The Canucks Traded Away Youth To Bring In Gallagher – And It Might Actually Make Sense
On the surface of the Vancouver Canucks' back-to-back trades on Monday, they did something rebuilding teams aren't supposed to do.
They traded Nils Hoglander, a 25-year-old left winger with two years left on his contract, to the Nashville Predators for a 2029 third-round pick.
Vancouver then acquired 34-year-old right winger Brendan Gallagher, who's coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for future considerations.
On paper, this would be the kind of move that makes no sense. Trading away a younger player with a higher ceiling for a modest draft pick, then acquiring a more expensive veteran in the last couple of years of his NHL career, doesn't scream rebuild to many.
Canucks Acquire Brendan Gallagher From The Montréal Canadiens
Brendan Gallagher is on his way to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Gallagher addition isn't necessarily about production – although there is a chance he could produce.
With seven goals and 23 points in 77 games and being a frequent healthy scratch in the playoffs, Gallagher won't be much of a difference-maker to the Canucks, at least not on the ice.
Instead, this move is about culture, something Johnson has talked about frequently since being promoted on May 14.
"I think anybody that has worked with me, alongside me, players that have played with me, they understand there's some real non-negotiables," Johnson said at the time. "I always talk about the professionalism of how they approach every day and having a plan. But even more importantly, and probably guys that have played for me would tell you, my biggest challenge to them every day is, what is the quality of teammate that you could be for each other today?"
Gallagher was an alternate captain for the Canadiens for 11 seasons. He became a citizen of honor of Montreal last Thursday for having a lasting impact on Montrealers through their actions and commitment. Needless to say, he has positive qualities to impart to his new teammates.
At $6.5 million, Gallagher's cap hit would not have been worth it for the Canucks to acquire him, so Montreal retained 50 percent of it. Vancouver is only carrying a $3.25-million cap hit now for the final year of his contract.
If Gallagher can put up 20 goals as he did in 2024-25, or even 16 goals and 31 points as he did in 2023-24, then the Canucks have a trade asset at the deadline.
By that point, the Canucks could retain another $1.625 million of Gallagher's cap hit, which could make the player an attractive rental for a playoff squad.
The Future Is Bright For Vancouver's Professional Hockey Scene
After the NHL and PWHL Entry Drafts, Vancouver will be home to a large crop of young talent.
For however long the Canucks have him, their players will benefit from what Gallagher can bring. He has a standard of compete that young teams genuinely benefit from.
The longtime B.C. resident doesn't just play hard; he wants to play hard in Vancouver. Not many players are saying that these days.
Is it a perfect rebuild move? No. But as one of Johnson's first moves, he could do much worse.
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This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 12:25 PM.