Brendan Gallagher will be a better fit for the Canucks

Brendan Gallagher is going from one Canadian team to another, as the veteran forward was acquired by the Vancouver Canucks in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

Through 14 NHL seasons, all with the Canadiens, Gallagher scored 246 goals and added 241 assists for 487 points in 911 career regular-season games. He’s also produced 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 79 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

But in 2025-26, Gallagher struggled to produce, as he scored just seven goals and added 16 assists for 23 points with Montreal. He also dressed for just three of the team’s 19 playoff games during their run to the Eastern Conference Final.

On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Jonny Lazarus and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton learn of the deal live on air and react to it, mapping out what Gallagher’s role in Vancouver could be.

Jonny Lazarus: What are your initial thoughts on Gallagher leaving the organization?

Carter Hutton: I guess not surprising. This was something we saw coming, and it seemed like a fit. He can go and play more of a veteran role. He can go there and play more of a veteran role under a coach like Manny Malholtra.

I still think Gallagher has a lot of decent hockey in him. He can definitely play, but I think he was in a tricky situation where Montreal was too skilled and too fast for him to keep up. So now he can go to Vancouver and be a leadership piece and help set the culture.

It’s an interesting trade, and for Gallagher, getting out to the Western Conference and seeing a bit of a change of pace will be big for him.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…