Brendan Gallagher's contract bought out by Kent Hughes? It would be a godsend for the Montreal Canadiens

Simply put, to be profitable, Gallagher would have to thread the needle at least 25 to 30 times a season. Yet he has only scored 15 goals in the last two campaigns. Even when healthy, Gally struggles to regain his scoring touch.

This is where the question of a contract buyout comes into play. Kent Hughes will have plenty of room under the salary cap in the next few years, and he'll be able to afford such a move. The emergence of young players, pushing towards the NHL, could force him to make such a decision.

In fact, columnist Samuel Doiron has done some research into how much it would cost to buy back number 11 next year, and the price isn't too high - in fact, it would be a godsend for the CH.

Basically, Hughes would save a lot of money in Gallagher's three remaining contract years, and it would cost him $2.16 million for three more years, which is pretty good under the circumstances.

We love Brendan Gallagher, myself included, but if he doesn't have a season that lives up to expectations this year, or is sidelined for an extended period once again, a decision will have to be made. Hockey is first and foremost a business, and that's how it works.

I'm confident that Gally will be able to make a strong comeback, especially after several months of recovering. He can regain his touch around the net, but it's imperative that he stays in the line-up and stays injury-free.

Credit: HF