Brendan Gallagher’s Role Going Forward

Last season, Gallagher scored over 20 goals for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign, when he scored 22 goals and 43 points in the Covid-shortened season. It felt like Gallagher’s years of 20+ goals were behind him, but after getting 21 last season, he proved that he may still be good for 20 goals a season if he remains healthy in a lesser depth role. One of the reasons that worked out for Gallagher is that, despite approaching the end of his career, he has never changed his style of play, and he will always continue to play his best hockey in the dirty areas in front of the net. This is why I believe that even with bottom-six minutes on top of his role on the Canadiens’ 2nd power-play that he’s likely to have, he will still be able to manage a respectable 15-20 goals for the last 2 years on his contract. 

There is no way he will be able to live up to being the player he was when he originally signed his 6-year $6.5 million AAV deal during the shortened 2021 NHL season, but he can be a very serviceable player as one of the older leaders on the team. This will be a very important role that he will get to fill for the next 2 years as the Habs slowly turn from playoff hopefuls to general Stanley Cup contenders by the end of his contract. 

Gallagher will likely need to serve as a role model for players who are just coming into the NHL, as he would be a great example to show a young player just making what exactly they need to stay in the NHL and have a long career. Throughout the last 15 years, there has not been a skater who has worked harder on the ice each night than Brendan Gallagher. Every shift, he has given his 110% throughout his 13-year NHL career thus far. Sometimes it led to him having some tough injuries, but he showed what a true warrior on the ice is during that time.

As it stands, he is heading into the 2025-26 NHL campaign as the oldest player on the roster after defenseman David Savard announced his retirement at the end of last season. With the Carey Price trade on Friday, he is now officially the longest-serving player with the Habs organization. Gallagher has been part of the Montreal Canadiens organization since he was drafted in the 5th Round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, where his hard-working, grinding style was felt from Day One.

Now at age 33 and with only 2 years left on his contract, Gallagher’s role has been greatly diminished in recent seasons, but it seems he will remain a similar player to what he always was. The only difference is that his foot speed is lacking from what it was 5 years ago. Nonetheless, his impact should still be felt until the very end of the contract as a leader and a grinding forward. 

This upcoming season, his linemates are expected to be Josh Anderson whom he developed lots of chemistry last season, and Jake Evans, who should replace Christian Dvorak on their energy line from last year. I predict we see another 20-goal and 35-point season from him if he stays healthy.

Do you see Gallagher having similar numbers to last season, or will his game decline a bit back to what we saw a few seasons ago?