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Brendan Gallagher

Canadiens Working On Extension For Brendan Gallagher

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After getting defenseman Jeff Petry signed to an extension last week, it appears that the Canadiens have set their sights on getting a deal done with Brendan Gallagher next.  Speaking with RDS’ Francois Gagnon, GM Marc Bergevin indicated that they want to keep the winger in Montreal for the rest of his career and that they’re willing to make him the highest-paid forward on the team.  For reference, Jonathan Drouin is the forward with the highest AAV, checking in at $5.5MM.  Bergevin also candidly stated that he knows a four-year or five-year term wouldn’t be enough to dissuade Gallagher from heading to the open market so it would stand to reason that any extension would be longer than that.

While Bergevin only indicated that talks have been preliminary to this point, Gallagher’s agent Gerry Johansson told RDS’ Eric Leblanc that both sides are working hard to get a deal done and are optimistic that they’ll be able to get one accomplished.

The 28-year-old had scored at least 31 goals in each of the last two seasons and played at a 31-goal pace this year as well but injuries and the pandemic made that out of the question.  Even so, he picked up 22 goals and 21 assists in 59 games this season.  One element that Gallagher will have in his favor is his ability to score at even strength as only five of his 55 goals over the past two years have come with the man advantage, a skill that is always highly coveted.

Gallagher has spent the last five years playing on a considerable bargain contract given his production with an AAV of $3.75MM which will remain intact for 2020-21 as he plays out the final year of that deal.  Given Bergevin’s comments, it would seem like Gallagher’s next price tag should come in the $6MM to $7MM range with a term of at least six years.  Even with the flattened cap in place, there’s always a high price tag on goal scoring so even with the potential for a deflated free agent market in 2021, the veteran is well-positioned for his next deal.

Montreal also has two other unrestricted free agents of note for the 2021 offseason in center Phillip Danault and winger Tomas Tatar.  Gagnon notes that preliminary discussions on a new deal for Danault occurred around the time that Petry’s negotiations were ongoing (both are represented by Newport) while no such talks have occurred with Tatar’s camp as of yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Contract Notes: Miller, Thompson, Gallagher

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Ryan Miller may have turned 40 this summer but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done with a playing career that has him climbing the all-time lists. The Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender is without a contract for next season and will wait to see what the 2020-21 season looks like before making a decision on his future, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Quite succinctly, Miller explained that if the NHL moves to full-season bubbles it wouldn’t be fair to his family for him to sign up and leave for nine months, a notion that is likely shared by many around the league.

Miller is currently 15th on the all-time wins list for NHL goaltenders, just two behind another former Buffalo Sabres legend, Dominik Hasek. That was a player Miller was hoping to catch as recently as May, though it’s still unclear if he’ll get that chance. Even at his age, the veteran of 17 NHL seasons recorded a .907 save percentage in 2019-20, better than many backups around the league.

  • Nate Thompson isn’t put off by the Philadelphia Flyers disappointing playoff loss, in fact, he’s “very interested” in returning to the team next season if possible. Thompson told reporters today that he wants to be a part a “window of winning” that he sees in Philadelphia. The 35-year-old forward was outstanding in the faceoff dot for Philadelphia this postseason, winning more than 60% of his 168 draws. He’s coming off a one-year contract worth $1MM and recorded 15 points in the regular season.
  • Though his contract doesn’t end until 2021, Brendan Gallagher was asked today about his future with the Montreal Canadiens. As he spoke to reporters including Arpon Basu of The Athletic, Gallagher (who is still recovering from a broken jaw), explained that his agent has had preliminary discussions with the team about his next deal. Gallagher, 28, has turned into one of the biggest bargains in the entire league at his current cap hit of $3.75MM, given he has scored 86 goals over his past 223 regular season games (an 82-game pace of nearly 32 goals). Add in all the intangibles he brings to the team, including leadership and his innate ability to get under the opponent’s skin and Gallagher is one of the Canadiens’ most important players.

