Report: Brendan Gallagher’s agent granted permission to speak with teams to facilitate trade
Just days after openly admitting that he would likely be leaving the Montreal Canadiens this offseason, Brendan Gallagher and his agent, Gerry Johansson, have reportedly been granted permission to speak with other teams to facilitate a possible trade.
Gallagher, 34, skated in just three out of the Canadiens’ 19 playoff games this spring as the club embarked upon an underdog run to the 2026 Eastern Conference Final. The 5’9″ winger has one year remaining on his contract, which carries a $6.5 million cap hit and a relatively limited six-team trade list; he amassed seven goals and 23 points in 77 games with the Canadiens in the 2025-26 regular season.
Hockey insider Rick Dhaliwal reported the news surrounding Gallagher’s situation on Wednesday night. Dhaliwal is based in Vancouver, where Gallagher played his junior hockey with the WHL’s Giants.
Brendan Gallagher’s agent Gerry Johansson has permission from Montreal to help facilitate a trade.
Gallagher, who has spent the entirety of his 911-game NHL career to date with the Canadiens, became visibly emotional while speaking to reporters in Montreal at his end-of-season media availability on Monday.
“First and foremost, so thankful and so fortunate to have spent as much time as I have here,” Gallagher said. “The fans right from Day 1, it’s been truly a privilege to play in front of them. It’s an opportunity that not a lot of players get in the league. I’ve got to do it for 14 years now, and it’s not lost on me how special it was to call the Bell Centre home.”
“The very first time I stepped foot in this organization, management, coaches, teammates that I’ve had along the years. There’s been ups and downs, but I don’t have a single regret,” he added. “It’s pretty clear that I’ll be moving on here, but I’m incredibly, incredibly… fortunate.”
A fifth-round pick of the Canadiens in the 2010 NHL Draft, Gallagher made his debut with the club in the 2012-13 season. The long-serving Canadiens alternate captain has surpassed the 20-goal mark five times to date, most recently in the 2024-25 campaign; he has collected 14 goals and 34 points in 79 career playoff contests.