The Brendan Gallagher trade process is officially underway. Rick Dhaliwal of Cheknews.ca reported that the Montreal Canadiens have given agent Gerry Johansson permission to help facilitate a deal, clearing the way for the two sides to find a new home for the veteran winger.
Gallagher is entering the final year of his contract, a $6.5 million cap hit through 2026-27, and Montreal has signaled it wants to do right by him in finding the right fit. He acknowledged this week that he expects to move on after 14 seasons with the only organization he’s known, and he retains trade protection that gives him a say in where he lands.
Additional Notes:
- The St. Louis Blues signed forward and RFA Zach Dean to a one-year deal. Dean, a 2021 first-round pick (30th overall) originally drafted by Vegas, came to St. Louis in the 2023 Ivan Barbashev trade and spent this past season with AHL Springfield Thunderbirds. The deal carries an $850k cap hit with a $95k AHL salary, per PuckPedia. The 23-year-old center had 14 points in 36 games last year for Springfield. Dean will remain an RFA when the deal expires in 2027
- The Jagr streak lives on. With Vegas in the Final, defenseman Rasmus Andersson keeps alive a sensational streak: for the 46th straight season, a former Jaromir Jagr teammate will appear in a Stanley Cup Final. Andersson played alongside a 45-year-old Jagr on the 2017-18 Flames. Every Cup Final since 1980 has featured one of Jagr’s past or future teammates, a “six degrees” oddity made stranger by the fact that he didn’t debut until the 1990 season.
That Jagr stat is absolutely fantastic
unbreakable record
Probably. But just for giggles, I thought I’d check the spread on Gordie Howe. Now without way too much work for the payoff I’m not checking every season. But the earliest teammate of Howe’s to have played in a Cup Final was Roy Conacher, who won the Cup with the Bruins in 1939. The latest teammate was Mark Howe, who won the Cup with the Red Wings in 1995. 56 year spread.
(Could be worse. There’s that single shift Howe played for the Detroit Vipers in 1998, but as far as I’ve looked, no player for the Vipers that year ever appeared in a Cup Final.)
Mark Howe didn’t win a cup. And the Red Wings didn’t win it in 1995
And of course, Jagr ties to Kevin Bacon!
How wants that Gallagher hit for a bottom six player?
Either Montreal bundles a pick with Gallagher, or they buy him out. I’m guessing a 2nd rounder is more than MTL wants to give up, while a 2nd rounder is the minimum that another team is willing to accept. Which likely leads to buy out