Should The Habs Consider Scratching Brendan Gallagher?

Considering how the Canadiens are building an identity as a fast team, Gallagher has struggled to keep up with the flow of the game that the Habs may expect of him. Sure, he’s still a great heart-and-soul guy that brings great leadership on a nightly basis, but the fact that others in the lineup as well as the players who will be back from injury soon fit the team’s identity much better may make it easier to set him aside for those who play the game the way the Canadiens want consistently.

Especially now that the Habs will have too many forwards that can fit on the roster when everybody is ready to return, somebody will need to be taken out, and with how well Sammy Blais has fit in on the 4th line, it feels as if the better choice would be to sit Gallagher once the reinforcements are back. The truth is a 4th line of Sammy Blais, Jake Evans, and Josh Anderson would be a great energy line that could really pressure their opponents using speed and physicality.

I know personally I have mentioned in the past that the Habs giving Gallagher a few nights off from time to time would be a good idea to keep him at his freshest, as he looked good really early on in the season, but after the first month his game really slowed down. He had another spurt for a few games when he was placed with his old linemate Phillip Danault, but that line started to tail off during the second of a back-to-back earlier this past week.

With that being said, playing Gallagher around half the games or against slower teams may be better to get the best of Gallagher for the 1.5 years of his contract that pays him $6.5 million a season. It may not seem like the most economical decision for the Habs given his contract, but by playing only every couple of games, he will have his legs under him and be able to play similarly to how he started the season.

We shouldn’t expect him to turn back the clock like he’s 25 years old, but playing less should allow him to be closer to the player that he was last season when he is in the lineup, as right now he just looks very tired when he’s on the ice. Essentially, less games should make him look more energized for the rest of the contract.

As sad as it is to say, the end is very near for Brendan Gallagher, and playing him every game will only become a liability down the road. He needs to get rest if the Habs don’t want to get any more good performances from him going forward. At this point, much like David Savard in the final year of his contract, Gallagher is more of an experienced guy that is a lot more important in the locker room than he is on the ice.

Do you agree with Tony Marinaro and me that the Habs should start to give Gallagher some nights off?