Snapshots: Stamkos, Gallagher, Slovakia

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With the Tampa Bay Lightning preparing to face the rival Boston Bruins in the second round in a collision of arguably the two best teams in the NHL, the Bolts were hoping to be at full strength with face of the franchise Steven Stamkos back in the lineup. However, that won’t be the case. Head coach Jon Cooper told the media, including The Athletic’s Lightning writer Joe Smith, that Stamkos is still not available due to injury. Rather than reiterating the indefinite timeline of Stamkos’ rehab, Cooper merely stated “It’s pointless to keep asking about it.” Stamkos is still battling a core injury suffered back in March and has far exceeded the initial six-to-eight week timeline with the player and team still seemingly having no idea of when he might be ready to return. If Stamkos cannot return to face Tampa’s potentially toughest test in Boston, the odds are that he may not play in the postseason at all.

  • Fan favorite Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher had his season come to an end prematurely as he suffered a broken jaw on a cross check from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen in Game Five of the teams’ first round series. Gallagher only ended up missing one game, as the Habs were eliminated by a Game Six loss on Friday night. Meeting with the media today, GM Marc Bergevin updated Gallagher’s status, announcing that he underwent successful surgery in Toronto and is returning to his home in British Columbia today. Additionally, Bergevin revealed that Gallagher had been injured long before his run-in with Niskanen, suffering a hip tear in Montreal’s qualifying round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, he played through the injury and it was solely that broken jaw that kept him from playing in the Canadiens’ season finale.
  • Several other recently-eliminated players could be back in action sooner rather than later. Sport SK in Slovakia reports that several members of the Slovakian Tipsport Liga are expecting active NHLers to be acquired via contract or loan to begin working out and playing prior to NHL training camps beginning in November. HK Kosice may have the largest haul still to come, with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Martin Marincin and Calgary Flames prospect Martin Pospisil to be loaned to the team and Ottawa Senators RFA Christian Jaros and free agent forward Tomas Jurco expected to sign. Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak also has ties to the club, but with the Lighting still alive in the postseason and hoping to sty that way for a while longer, he may not need the early start for next season. Slovan Bratislava, which has already received a handful of prospects on loan, are expecting another in the more high-profile Martin Fehervary, the promising defenseman from the Washington Capitals.

Brendan Gallagher Suffers Broken Jaw

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After taking a hard cross-check from Matt Niskanen, Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher has suffered a broken jaw according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Niskanen is having a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for the incident, but no suspension has been given out just yet. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic got word right from the Canadiens GM, as Marc Bergevin confirmed “Gally has a broken jaw.”

There are few players in the NHL that can get under an opponent’s skin like Gallagher, but the 28-year-old isn’t just a pest. He’s also one of the most effective offensive pieces the Canadiens have, as he’s shown this postseason with a league-leading 37 shots on net through nine games. In fact, Gallagher scored a go-ahead goal last night against the Flyers, batting a puck out of the air on the powerplay.

Unfortunately, Lavoie reports that Gallagher will require surgery and is out for the rest of the series against the Flyers. That kind of diagnosis will be taken into account for Niskanen’s suspension, which could potentially take him out for the Flyers as well.

The teams will match-up again tomorrow night for game six, where pleasantries will surely be exchanged early.

Matt Niskanen To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety has some work to do, announcing a scheduled hearing for today with Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen. The hearing concerns an incident from last night’s game, in which Niskanen cross-checked Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher. Niskanen was not penalized on the play, while Gallagher has been scheduled for a CT scan to examine the extent of his injury (though he played the rest of the game).

Flyers fans will not be happy with this decision, at least in the context of the rest of the game. Jesperi Kotkaniemi will not receive any supplementary discipline for his check on Travis Sanheim, which earned him a five-minute major and game misconduct. There will also be nothing from the league on the hit at the end of the game which caused a scrum and three more misconducts.

