Brendan Gallagher Struggles in Vancouver (and Gets Cheered On by the Fans)

Félix Forget
Brendan Gallagher Struggles in Vancouver (and Gets Cheered On by the Fans)
Credit: Capture d'écran | RDS

Last June, Brendan Gallagher was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for future considerations. The Habs did the veteran a favor by sending him closer to home (while retaining 50% of his salary to facilitate the trade).

And the Canucks, who are in the midst of a rebuild, acquired a player known for his leadership to help instill a winning culture in the city.

Except that after just four games, Gally is already drawing the ire of the Vancouver crowd. The veteran, who has zero points, a -1 plus/minus rating, and four penalty minutes so far this season, is coming under heavy criticism.

Many people in Vancouver are beginning to realize that the veteran doesn't have much left in the tank. And even though the Canucks don't have a ton of resources, there are people who want to see him in the stands or even on waivers.

That's harsh, we agree… but it does show that Martin St-Louis wasn't wrong in his assessment of the player when he benched him.

All of this comes against the backdrop of Gallagher playing a very limited role for the Canucks. He plays on the team's fourth line and, on a good night, spends about ten minutes on the ice—no more than that.

And in the last game, his ice time was 7:34. That's… very little.

The more time passes, the more it feels like Gallagher might be in his final days in the NHL. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, one has to wonder if there will still be interest in offering him another deal (which would come with a very significant pay cut, of course).

No one doubts Gallagher's heart, and he can still be a valuable presence in a team's locker room. But let's just say we shouldn't be surprised if the player—who turns 35 in May—decides to hang up his skates at the end of the season.


In a Nutshell

– Note.

– (Another) major injury for Alexander Romanov. His season may already be over.

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