The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the most active teams in the National Hockey League this off-season, and coming off what has been a widely praised NHL Draft, the moves have continued.
Early on Monday, they announced a deal with the Nashville Predators, in which Vancouver acquired a 2029 third-round draft pick in exchange for young forward Nils Hoglander, a player that many had high hopes for, but simply couldn’t live up too across his six seasons with the team. The moves aren’t stopping for new General Manager Ryan Johnson either, as they have now confirmed a deal that many expected to happen at some point throughout the off-season.
Vancouver Canucks Acquire Brendan Gallagher From the Canadiens
GettyBrendan Gallagher with the Montreal Canadiens.
From the moment the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was confirmed that veteran forward Brendan Gallagher, who spent the past 14 seasons with Montreal would be moving on from the organization this summer.
Immediately, the former Vancouver Giants young star was linked to the Canucks, and after weeks of speculation and waiting, the deal was officially confirmed by Canadiens reporter Eric Engels.
Then, further details began filtering in about the deal, with TSN’s Chris Johnston confirming that in the move, the Canadiens would be retaining 50% of Gallagher’s deal, which has just one year remaining at $6.5 million.
According to further reports, the deal is simply for future considerations, and with the Canadiens retaining 50% on the deal, they open up over $3 million of salary cap space that can be used as they target a top center upgrade this off-season.
What Role Will Gallagher Play in Vancouver?
While the Canucks are most certainly a rebuilding team, adding a veteran like Gallagher won’t hurt this roster, as he brings plenty of grit, experience and consistency to a team that’s in need of a leader. This past season, Gallagher posted 7 goals and 23 points across 77 games with the Canadiens in a limited role, but in Vancouver, he’ll be given every opportunity to succeed for a team that appears to be starting what could be a lengthy rebuild.
On top of moving out Nils Hoglander, the Canucks are expected to deal Jake DeBrusk at some point in this off-season, and given that this rebuild needs leaders for the young core they are building, Gallagher is a good fit and will play a significant role in Vancouver both on and off the ice in 2026. There’s also speculation over Elias Pettersson’s future in Vancouver, and while the team would love to ice a roster of all young players moving forward, you need veterans there to instil a good culture into the locker room.
That’s not all Gallagher will be there for, but on and off the ice, this is a move that made sense for both Vancouver and Montreal, and while we may see the team flip Gallagher at the deadline, right now, it’s a move made with the future of their rebuild in mind.
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