time MB signed a forward long term past the age of 32? Plekanec comes to mind, but that was only a two year extension. 8 years would take Gally to 36. I just don't see that happening.

Term & bonuses. That's what did in the St. Louis & Petro negotiations. I agree 8 years is too long. I'd prefer maximum of 6, but the cap hit is higher.

A 6 year contract:

$5.5m, $8m, $8m, $8m, $7m & $5.5m

Cap: $7m.

 

[phillytennis]

Don't see why they'd move Boeser at all tbh. I'd probably look for something in the roster player + A prospect mold we saw in the maxpac trade. Virtanen + rathbone?

Forget Virtanen....not interested!!

 

[Roadhouse]

Also just gonna say there is always the option of trading Drouin for a conditional 7th and just keeping Gallagher and shifting Toffoli to LW. That's entirely an option too and it's ridiculous we're all just resigned to the fact taht we can't move a defensive black hole who can't outscore Lehkonen at even strength.

No. Who do you send the media agency for McDonald's commercials?

I'm dead serious.

 

[Naslund]

This is a direct result of the Anderson contract. Players like Danault and Gallagher are seeing this contract and thinking what the hell has this guy done over me to deserve this, and they are right. This will be very tricky for MB to manage. With Danault and Gallagher completely on board this year, the Habs could be competitive. If they are traded or pout like Domi, then we are back being a borderline playoff team.

 

[CHfan1]

Obviously I think most fans would like to keep him. Could be a future captain of the Habs if Weber retires. But who knows what he’s asking for. And the Habs don’t have a ton of cap space next season. Right now they have $24.9 million with 13 players signed.

I’ve stated this before but if Kotkaniemi plays even better than he did in the playoffs for a full season what does he get for a contract?

So if they sign Gallagher and Danault for a combined $12 million. Kotkaniemi gets $6 million or so. That leaves them with $6.9 million for 6-7 players to fill out their roster. Yeah they can move players out and Seattle may take a contract like Edmundson’s. But they’ll have to be smart about it.

Then the season after that they have Suzuki and Romanov as RFA’s.

 

[ROEN]

Extremely complex situation when you know what a team like Seattle will do to start off strong and the FA forward situation next summer

 

[Le Barron de HF]

My prediction: when Gallagher leaves this team (over the next year most likely), he'll end up like Gorges did when he went to Buffalo. Broken down body, lesser role, ineffective, and out of the league within a few years.

Callahan: Started declining in his 28 years old season. Had been playing in the league for 7 seasons.
Gionta: Started declining in his 32 years old season. Had been playing in the league for 9 seasons.
Tucker: Started declining in his 32 years old season. Had been playing in the league for 11 seasons.
Peca: Started declining in his 29 years old season. Had been playing in the league for 8 seasons.
Drury: Started declining in his 33 years old season. Had been playing in the league for 10 seasons.
Ott*: Started declining in his 31 year old season. Had been playing in the league for 10 seasons.
Morrow: Started declining in his 32 years old season. Had been playing in the league for 11 seasons.
Burrows*: Started declining in his 31 year old season. Had been playing in the league for 7 seasons.
Brown: Started declining in his 28 year old season but resurgence in his 32 year old season.
M. Richards: Started declining in his 28 year old season. Had been playing in the league for 8 seasons.

Then there are bigger guys like Clowe (29 years old), Simmonds (30 years old), Lucic (29 years old) Backes (32 years old) who also saw quick declines.

(guys with a * are listed in the 6 foot range so just a bit bigger than Gally and bit smaller than the names like Clowe)

Gallagher has been in the league for 8 seasons now. He's more than earned his money. Max I would be comfortable giving him would be a 6.33M AAV for 5 years. This would bring him to 33 years old when his contract expires which is around the age of the other players declined. Truth is, Gally has suffered hand injuries and at least 3 concussions that I can think off of the top of my head. Gallagher doesn't have a ton of mileage left and if he doesn't accept offer the kind of money that I listed above, then trade him.

Do you know what the guys I listed have in common beside their style of play? (Besides Lucic) Their teams never cashed in before their play went down. Let's be visionaries for once and cash in while the iron is still hot. 30 GMs would be interested in adding a guy like Gallagher, let the bidding begin.

 

[OldCraig71]

Also just gonna say there is always the option of trading Drouin for a conditional 7th and just keeping Gallagher and shifting Toffoli to LW. That's entirely an option too and it's ridiculous we're all just resigned to the fact taht we can't move a defensive black hole who can't outscore Lehkonen at even strength.

