As everything falls into place and the Habs finally seem to be moving towards the future, several changes could (should) occur between now and the trade deadline of March 21, and even this summer. With the pandemic, the salary cap will not rise as much as hoped for in recent years, and respecting this famous cap is becoming a real headache for the general managers of the NHL.
The large contracts awarded to players who perform below expectations are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. In the same vein, Bergevin made a monumental mistake which could well complicate Kent Hughes' plans in the future.
Indeed, Brendan Gallagher's contract is far too lucrative for what the small forward will be able to provide by the time it expires. Many say that Gallagher has been underpaid for years, and I tend to agree, but awarding contracts like this on the basis of services rendered and not projections of what a player will be able to accomplish is a big mistake.
Several examples come to mind, such as Stars captain Jamie Benn, Milan Lucic, Brent Seabrook and many others. It's good to want to reward players for what they have accomplished, unfortunately the NHL is a business where this kind of error unfortunately has no place.
Let's hope for Hughes and for us, the supporters, that Gallagher will be able to bounce back and prove Bergevin right for having him sign this $6.5 million contract which will end in 2027, otherwise the complexity of this situation could reach proportions, most important to building a winning team.