In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson looked at five players in the NHL who could be bought out during the off-season. Among the players discussed was Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher.
“The Canadiens have over $10.9 million in cap space for next season. Buying out Gallagher’s final season would free up an additional $2.7 million to put toward bolstering their roster. It won’t be a popular move among Habs fans, but it might be better for him and the team if he no longer fits in their plans,” Richardson wrote.
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If the Canadiens bought out Gallagher, it would undoubtedly be a significant move. After all, the 34-year-old winger has spent the entirety of his 14-year career with the Canadiens.
Yet, at the same time, the Canadiens are entering the off-season with some roster needs to address and not a ton of cap space to work with. Due to this, Gallagher being viewed as a potential buyout candidate heading into the summer is understandable. This is especially so when noting that his $6.5 million cap hit is expensive for his current role and what he provides at this stage in his career.
Gallagher appeared in 77 games this season with the Canadiens, where he recorded seven goals, 23 points, and 98 hits. He also played in three games for the Habs during the playoffs, scoring one goal. He was scratched for all of Montreal’s series against both the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, given all that Gallagher has provided for the Canadiens, it would also be understandable if they gave him the chance to try to have a bounce-back year for them in 2026-27. Keep in mind, just back during the 2024-25 season, Gallagher had 21 goals and 38 points in 82 games.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what the Canadiens end up doing with Gallagher this off-season.
