Three Keys to a Brendan Gallagher Resurgence in 2022-2023

Linemates

The best years of Brendan Gallagher’s career came when he played on a line with Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar. For three years, that line was the model of consistency, playing at an elite level at both ends of the ice night in and night out. So when both Tatar and Danault parted in free agency, it really wasn’t that surprising to see Gallagher’s game take a step back.

Gallagher showed incredible chemistry with his linemates who all seemed to make each other better players. It was almost expected that Gallagher would take a step back without them alongside him. Still, scoring just seven goals and 24 points was disappointing. But to be fair to Gallagher, he wasn’t put in the best situation to thrive.

Imagine telling someone that just a few months after making it to the Stanley Cup Finals, Gallagher would be playing on a line with Laurent Dauphin and Mike Hoffman. Those were Gallagher’s most common linemates last year, so is it any surprise that the winger struggled to produce like normal? Hoffman himself also had a bad year, and Laurent Dauphin is a fourth line forward at best.

It may not be fair to absolve Gallagher of all blame for his performance last year, but this certainly explains some of the reasoning behind his drop-off. If the Canadiens want Gallagher to succeed, which they obviously do, it would be wise to put him in a better position to thrive.

The bottom line is, whether the Habs plan on trading Gallagher, or keeping him a part of the core, they need to get the most out of him. Last season, things just didn’t go Gallagher’s way. Some of it was out of the Canadiens control. But there are things the Canadiens could do to help Gallagher find his form again. I believe that if these three things happen, Gallagher will bounce back.

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