In an arena with no fans with players isolated from the rest of the world, the Flyers and Canadiens are summoning images of another era of hockey. The two teams combined for 67 penalty minutes last night and now a suspension, but will have to get back on the ice tomorrow night.

Snapshots: Draft Ranking, Nygard, Gallagher

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Alexis Lafreniere has topped another list, this time leading TSN’s mid-season ranking. Bob McKenzie compiles the list based on the determinations of ten NHL scouts, but writes that Lafreniere is in a “class all by himself.”

The rest of the list includes 61 other ranked players (plus five honorable mentions), with the usual suspects like Quinton Byfield, Tim Stuetzle and Jamie Drysdale near the top. Jake Sanderson is one of the interesting risers, finding himself the top-ranked American and in the top-10.

  • There is at least one casualty of the battle between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. Joakim Nygard is still being evaluated by the Oilers’ medical staff after leaving last night’s game, but head coach Dave Tippett explained that it looks like it “could be a serious injury.” Nygard blocked a shot in the first period and could miss another huge chunk of games in his rookie season.
  • In an absolute must-win for the Montreal Canadiens, they’ll have the heartbeat of their forward group back. Brendan Gallagher is expected to return for the team after missing six games with headaches, as they take on the Buffalo Sabres for the rights to fifth-place in the Atlantic. The Sabres and Canadiens both have 51 points and are seeing their playoff hopes slip away as we enter the last third of the season.

Eastern Notes: Skinner, Gallagher, Drouin, Palmieri, Boqvist

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The Buffalo Sabres got some good news as forward Jeff Skinner practiced with the team Sunday and is now considered day-to-day, according to the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington. Skinner suffered an upper-body injury in late December and was deemed to be out three to four weeks.

Skinner, however, had already been skating on his own before the all-star break and many had hoped he might be ready for Tuesday’s game against Ottawa. Head coach Ralph Krueger said that he hopes that Skinner will be available on Tuesday. Skinner has been a bit of a disappointment so far this year after signing an eight-year, $72MM contract in the offseason with just 11 goals and 19 points in 39 games, a far cry from his 40-goal season last year. If Skinner is ready to play Tuesday, Buffalo will have to activate him off of injured reserve.

  • Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien said that while none of his injured trio are expected to play on Monday against the Washington Capitals, two of his players are close to returning, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Forward Brendan Gallagher, who has missed nine of the team’s past 10 games with a head injury, still needs to be cleared by doctors, but Julien said he feels good and should be back in a few days. Jonathan Drouin is also supposed to be ready to return within the week, but Julien said he had no idea when that would be. Drouin has missed 31 straight games after having surgery on his wrist. Paul Byron is out “longer term.”
  • The New Jersey Devils are expecting to get back a key player as well as forward Kyle Palmieri returned to practice Sunday and is expected to play Monday against Ottawa, according to NHL.com’s Amanda Stein. Palmieri missed four games before the break and missed the All-Star Game as well, with a foot injury. The 28-year-old has 16 goals and 31 points in 44 games for the Devils.
  • Stein also adds that New Jersey Devils rookie forward Jesper Boqvist, who was assigned to the Binghamton Devils in the AHL before the break so he could continue playing while the team was off, will remain there for the time being to get some extra playing time. The 21-year-old has just four goals and no assists in 34 NHL games and has one goal in three games with Binghamton.

Snapshots: Galchenyuk, Domingue, Gallagher

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It may come as no surprise, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have made it known around the league that they would like to trade Alex Galchenyuk according to Pierre LeBrun on last night’s edition of Insider Trading for TSN. Galchenyuk was only acquired last offseason in the Phil Kessel trade, but hasn’t found a fit in the Penguins’ top-six.

Bob McKenzie on the same panel notes once again that the Penguins’ priority is finding that top-six forward (even if that’s not what Galchenyuk will bring back at this point) in order to replace Jake Guentzel. McKenzie also suggests that Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford is not necessarily only looking at the rental market.

