Canadiens have plenty of options to replace Brendan Gallagher as alternate captain
This offseason, the Montreal Canadiens traded Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks. It certainly was a tough decision as the Canadiens drafted Gallagher back in the fifth-round of the 2010 NHL Draft, and he would play 14 seasons for the Canadiens.
However, the Canadiens didn’t really have a regular spot in the lineup for Gallagher, and it made sense for both sides to find another team where he could continue his career. While it was seemingly the right decision, the Canadiens now have a tough decision to make as they need to find a new alternate captain to replace Gallagher, who had been an alternate captain since the 2014-15 season.
As it stands right now, Nick Suzuki is expected to be the Canadiens captain, which he has been since the 2022-23 season. With Gallagher no longer on the team, that currently leaves Mike Matheson as the only alternate captain, which he has been since the 2023-24 season.
Montreal Canadiens have plenty of options to join Mike Matheson as alternate captain
Entering this upcoming season, Martin St. Louis will have plenty of great options to choose from to replace Brendan Gallagher as alternate captain. One of the immediate players that comes to mind is Lane Hutson, who has become the leader of the defense and one of the elite players on this roster.
As good as Hutson would be as a fit, the Montreal Canadiens over the past four seasons have had one defenseman and one forward as alternate captains. If Martin St. Louis wants to stick with that, then Hutson probably won’t be the replacement.
Among the forwards, the obvious pick would be Cole Caufield after his breakout season with 50+ goals and winning the Lady Byng Trophy. He has built a close relationship with Nick Suzuki on the ice and would be an option to step into a leadership role as an alternate captain.
If it isn’t Caufield, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Canadiens pick Juraj Slafkovsky to replace Brendan Gallagher as the alternate captain for this upcoming season. He put together an impressive season with 73 points and set career-highs in goals (30) and assists (43) while increasing his ice time over a minute per game.
Slafkovsky is also a player who has done really well on the international stage, including a dominant performance in the Olympics for Slovakia with four goals and four assists in six games. At only 22 years old, he has already played a lot of hockey and would be another great choice as an alternate captain.
Another option for St. Louis will be adding more than one player to replace Gallagher. While they have had only two alternate captains the past four seasons, that doesn’t mean they can’t have more. It is possible that they could alternate the ‘A’ between home and away games and have more players this season.
In the end, it will probably be one of these three players who replace Brendan Gallagher, and Martin St. Louis really can’t go wrong with any of these options.
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