Controversial Brendan Gallagher Declares “Am Leaving” Montreal..
Having grown up writing about the Montreal Canadiens, I didn’t know what it would take to turn me into that curmudgeonly old guy defending the veterans as the fanbase rightfully becomes obsessed with the youth movement. I guess all it took was time. And Brendan Gallagher.
It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago when Gallagher himself was a core piece of the previous youth movement. A sparkplug who could play on any line and elevate players around him.
Through working his way up the lineup, Gallagher quickly established himself as a fixture on the first line throughout his prime. Not only was Gallagher a fixture, he was the common thread of Habs top lines from Pacioretty and Desharnais, to Tatar and Danault.
In his prime, Brendan Gallagher was a two-way force from the wing and one of the most reliable producers of offence in the NHL at 5-vs-5. You may think I’m exaggerating, but from the lockout-shortened 2013 season through 2021, Gallagher’s 1.08 goals per 60 minutes ranked 10th in the NHL among forwards with 3000+ minutes played (383 players), ahead of players like Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Evgeni Malkin etc. His 2.11 points per 60 minutes ranked 36th, while he ranked first in the NHL in shots on goal, shot attempts, and individual goals per 60 minutes. He also ranked 17th in on-ice goal differential relative to team over that time, and first in expected goal differential relative to team.