Vancouver Canucks get Brendan Gallagher in trade with Montreal Canadiens
The Vancouver Canucks have acquired Brendan Gallagher in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens.
Gallagher is entering the final year of a six-year contract, carrying a $6.5-million cap hit. The Canadiens are retaining 50 per cent of that in the trade, meaning he’ll cost the Canucks $3.25 million.
Gallagher is leaving Montreal after 14 seasons with the Canadiens.
In return, the Canadiens are getting “future considerations.”
“Brendan is a quality individual and a very good hockey player,” said Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson. “We love the way he competes and leads by example. Bringing in veterans like Brendan will help us set the standard for our younger guys to follow. We are excited to add someone who has ties to the Lower Mainland, wants to be here with the Canucks, and knows firsthand how passionate and knowledgeable our hockey market is in Vancouver. This is an important acquisition for our hockey club.”
The 5-foot-9 right winger, who grew up in Tsawwassen and played his junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants, didn’t hide his desire to come home after last season.
“That would be good for me and my family,” Gallagher admitted in an interview on Donnie and Dhali last week. “Obviously, my wife is pregnant right now. By the time next season starts, we’re going to have two little ones under two, so having family around is something that I have to think about when making this decision.”
Gallagher played four seasons with the Vancouver Giants, from 2008 to 2012. (@WHLGiants/X)
Gallagher is a player that we identified as a fit with the Canucks over a month ago, given the new management’s desire to improve the team’s culture. The veteran winger is a leader with a relentless work ethic who is beloved by his teammates. And it sounds like Vancouver was a preferred destination.
Gallagher will be looking to prove he can still be a meaningful contributor at the NHL level, telling reporters in Montreal after the season, “There’s more in the tank.”
The 34-year-old was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions during Montreal’s playoff run. He’s coming off what was statistically the worst year of his career, scoring just 23 points (7-16-23) in 77 games during the regular season, but is just one year removed from scoring 38 points (21-17-38) in 82 games.
“I grew up in Vancouver, I know what that city is like when the team is winning and doing well,” Gallagher told Rick Dhaliwal and Don Taylor last week. “It’s such a special place, and for the majority of the last couple decades, that team has been a very good team. I know how special of a city it is.”
This is the second trade of the day for new Canucks GM Ryan Johnson, who dealt Nils Höglander to the Nashville Predators earlier.