UNDERRATED GALLAGHER ONE OF THE LEAGUE’S BEST
Numbers show two-way stalwart is worth his weight in gold, Marc Dumont writes.
Canadiens spark plug Brendan Gallagher is one of the best rightwingers in the NHL.
Though underrated by many, he’s a first-line player because of his skill in driving NHL goalies to distraction as well as his ability to help the team at both ends of the ice.
OFFENSIVE IMPACT
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Gallagher has 63 points in 93 games ahead of Thursday’s game against Washington, good for 20th among all right-wingers in the league.
His 38 goals rank fifth in the NHL, tied with talented rightwingers such as the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues. The top-scoring right-winger is noted Winnipeg Jets sniper Patrik Laine, who has 47 goals during that span, which gives you an idea of Gallagher’s productivity.
If we narrow it down to evenstrength goals during that span, Gallagher clocks in with 25, only five goals behind the leader, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gallagher also has three more goals than Laine during five-on-five play.
Gallagher’s statistics are even more impressive when you consider the context in which he produces. He’s not given an overabundance of defensivezone starts and a low quality of opposition like other top-scoring right-wingers enjoy. In fact, it’s quite the contrary.
Last season, he spent the majority of his games playing alongside Tomas Plekanec in a shutdown role and, despite his assignment, still managed to lead the Canadiens in scoring with 31 goals and 54 points.
To give you an idea of Gallagher’s impact on Plekanec last season, you don’t need to look further than how many shots they controlled while together and while apart. While on the same line, the Canadiens controlled 53.8 per cent of the shots. While Gallagher was away from Plekanec, the Canadiens controlled 56 per cent of the shots. While Plekanec was away from Gallagher, the Canadiens controlled just 46.9 per cent of the shots.
You can repeat the same exercise with anyone Gallagher has played with in recent years, and the results are very similar.
DEFENSIVE STALWART
Unlike most of the wingers who have managed to outscore him, Gallagher’s ability to play a solid defensive game is quite evident. The Canadiens allow fewer shots and scoring chances than the NHL average when Gallagher is on the ice.
He doesn’t play with a particularly high quality of teammates, and he always plays against a high level of competition, yet his numbers improve every year.
To get a real sense of how effective he’s been, we need to dive into his underlying metrics.
During the last three seasons, the Canadiens have controlled 55.2 per cent of the shots while Gallagher is on the ice, good for sixth place among all forwards who play right wing. They have also controlled 54.8 per cent of the scoring chances, and 56.2 per cent of the high-danger shot attempts, good for 13th and ninth, respectively, in the league.
Those numbers would be fantastic for an elite player on a powerhouse team, but Gallagher has yielded those results while missing a lot of games because of a broken hand and playing a defensive role on one of the worst teams in the NHL last season. Simply put, he’s been excellent despite the tough circumstances, and there’s no doubt that he’s a bonafide first-line player.
No matter which line he’s placed on, he manages to create offence. He also makes his teammates better in the process, which is why his head coaches have tended to use him as spark plug to get certain players going.
Gallagher, 26, is the Canadiens’ one standout in terms of production and work ethic, and one of the few players in the league who combines talent with a relentless effort shift after shift. Skill alone isn’t enough, nor is hard work. Fortunately for Gallagher, he has more than enough of both.
At US$3.75 million per season through 2020-21 — a six-year deal that runs through Gallagher’s prime — there’s also the potential that his team-friendly contract might bring even more value. But even if he never scores again, the Canadiens have already received excellent value from the deal. The fact that his fantastic underlying numbers show potential for him to increase his production means the Canadiens are playing with house money.
Players like Gallagher don’t come around very often. He has the perfect combination of skill, hard work and consistency, which is why he has cemented his spot among the best rightwingers in the NHL.
Marc Dumont is an analyst and editor for The Athletic Montreal. (All statistics via NaturalStatTrick. com.)