Canadiens trade Brendan Gallagher to Vancouver Canucks
The Montreal Canadiens traded longtime forward Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, Sportsnet's Eric Engels reported. Montreal will retain 50 percent of his $6.5 million cap hit, and Vancouver sends future considerations in return — ending Gallagher's 14-year run with the Canadiens.
Key Takeaways
- Montreal traded Brendan Gallagher to Vancouver for future considerations, with the Canadiens retaining half of his $6.5M salary.
- Gallagher, 34, spent his entire 14-season NHL career in Montreal, recording 246 goals and 487 points in 911 games.
- The Canucks acquire a veteran leader with Lower Mainland ties as they rebuild, per GM Ryan Johnson.
- Gallagher has one year left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.
- Both teams confirmed the deal after it was first reported by Rick Dhaliwal, per Pro Hockey Rumors.
Why did the Canadiens trade Brendan Gallagher now?
The Canadiens dealt Gallagher as the club looked to offload his contract while giving the veteran a new landing spot. Gallagher indicated he expected to be moved this offseason, and Sportsnet noted he welcomed a return home to Vancouver even though he had said he would prefer to finish his career in Montreal.
Because Gallagher carries a $6.5 million cap hit in the final year of his six-year, $39 million deal, Montreal structured the trade to retain 50 percent of that salary. TSN reported the Canadiens receive future considerations from the Canucks.
What are the contract details of the Brendan Gallagher trade?
According to TSN, the Canadiens will retain 50 percent of Gallagher's $6.5 million cap hit in the final season of his deal. Gallagher has a modified no-trade clause and is entering the last year of his current contract before unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 campaign.
Pro Hockey Rumors confirmed via Puckpedia that Vancouver will absorb only $3.25 million of the cap hit under the 50 percent retention structure for the 2026-27 season.
What does the deal mean for the Vancouver Canucks?
Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson framed the acquisition as a culture move. "Brendan is a quality individual and a very good hockey player," Johnson told TSN. "We love the way he competes and leads by example. Bringing in veterans like Brendan will help us set the standard for our younger guys to follow."
Johnson also highlighted Gallagher's ties to the Lower Mainland, making the homecoming a natural fit for a rebuilding club. Pro Hockey Rumors noted that with Nils Hoglander recently traded to Nashville, Gallagher should see more middle-six opportunity on the right wing than he did in his final Montreal season.
How does Brendan Gallagher's career longevity compare to his recent role?
Gallagher's 14-year tenure with Montreal is a rare example of career longevity in professional sports — one player, one organization, nearly a thousand games. Drafted 147th overall in 2010, he scored 30 or more goals twice and posted a career-high 54 points in 2017-18.
That durability did not translate to the same on-ice role in 2025-26. TSN reported Gallagher logged a career-low 12:21 of ice time per game, recording seven goals and 23 points in 77 contests. He was a healthy scratch for the first time since January 2013 on March 14, and Sportsnet noted he did not dress again after May 3 in Montreal's first-round series against Tampa Bay.
Pro Hockey Rumors described 2025-26 as arguably his worst offensive season without major injuries. Still, his 246 career goals and locker-room leadership remain assets Vancouver values as it develops younger talent — even if Gallagher becomes a trade-deadline candidate again next season.