  • Louis Domingue played in last night’s 6-3 loss for the New Jersey Devils, meaning the Tampa Bay Lightning are getting an extra draft pick. The conditional seventh-round pick sent to Tampa Bay for Domingue earlier this season will now transfer hands thanks to the goaltender playing in his seventh NHL game for the Devils.
  • Head coach Claude Julien told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that the Montreal Canadiens are sending Brendan Gallagher for more testing to see why he is having headaches. It apparently could be related to a virus, but the team will not take a chance if it has any connection to the concussion that he only just returned from.

Brendan Gallagher Diagnosed With Concussion

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The Montreal Canadiens have placed Brendan Gallagher on injured reserve after he suffered a concussion on Tuesday. He will be out indefinitely.

Gallagher was having another outstanding season for the Canadiens, with 15 goals and 32 points through 40 games. The scrappy 5’9″ forward has scored at least 30 goals in each of his last two campaigns and looked like he’d hit the mark once again. That puts him among rare company in the NHL these days, and makes him one of the most valuable forwards in the league given his $3.75MM cap hit.

Unfortunately, that pace will be stopped for at least a while. Hopefully Gallagher can bounce back from this injury quickly and be ready for a playoff push with the Canadiens, though they’ll have to start winning some games without him in the meantime. Montreal has lost their last three and now sit fifth in the Atlantic Division with an 18-16-6 record.

The Canadiens have ten games before the All-Star break.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens.

What are the Canadiens most thankful for?

Plenty of depth scoring.

While the team may not be an elite scoring team, they do get quite a bit of offense from their team with multiple players producing for the Canadiens. The team has six players with 20 points or more and four players with 10 or more goal and another four that have seven or more goals. Tomas Tatar leads the squad with 13 goals and 30 points, while Brendan Gallagher is right behind him 15 goals and 28 points. Phillip Danault has eight goals and 27 points, while Max Domi isn’t far behind with eight goals and 24 points. Joel Armia has 12 goals and even rookie Nick Suzuki has potted seven goals this season.

Who are the Canadiens most thankful for?

Anyone who thinks that at age 34, Shea Weber’s career might begin to decline haven’t seen how well he’s played this year. In 58 games last season, he put up a respectable 14 goals and 39 points even though he was returning from a major injury. However, now fully healthy, he’s shown that little can stop him as he has produced almost a point-per-game pace with 11 goals and 29 points in 33 games this season and is on pace for a potential career-high in goals and points.

Of course, Weber still has six more years remaining on his mega-deal that is worth an AAV of $7.86MM per season, but with the way he’s playing at his age, that contract has been a better value than many thought it might be.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

The team still has a number of players underproducing and could use a solid second-half of the season.

While Carey Price hasn’t been a disappointment by any measure, his numbers also lack that dominance that has made him one of the best goalies in the league. Through 29 appearances, the 32-year-old has a very pedestrian 2.89 GAA and a .905 save percentage. With the Canadiens battling in quite a tight Atlantic Division, a dominant Price could vault the team even higher in the standings.

On the other hand, a pair of forwards continue to struggle. Jonathan Drouin still hasn’t figured it out. Brought in to be the new dominant face of the franchise back in 2017, Drouin hasn’t been that player and now has been derailed with a wrist injury, but if the team can get Drouin to become the star they had envisioned when he returns at some point in January, the team might be able to take that next step as well.

What should be on the Canadiens’ Holiday Wish List?

A star.

The Montreal Canadiens were rumored to be deep in trade negotiations in hopes of prying star forward Taylor Hall to the team, but failed in the end to land the former Hart Trophy winner. Regardless, the team that should have some cap money to spend this coming summer has made it clear it would like to bring in a big name to headline the team. Unfortunately, with Hall of the table, the options for landing a big name have dwindled as the next biggest star available to the team might be Chris Kreider, who likely doesn’t qualify as a franchise player.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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