According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the NHL trade deadline has now officially been set for Monday, March 1. Usually, it is set on a Friday, and we had assumed it would be on March 5th, but this could be a game-changer for one former Montreal Canadiens. Brendan Gallagher’s 14-year tenure with the Habs came to an end after he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on June 29.
While the writing was on the wall for the respected winger, the divorce didn’t occur in an ideal manner, since the veteran didn’t get to play one last game on the Bell Centre ice to make his goodbyes. His last game came against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs. He didn’t see the ice in the second round against the Buffalo Sabres or in the third round against the Carolina Hurricanes despite the Canadiens being unceremoniously dismissed by the champions in just five games.
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The next time he steps on the Bell Centre ice, it will be in a Canucks uniform, or maybe not. Vancouver is only set to visit the Canadiens on March 6, after the trade deadline, and since Gallagher is in the last year of his contract, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could be traded to a contender before the deadline. If that potential team has already been to Montreal, it would mean Gallagher could miss his long-awaited homecoming.
However, the veteran still controls his destiny as his no-movement clause followed him to Vancouver, so he could block any trade if he wanted to. Speaking to the media at the end of the last season, Gallagher made it clear that he feels like he still has plenty left in the tank, and it sounded like he was even hoping to play beyond this season. Even if that were the case, though, would he want to pass up another chance to chase Lord Stanley’s mug? One has to wonder, after all; that’s what has motivated him to play the game for the last 14 years.
Even if he were to miss his date with Habs fans this season and not get to play another season in the NHL, there is no doubt that the Canadiens will hold a Brendan Gallagher night down the line to offer him the send-off he deserves, no matter how overdue it ends up being.
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