Canadiens: What to Expect From Brendan Gallagher

Since Carey Price bowed out of town thanks to his recurring knee issues, Brendan Gallagher has been the Montreal Canadiens' elder statesman and after 12 seasons, everyone knows what to expect from the alternate captain: his best.

About Last Year

Last season, Gallagher only missed five games, and he had to sit them out because of a suspension after elbowing New York Islanders' Adam Pelech to the head. In other words, the veteran went through the whole season unharmed. It had been four long seasons since he managed to play a full campaign in 2017-2018. Back then, he put up 54 points, a lot more than what he was able to contribute in the most recent season.

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He had a bit of a rollercoaster season production wise, he put up 31 points (16 goals and 15 assists) which included two goals in October, three in November, none in December, three in January, one in February, three in March and five in April. His assist production also featured the same kind of fluctuation and he finished the year on a high with five assist in April, giving him 10 points in that month alone.

What's Next

There's no doubt the veteran will be hoping to pick up where he left off, but will he have a chance to do so? With Kirby Dach back in the lineup, top-six minutes should truly be a thing of the past for the winger.

While Gallagher is still a respected player, leader and mentor, the Canadiens cannot afford to give top-six minutes to a forward they know won't be around when the team is ready to contend. Furthermore, the winger is now 32 years old and doesn't produce at the same rhythm he once did.

The best Gallagher can hope for is a third-line role. Martin St-Louis coaches a young team with a lot of speed on its top-six and 21 year-old prospect Joshua Roy would be the logical choice to ride shotgun with Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach.

As things stand and unless Kent Hughes surprises us with a late Summer trade, Gallagher could find himself on a line with Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson. Unless of course the Canadiens' coaching staff believe the power forward's atrocious season will have lit a fire under him and give him a chance to bounce back with Dach and Newhook, but I think he should have to earn that opportunity.

While Gallagher had kind of a bounce back year and Anderson had a dreadful one, Dvorak struggled with injuries and was limited to only 30 games. Furthermore, the center will be playing the last year of his contract and at 28, he'll need to impress to find himself a respectable contract in free agency next Summer.

If I Had to Bet on Gallagher...

Providing he can remain healthy, I don't think it's overly optimistic to believe the newlywed Gallagher could rack up another 30 points this coming season. While fans would probably like to see him have more of an offensive impact, it's time to be realistic. The gritty forward's best years are behind him and he won't get much opportunities on special teams.

Related: Canadiens: Extra Motivation Worth a Pretty Penny

Even if his offensive production is no longer what it once was, you can bank on his effort level remaining as high as ever. Gallagher is a proud competitor and he will not be pouting about ice-time or linemates. Hopefully, he will inspire his linemates to bounce back, thus helping the team progress even though the Canadiens' lineup will essentially remain the same as it was last season.

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