Brendan Gallagher

One of the toughest players in the NHL, Gallagher missed Montreal's final 21 regular-season games due to a thumb injury. He returned to play in each of the Candiens' 22 postseason contests, although he was apparently nursing a groin injury the entire way and it showed in his lack of production (two goals, six points). Gallagher's greatest attribute -- in addition to how hard he plays -- is how frequently he shoots the puck. He tallied no fewer than 226 shots on goal from 2017-18 to 2019-20. Gallagher offers relatively little in terms of power-play production and his assist totals are always low, but there's mid-round value in a 25-goal, 200-plus shot, 100-hit winger depending on your league settings.

Gallagher missed a total of 12 games during the abbreviated 2019-20 regular season due to several injuries and an illness, but he was highly productive when in the lineup, racking up 22 goals, 21 assists and 226 shots on goal in 59 contests. The 28-year-old winger has dealt with injuries in the past, but he didn't miss a single game in the two campaigns leading up to last season, so virtual managers shouldn't consider Gallagher a health risk heading into 2020-21. The feisty 5-foot-9 forward doesn't have a ton to offer in terms of his contributions in peripheral categories, but he's become a consistent 30-plus goal, 50-plus point producer over the last few years, and he's also good for around 3.5 shots per game. There's no reason to believe Gallagher won't be able to play at that pace during the upcoming campaign, so he'll be worth a mid-round pick in this year's fantasy drafts.

Gallagher eclipsed the 30-goal and 50-point marks while appearing in all 82 games for a second straight season last year. That's what health has meant to Gallagher, who dealt with a number of injuries during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns that limited him to just 29 goals and 69 points in 117 appearances. The Alberta native certainly isn't afraid to fire the puck on goal, as evidenced by the 302 shots he took last season -- 99 more than the nearest Canadien. The 27-year-old has also become a far more physical player over the past two campaigns, racking up 216 hits after posting just 198 during the previous four seasons combined. Gallagher will return to Montreal's top line in 2019-20 and, if he's able to stay healthy, should crack the 30-goal and 50-point thresholds for a third straight campaign.

Gallagher rebounded from a career-worst season in 2016-17 to have his best in 2017-18. In retrospect, injuries have played a bigger role than we originally suspected. The 25-year-old missed 47 games over two seasons due to hand injuries. Health should be a concern as the 5-foot-9 forward spends a lot of time in front of the net, jostled by bigger defensemen. Good health last season made a huge difference; Gallagher played a full 82-game schedule for the first time since 2014-15 and posted a team-high 54 points (36 at even strength), and 31 goals, his first 30-goal campaign. Gallagher's breakout was remarkable considering he skated for the league's 29th-ranked offense. The team's offensive failings took its toll on others, but not Gallagher. The Habs didn't do much to improve the offense in the offseason, so Gallagher may be asked to carry the load again in 2018-19.

Gallagher dropped off the map in 2016-17, registering just 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) over 64 games, and hitting that mark even required a late-season run consisting of 13 points over the final 20 games. Gallagher was still firing pucks at the net, finishing second on the club with 187 shots, but he scored on just 5.3 percent of them after converting a 10.6-percent clip over his first four campaigns. While the 5-foot-9 forward plays larger than his size, staying healthy will be key, as he’s missed 47 games due to injuries over the past two years. The Canadiens have been perpetually buoyed by an average offensive output, so the onus will be on Gallagher to thrive in the attacking zone and compensate for the team losing Alexander Radulov to Dallas in free agency. There’s a moderate degree of risk in drafting Gallagher, but he’s proven to be an effective winger option when healthy.

Gallagher topped the 40-point mark for a third consecutive season in 2015-16, scoring 19 goals and assisting on 21 others. But we’re left wondering what could have been if not for injuries. His season was limited to 53 games by broken fingers and a groin ailment. While missing Gallagher didn’t quite have the disastrous effect of Carey Price’s season-ending knee injury in Montreal, missing the energetic winger in the lineup had a similarly deleterious effect. When on the ice, he was the Habs’ second-most-productive forward, averaging .75 points per game while finishing third with seven power-play goals. He’s a driver of offense who plays well with any linemate, something that gives head coach Michel Therrien flexibility when he’s looking to spark the lineup. Gallagher showed chemistry with Tomas Plekanec on the second line last season, but was also part of the team’s top unit with Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk at season’s end. Wherever in the top-six he lands, Gallagher will be an important piece of Montreal’s offense.

While Gallagher set new career bests in goals (24) and assists (23) along with shots (254) and plus/minus (plus-18) last year, he still hasn't matched his scoring rate from the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign in either of the two seasons since, and he hasn't been terribly effective on the power play, either. At age 23, he could still see another jump in productivity, but the 5-foot-9 Gallagher is probably miscast as a top-line winger -- he's better suited for a second-line role, as he isn't likely to approach the scoring level achieved by other diminutive players like Martin St. Louis. Nonetheless, he's by far the best talent the Canadiens have on the right wing, so he's on track to skate next to with fellow first-liners Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec once again as he aims to clear 50 points for the first time.

Gallagher continued to develop in his second season, posting 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 81 games while seeing a lot of action on Montreal's top line. He followed that up with 11 points in 17 playoff games. The young forward has emerged as one of the Habs' top goal scorers. There's no reason he should be moved off the top line, so we're expecting a modest increase in playing time and points.

Gallagher began the season as the less heralded prospect to Alex Galchenyuk, but made the bigger impact of the two rookies for Montreal over the course of the 2012-13 season. He ended up skating on the first line and finished tied for the team lead in goals (15) with Max Pacioretty. He didn't get any bigger between his final junior season and rookie professional one, but that didn't stop the 5-8 Gallagher from playing in the dirty areas and contributing some big goals as the direct result of his relentless work in the offensive zone. We suspect more ice time in his second season and expectations are raised.

Gallagher finished off his second straight season with over 40 goals for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. The undersized winger is relentless in the offensive zone and doesn't let his lack of size prevent him from mixing it up. One knock against him is foot speed, but he's handled the pace during the preseason.