Trading Drouin is an addition by subtraction and most of us know it. Keeping Drouin on this current team is like being in minor hockey and being forced to keep the coach's son on the team because the coach drives the team bus for free.

 

[Redux91]

This team lost its spark when he got injured during the playoffs. We need him more than some of you realize.

In a perfect world, he makes 4.5 mill and settles into 3rd line mode and thrives, that would be great

In the real world, gallagher most likely wants something closer to 7x7. And that is just not going to happen unfortunately for him.

Which brings us to this impasse.

We need danault and gallagher to become 3rd liners but they obviously do not want to do that, here in Montreal the last couple of years they have been our FIRST liners, not because they ARE but by DEFAULT and they've played well sure, but they are nowhere close to 1st line players, they are stopgaps.

Unfortunately agents dont really see it that way

Honestly one of my biggest fears this off season was expecting to see something like what happened in 2017, free agency opens AND WE SIGN! : Care Price crazy extension.
I was dreading every minute passing just expecting some random 7x8 deal for gallagher and just run the whole thing back with this smaller team..

Instead we get what we got AND the contract talks are turbulent with gallagher who wants more money than he should get? It's a dream come true honestly, as hes not in my plans for the future at all.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

5 seasons at 6,750 M $ should be reasonable.

I don’t think you want Brendan Gallagher carrying the same cap hit as Johnny Gaudreau.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Problem with Gally is he’s been so underpaid all these years that he wants to make up for it but that’s not how it works.

He’s a 50 point scorer on the top line but he’s also the heart beat of the team who brings more than just points. He’s a leader and looked up to in the room but he’s also got some hard ass miles and is bound to break down as the years add on. I think he’s a 6X$6-6.5 player for the added intangibles but longer term and that AAV should drop down IMO.

 

[Redux91]

This is a direct result of the Anderson contract. Players like Danault and Gallagher are seeing this contract and thinking what the hell has this guy done over me to deserve this, and they are right. This will be very tricky for MB to manage. With Danault and Gallagher completely on board this year, the Habs could be competitive. If they are traded or pout like Domi, then we are back being a borderline playoff team.

When will people understand we were 24th in the league this year with danault and gallagher as first liners...?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Gally has been a warrior for us and it'd be nice to keep him around, but at the end of the day it is a business and we have another small RW in Caufield who could be ready next year. If they can get him on a reasonable contract then keep him around, but he isn't a necessity and we shouldn't pay him as such. Obviously the 30 goals he's getting now are needed, but who knows how much longer he's going to be putting up these offensive numbers.

I would say locking up Danault is more important, especially with 3 young centres on the roster.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

So, you acquire guys like Toffoli and Anderson just to lose others like Tatar or Gallagher not long after ? what a waste of a summer that would be...

back to MAYBE a buble team I guess.

I never said to trade them and ship them right away.
1- We have 6 ufa and 2 rfa next season.
2- 4 of those ufa will ask way more.
3- Salary cap is still a thing
4- Covid cap is also thing
5- Like I said , i would keep Gallagher but at a cost of like Toffoli or +1m since it's gallagher i thinkt 5.5m for 4 years is more than fair.
6- Gallagher struggle to get to 50 points with 17min of icetime average a season.
7- Gallagher in terms of skills , size , speed is not that much better of Anderson and Toffoli who both play RW.
8- Some players in this team are still playing in the wrong chair. Danault should be on the 3rd line center ,Gallagher on the second line and same for Tatar. None of those 3 are first liners.
9- This core (without new players) has proven to be awful in a entire season multiple times and they all want the big money because they think they are worth 1 line material.


Would i ship Tatar and Gallagher for nothing ? No.
Would i sign Gallagher and Tatar at decent deals ? Yes.
Would I trade them for the good return with their UFA status next season right now? I would think about it.

10- Toffoli is also more likely a RW than a LW.
11- Caufield is coming up next season. He will need top 6 minutes because hes a sniper and not a 2way player like lekhonen.
12- We gotta think about the future. If i was to keep up 1 of the 3 , I would keep Danault on the third line.

That's my story about it. Gallagher is a good player and was always nice to watch on this franchise , but he's not worth what hes asking. Simple enough.

 

[EdAVSfan]

I would like to trade Gallagher to Colorado for Alex Newhook who can play left wing or centre.

