Remember that number 11 will be entering his tenth season with the Montreal Canadiens. He is the longest serving forward in the team, having been with the big club since the 2012-2013 season. The little pest has been able to develop his leadership over the years, but in a discreet way. He has seen several players become captains under his watch, including Max Pacioretty and Shea Weber.
Marc Bergevin announced that there would be no new captain this year, despite the absence of Shea Weber, who will be unavailable due to many injuries he has suffered in the past. This is where Brendan Gallagher has to stand up. According to Dominique Ducharme's words, who were shared by Pierre Houde, Gallagher was afraid to take his place in the dressing room because Weber is an imposing captain. Now that Weber will be away, Dominique Ducharme mentioned that some players will have to take control of the ship in the absence of the number 6, including Gallagher.
"Brendan Gallagher may not have had enough room to do more when Shea Weber was around. I'm going to hope he faces more this year." - Dominique Ducharme
If some are skeptical about Brendan Gallagher's potential offensive production, Pierre Houde didn't look worried. With his massive $6.5 million salary coming into effect this year, Brendan Gallagher will want to prove a lot to the hockey world.
See the full interview here ⬇️
The Montreal Canadiens have depth on the right wing, the likes of which they haven't had since Gallagher arrived, but his role shouldn't be overlooked. He will still go into traffic to disrupt the opposition and will score a considerable share of goals, if he stays healthy.