Possible buyout of Brendan Gallagher: a decision that could cost the Canadiens dearly

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Jeff Drouin
July 25, 2022 (6:23 PM)

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Even if he remains an extremely appreciated, hard-working and useful player, Brendan Gallagher is considered by many as being "overpaid".

Some have suggested a buyout of Gallagher's contract, in order to save some space under the salary cap, but this is simply not an option and here is why.

It's true that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton really want to give themselves space on the payroll and it's true that paying Gallagher 6.5 million (per year) until 2027, it's probably not the best investment, but buying him out is really not advantageous, for the moment.

See in particular the explanation from the solid CapFriendly resource, on the subject:

"A contract buyout for Brendan Gallagher spans 10 years, at a cost of $22,666,667 and a savings of $11,333,333. Since Gallagher is 30 years old at the time of the buyout (as an example), the ratio to be applied is 2/3. With a remaining salary of $34,000,000, the cost is $22,666,667 and the savings is $11,333,333. Buyouts cover twice the remaining years and with 5 years left on the contract, the buyout term is 10 years."

Ouch. As for the impact Gallagher would have, on the Tricolore's payroll, if his contract is bought out, see the chart below.

Basically, we would save for the next four years, but then Gallagher would have an impact of almost 5 million in 2026-27 (ouch) and then, an impact of almost 2.5 million per year until 2032. We really don't want that.

So here's why Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton won't (and shouldn't) buy out Gallagher's contract, who by the way seems determined to have a big season.

Credit: HABSolumentFan

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How many goals do you think Brendan Gallagher will score next season?
Less than 10	177	12.6 %
Between 10 and 20	760	54 %
Between 20 and 30	393	27.9 %
More than 30	78	5.5 %
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