I can say, IMO of course, that if Joe considers trading for Gallagher, he will treat him like a pure one year rental, like Saad.
Every move he’s made, contract signing, etc, shows he has no interest in term for non-core players.

there’s zero reason to believe he’d sign Gallagher to an extension with more important contracts coming up.

Newhook is exactly what he needs to keep the Avs window alive after the new contracts come on the books.

 

[Redux91]

Obviously I think most fans would like to keep him. Could be a future captain of the Habs if Weber retires. But who knows what he’s asking for. And the Habs don’t have a ton of cap space next season. Right now they have $24.9 million with 13 players signed.

I’ve stated this before but if Kotkaniemi plays even better than he did in the playoffs for a full season what does he get for a contract?

So if they sign Gallagher and Danault for a combined $12 million. Kotkaniemi gets $6 million or so. That leaves them with $6.9 million for 6-7 players to fill out their roster. Yeah they can move players out and Seattle may take a contract like Edmundson’s. But they’ll have to be smart about it.

Then the season after that they have Suzuki and Romanov as RFA’s.

Exactly, something's gotta give.
Gallagher could very well be odd man out. And I'm glad its appearing bergevin is finally seeing it that way too

Hell a gallagher return would probably be pretty great if we do it right

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Food for thought for those saying he's not a first line winger because of points totals or that are questioning the numbers being thrown around:

Gallagher is 47th in the league from 2014-2020 in goals. That's with an ice time of 16:17. Tatar (5.3M), JVR (7M) , Lee (7M) are in the top 50 too and have similar TOI. Kreider has 1 fewer goal than him and his AAV is 6.5M. (they all averaged under 17 minutes of ice time)

If you change the time period to 2017-2020, Gallagher jumps up to 28th. Once again, the only other forwards in that realm for ice time are JVR and DeBrincat (who has 1 more goal than Gally). Debrincat has a 6.4M AAV.


Gallagher will be 29 years old by the time he signs his next deal. That's the age JVR was when he signed is. His deal was 5 years long. Tatar was 24 (lots of RFA years). Lee was 29 years old and signed for 7 years. Ditto for Kreider. If I'm Gallagher's agent, the AAV starts at 6M minimum and can go up to 6.75M even in this current pandemic context.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Problem with Gally is he’s been so underpaid all these years that he wants to make up for it but that’s not how it works.

He’s a 50 point scorer on the top line but he’s also the heart beat of the team who brings more than just points. He’s a leader and looked up to in the room but he’s also got some hard ass miles and is bound to break down as the years add on. I think he’s a 6X$6-6.5 player for the added intangibles but longer term and that AAV should drop down IMO.

The reality is, he’s a $5 million dollar player playing a role bigger then he should’ve been due to lack of talent in Montreal for so many years. Paying him $6+ million with term is ludicrous. I really feel he’ll test the market and find out quickly he’s not worth what he probably thinks he is.

 

[Seb]

Gallagher is an important piece of the team, they better not fk this up. He needs to retire as a Habs.

 

[lamp9post]

Term & bonuses. That's what did in the St. Louis & Petro negotiations. I agree 8 years is too long. I'd prefer maximum of 6, but the cap hit is higher.

A 6 year contract:

$5.5m, $8m, $8m, $8m, $7m & $5.5m

Cap: $7m.

If those are the terms, the more I think about it the more I'd prefer to move on from Gallagher. A $7M cap hit really impacts the team's ability to improve and there is great risk given Gally's injury history and potential decline. Plus with Covid, there is a chance the cap stays flat again next year and I wouldn't want to risk having to use prospects and draft picks to offload contracts if we find ourselves in cap hell.

As it stands, I'm leaning towards leaving all three unsigned until after the expansion draft and resume talks then. Sure, we might lose one for nothing, but if we have cap flexibility we could also be in a position to add players cheaply.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

You’re listing guys drafted in 2007. There’s been 13 drafts since. His last really good draft was 2007.

Sergachev was a 9th overall pick. I expect someone that is paid to scout to select a quality player at 9th. You don’t deserve kudos for that.

I disagree with your take on Sergachev.
Many 9th overall picks disappoint or bust.

Look at the player drafted after him and how many are clearly better than him?
You can also go with the pick selected before him and how many team wished they drafted him instead of their pick.

It was a great selection. The question mark on our player development has been legit. There have been many instances of players that are not developed properly.

The players in our system right now that worry me in term of their development are Poehling, Juulsen, Brook. Their development clearly stalled or regressed last year.