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“Brendan Gallagher is healthy this summer”: history repeats itself
The Habs are currently having some problems with their contracts. Carey Price, for example, is not making life easy for CH management, despite his presence on the LTIR.

But one of the biggest is undoubtedly that of Brendan Gallagher.

Because the diminutive forward isn’t on the long-term injured list like Price, the situation is different. 12 months a year (when he’s healthy, at least), he eats up $6.5 million under the salary cap.

And when he’s healthy, Gally isn’t the player he once was. The Habs’ #11, who is a crowd favorite (and rightly so) in Montreal, doesn’t roll offensively like he did in his heyday. It’s not exactly easy to manage.

What’s difficult for him is to take his stride. Just when he’s starting to feel good on the ice, another injury seems to set him back to square one, making it all the more frustrating for the man who probably just wants to play the way he used to.

And it’s not the fact that he’ll be healthy this summer that will make all the veteran’s problems go away.

Let’s face it: for the fans, for the club and for the player and his family, it would be desirable for Gally to stay healthy. But if the past is a guarantee of the future, it’s not a sure thing.

And that’s even if the CH has made changes to try to keep the guys healthier.

Last summer, we heard the same thing. He was healthy during his off-season training, but quickly suffered an in-season injury that prevented him from being himself.

That’s been the case for a few seasons now.

(Credit: Hockey DB)
After the 2021 series, he was banged up, but last summer he was fine. The fans and the team could look forward to a great season from him, but once again, he got hurt.

There’s a lot of respect for Gally, because everyone knows that he’s given his body for the good of the Habs over the last ten years. He’s respected for that and deserves a special place in the CH’s recent history in my eyes.

But right now, it’s difficult. His big contract, as was to be expected, is a drag on the Habs, and even though Gallagher is doing everything he can to keep it that way, he’s not as young as he used to be.

I hope for the sake of everyone involved that “the fact that he’s healthy this summer” will carry over into the season. But unfortunately, I’ll believe it when I see it.

In bursts

– I like it.

– I’m going to miss this when the Yankees fire him.

– Erik Karlsson will speak to the media at 11:15am.

– He’s living his best life.

– With good reason.

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