Montreal Canadiens: Players who must step up with Brendan Gallagher out

Finding someone to replace that without breaking up some of the synergy already established on the roster is going to be tough. Claude Julien called upon Jordan Weal to take the spot on the top line once it was official Gallagher was done. Say what you will about the head coach Julien, but he sticks to his guns as far as who his ride or dies are and Weal is definitely one of them.

Can that work long term? Perhaps. It would require the Montreal Canadiens to ask more of Tatar and Danault, who will have to up their drive more while Weal tries to do his best on the forecheck.

Weal does have skill, and he’s proved he can produce giving his ability to score on the powerplay. However, 5v5 is a different beast, especially against the league’s best and assuming he’s on the top-line in the Habs’ next game, that means assignments against possibly Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov.

Another alteration that can come from this is the return of Dale Weise, who the Montreal Canadiens recalled on Wednesday. The Habs still have Riley Barber up with the team, but as Habs Eyes on the Prize pointed out, waivers could see him return to the Laval Rocket. Barber is at the nine-game mark and playing a tenth would require the waiver wire to go back to the AHL.

Barber doesn’t have any points in those nine games, but there is enough there to warrant a curious prod from other teams. It is the minors, but Barber putting up 6 goals and 12 assists in 21 games before his promotion is nothing to look over.

That could likely mean Barber returns to Laval while Weise draws in to face the Lightning. Weise has been a depth option for the Rocket with 3 goals and 4 assists in his 27 game run. Unfortunately, he doesn’t appear to be the same Weise Montreal Canadiens remember back in 2016.