The Montreal Canadiens held their exit interviews on Monday. Through a wave of insightful interviews, it was winger Brendan Gallagher who caught attention as he discussed his future with the club. Gallagher told reporters that his desire would be to re-sign in Montreal for the rest of his career, per Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. But, given the team’s growing forward pool and Gallagher’s diminishing results, the winger said “it’s pretty clear” that he will be on the move, per Engels.
Gallagher was emotional throughout the presser, even having to step away from reporters for a brief moment after thinking about how Montreal rallied around him in the wake of losing his mother. All 911 games, and 14 seasons, that the 34 year old has spent in the NHL have come with a Canadiens’ logo on his chest. He has seen rises and falls through his time in Montreal, ultimately overcoming a 5-foot-9 frame and fifth-round draft selection to become a true pillar of the Canadiens’ rosters through the late-2010s and early-2020s.
Gallagher routinely rivaled 40 points each season between 2013 and 2020 – with a dip to 29 points for the 2016-17 season but a rise to 54 and 52 points respectively in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Much of that scoring, including back-to-back 30-goal seasons, was driven by Gallagher’s relentless battling in the low slot. He stood out as a feisty and aggressive winger capable of winning corner battles or sniffing-out rebounds – and earned as high as second-line deployment because of it.
Those seasons continue to stand as Gallagher’s career-highs – but he reached 21 goals and 38 points as recently as the 2024-25 season. Those numbers dwindled to just seven goals and 23 points this season, a dip that coincided with Gallagher averaging just 6:25 in ice time through three postseason appearances. The end of the 2025-26 season made it clear that Gallagher’s bottom-six role had been upended by the likes of Zachary Bolduc and Joe Veleno.
Gallagher mentioned his hometown Vancouver Canucks when discussing a potential next landing spot with reporters per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. The Canucks could use a boost of veteran experience as they attempt to rebuild their lineup around top prospects. Gallagher played four seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, and even captained the team for one season, before turning pro in 2012. He was a star producer for the Giants, racking up 280 points and 359 penalty minutes in 244 games with the club. That jolt of scoring and grit would be welcome on the Canucks roster, even if it comes on the other side of a long pro career for Gallagher.
Even if Vancouver isn’t his next landing spot, Gallagher will certainly have a say in where he heads next. He told reporters, including Canadiens insider Priyanta Emrith, that he will discuss a next step with his wife and agency. His Canadiens teammates heaped praise on Gallagher in their own exit interviews. Star scorer Cole Caufield called Gallagher “one of the most special humans I’ve ever got to play with” while former top pick Juraj Slafkovsky praised Gallagher’s leadership in his move to the NHL. The veteran’s departure will be one that weighs on the Canadiens through next season. At the same time, it will represent a true turnover for the NHL roster – sparking the change that will lead Montreal into an era in-part led by young stars Hutson, Caufield, and Slafkovsky.
Gallagher has one season remaining on his current contract, which carries a $6.5MM cap hit. He is set to enter unrestricted free agency, targeting an age-35 contract, on July 1, 2027.
Gallagher should have been in a couple conference final games, He could have really charged up the troops, But, Instead St. Louis stuck with the plan, Whatever that means, playing Veleno? Not being competent enough to coach at the NHL level, No clue about making in game adjustments? Playing Evans in the top six? Keeping your teams shots to an all-time low? St.Louis proved what I have said from the beginning, He can’t coach at the NHL level, I personally was very happy to see Mighty Marty get his ass handed to him.